The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-13
FATE OF BLYDENBURG'S WIVES
TWO IN BROOKLYN DIED LIKE
THE THIRD IN IOWA.
All Three Well Insured in His Favor-Iows
Prosecutor Sure That He VIII bo
Convicted Of Poisoning the Last ono
Relatives Of tho Others Will Testify.

Relatives OF tho Others VIII TESTIFY
The news that Ebenezer S. Blydenburg
for many years resident OF Brooklyn
had been arrested at Eldora, Ia. last Satur-
day on charge of poisoning his wife, ais
closed tic fact yesterday that for several
weeks the County Prosecutor and detee-
tive from Iowa had been in Brooklyn work.
ing up case against him.
The woman who died in Iowa WAS the
third Mrs. Bydenburg. Her life was rather
heavily insured. Before he went to Iowa
Blydenbrrg buried two wives in Brooklyn
Both died Under strange circumstances
and both were insured.
All unknown to Dlydenburg the authcri-
ties OF Eldora sent to Brooklyn, and Whit
they learned in that bo rough the frst
two wives and their deaths left them little
doubt that these women died in much tAe
same fashion as wife No. g. On their re-
port, when they returned to Eldora last
week, Blydenburg Was arrested.
II. Noble, the County Prosecutor from
EIdora, told the relatives Of Blydenburg 8
first two wives and also the Brooklyn au-
thorities that he believed the man could
be convicted of the murder OF his third
vito on the evidence then in hand, but 1T
had been thought wise to obtain all tho
facts about the deaths of the Brooklyn
wives and get some of their relatives, u
possible, to come out and testify at the
trial
In Brooklyn Blydenburg was for a long
time looked upon as model man. He taught
a Sunday school class and attended church
regularly. Before he quit Brooklyn he had
been turned out Of his church and Sunday
school with warning never TO enter them
again, had been accused of several swindles
and was under cloud Of suspicion be-
cause Of the way his two wives had died.
According to Mr., Noble, Blydenburg
assumed the same garb of sancity in Eldora.
There he engaged earnestly in religious
work, and nothing was thought OF the death
of his wife until her sister had the body
disinterred and the contents of the stomach
analysed by Prof, V. c. Vaughn.
Prof. Vaughn, 80 Mr.. Noble told the Brook
lyn people, found enough arsenic in the
stomach to kill several persons. BY the
death of this wife Blydenb burg got not only
insurance money, but also fine farm,
which she owned
Bydenburg lived in different places
during his twenty years residence in Brook
lyn, but always in the Bushwick section Of
the borough. Both Of his wives died in the
house at l2l4 DeKalb avenue.
Flydenburg's FIRST wife was Miss Emily
Hawkins of Brookhaven, l.. l. He mar
ried her thirteen years ago.
Seventeen days after the birth OF her
child she died. B!ydenburg's mother had
been attending her a. nurse. On the seven
teenth day after ths birth Of the child tho
- IN
the young mother had recovered and was
able to look out for herself. That same
afternoon the elder Mrs. Blydenburg went
back to the house TO see if all was well, and
was surprised to hear that her daughter
in-law was dying. She died in the early
hours OF the next morning.
Plydenburg's second wife was Miss Laura
Godbold, and she lived with her parents at
500 Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn. She died
after an illness Of four days. Her father.
j. G. Godbold, speaking yesterday Of her
death, said;
"Blydenburg is scoundrsl, and there is
no doubt in our minds that he killed my
daughter, that he killed his first wife and
that he poisoned his third wife. My
daughter was insured for 50, 600 in his favor
and he lost no time collecting the money
utter her dAath.
at the time Of Lauras death We sus-
pected nothing, although her illness was
never explained in any way. Within twenty
minutes of her death he had the body en-
balrned. He left Brooklyn shortly after
Laura death.
we found out that he was a swind!er.
for he he'd taken 81, 500 from Mrs. Smith
on Broadway, Brooklyn, given her note
for ii and had then stolen the note. He
was making love 10 her and promising to
marry her, and the money he got out Of
her was to finish an imaginary con-
tract, which he said he had, to build some
car barns for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company.
After Laura WIS buried We We nted to
remove tho body to our family plot. but
Blydenburg would never allow Il. He al
ways seemed afraid that we would take
the body up.
-Mr Noble. the Prosecutor, told me that
the Iowa case was complete even down
to the man who sold Blydenburg the arsenic
with which he is supposed to have killed
mis- wife,
The physician who attended both Of the
Brooklyn Mrs, Blydenburgs is dead.
Blydenburg WAS connected with the
Epworth Methodist Episcopal Church in
DeKalb avenue. He WIS expelled from
that church, but the reason for it never
came out. While he YVES in the church,
Blydenburg used to carry Bible around
with him everywhere.
His daughter by his first wife is living in
Brooklyn with her mothers rels tives.
Two members Of the iiodbold family are
going to Iowa to testify in Blydenburg g
trial.