Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-01
A DAVENPORT TRAGEDY
Society Young Woman Commits
Suicide by Drowning In the
Mississippi
BODY FOUND AND IDENTIFIED
Quarrel With Her Lover and Other Cir
cun,stances Disclosed by tho Inquest
and Post Mortem Indicate the Cause
of Her Suicide--Was Very Popular
Girl in Church Circles in Davenport.
Special to Times-Republican.


thought to have been az elopement of
one of the most popular young women
of Davenport turned out TO be piuful
tragedy Saturday, when the body OF
Miss Benetta Cook was found bruised
and battered in the still waters of the
where she had lain since
night. Ross Scandrett, her
sweetheart, who at first was believed TO
have run away and married Miss Cook.
has been located in Davenport, where
he has been to the certain knowledge oil
many caquaintances every day for the
last week. He apparently knew moth
ing of Miss Cooks disappearance until
it was made public thru The local press.
The body was discovered by three
men who had gone to the river for the
purpose of ascertaining the height Of
the water. The finders, Peter Wolf and
John Buck, were in boat and j. Il.
Sutton, another in the party, was walk
Ing along the shore at the same time.
The three men saw the body simulta-
neously; only the back Of the head was
visible, the body lying face downward a
few feet from the shore. The girls
clothing had caught on snag. Coro-
ner Frederick Lambach and Constable
Rumsey were at once notified. The
body was taken from the river and re-
moved to the Henry Runge undertaking
on West Third street,
where the inquest was held.
The finding of the inquest jury which
was held by Deputy Sheriff Henry Eg-
gers, Albert Schultz and Roy Haskin
was to the effect that Miss Benetta e.
Cook came to her death by drowning in
the Mississippi river. The jury's find
ings created some discussion, as they
did not state whether the deceased
came to her death by accidental drown
ing or by violence. 1t is the general
supposition, however, that Miss Cook
took her own life by jumping into the
river, possibly from tho government
bridge, as the spot where the body was
found was thought to be about the nat
ural place for it to have landed, If the
unfortunate girl had sought to end her
life from that point.
The condition of the body showed
plainly that it had been in the water
few days. The features were badly
being bloated as well as dis
colored and bruised.
1t was quickly identified by Ross
Scandrett; also by F.. S. Warner, Il
brother-in law of the girl. The main
points of Identification were ring on
her right hand which was engraved
with the initials "B. f. c." and a pin.
evidently that worn by the graduates
of the Davenport high school in 1900
as it was marked I'D. H. S. 1900" An
other pin in a triangle shape, with a
yellow border which proved to be a
memorial pin from the State Univer-
sity, was fastened TO her collar. 1t bore
the inscription. State University Of
Iowa. 1S47." A missing finger nail on
the little finger of the eft hand gave
conclusive evidence to Miss Cooks rela-
tives that the body was that of Ben
etta's beyond cavil.
After the jury had held the inquest,
Coroner Lambach held n post norton
examination. 1t disclosed the motive
for suicide.
Ross Scandrett left Davenport in the
afternoon on the steamer City of Wi
mona for the north. He vas greeted a.
the landing by but one friend. who babe
him good bye. Els destination is I'M
known but 1t Is thought that he is go
ing to LIE Claire to stay with friends
there for n while.
When Miss Cook left her home about
s o'clock Tuesday evening she was hat
less and had remarked that she was
going out to visit friends In the neigh
borhood. No one can be found who
SOW her from the moment she said
goodbye until her body was found
swsshing to and fro in the eddies of the
Mississippi
Miss Cook was a member of the CAL
vary Baptist church ard the Miriam
Club, and without question was one of
the most popular and We'll liked girls I'd
be found in this city. No entertain
ment among the younger set was COM
plete without her and her grief-stricken
friends can be counted by the score.
A few of the latter had rather looked
forward to a wedding announcement
from the Cook family in the near fu-
ture. as Miss Benetta had been collect
ing numerous trifies of domestic ma
ture and had even confi6entially told q
few of them that she would have a
surprise for them at an early date.
Ross Scandrett is q relative by mar
rage of Governor Van SAINT, of Mime
sofa. His father and mother are both
dead. He has been employed both in
local haberdashers and as clerk on q
steamship.