The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-12-12
ALBERT BECKMAN
TELLS THE STORY
COOLlY RELATES HIS RELATIONS
WITH THE KELLY GIRL AND
HOW HE KILLED HER.
BECAUSE HE LOVED HER so
Says His Whole Family Is Peculiar and
That He Himself May Not Be
Just Right in the Head.

Immediately on the opening of court this
morning Albert ]. Beckman, the slayer OF
Helen Kelly, was placed on the stand and
told by his attorneys to tell everything he
knew Of the killing OF the girl and omit
nothing.
Mr.. Breen wished Beckman restricted 10
certain lines in his testimony, principally
to the actual facts OF the killing, but the
court denied the request and allowed the
prisoner the fullest latitude in relating the
tragic events leading up to and occurring
at the time OF the shooting.
Beckman's Statement.
Beckman's statement was in substance
the same as he has related on two former
occasions. lie went into the most minute
detail OF the tragedy and displayed keen
memory as to dates and amounts when
telling OF the money transactions.
He related the story from the time he
first met Helen Kelly in the hall of the
Dakota block, how she appealed TO his
generosity by stating that she had cold
because her shoes were worn ont and her
brother, Patrick Kelly and sister Mary
Kelly, would not purchase them for her.
He told OF how she appealed to him and
how he became cnamored OF her ; how he
bought her shoes, dresses. and toilet arti-
clcs, including silk stockings. And then
later on she promised to marry him and
how he worked night and day in order to
secure money to support her after they
were married.
She Came to Him.
lie told OF how she came to him and
told him that her sister Mary had said that
il they were TO be married, Beckman
pbp,jI n;va H,1a, bip mo IN La.p -
did so, and toilcd on, and bought Helen
everything she desired, all the time asking
nothing in return but that she remain true
to him and keep her promise to marry
him. Then she wanted wedding ring and
he purchased diamond and gave it to her,
Later she asked him to have her cheap
watch repaired and he took it to the
jeweler and finding it worn out, he pur-
chased her new solid gold one. Her de-
mands for money increased and he gave
until all was gone. Money he had saved
he gave to her. He denied himself clothes.
He detailed the events at the Gardens
when he had asked Helen to accompany
him out for the evening. Then told Of
how he and companion went to the Gar
dcns after she had pleaded illness as an
excuse for refusing to go, and how his
heart sank within him as he bcheld the
woman who was more ,han life itself to
him, sitting at beer garden table drink
ing beer with gambler. How he was re-
strained from doing something desperate as
he bched the sight. A man used to seeing
the dark side of life in his daily work as =
swamper of gambling house, how it cut
him to see her taking the step to ruin.
lie had sought her out to show to his
companion what pure, innocent girl she
was, and how he had Dragged to his COM
panons about her. His dream was shat
tered and and he was doWncast.
Mary Kelly ApoIoaized.
Then that night on his return from the
Gardens, Mary Kelly had apologizcd for
Helen and introduced Beckman as Helen's
sweetheart to some friends. They made
up and all was well. Then came the sus-
picions that Helen was not faithful He
had seen her in her nghtrobe talking to
Melvin late at night, and how he chided
her and told her he would 60 away and,
did so, but was sent for again. He re-
turned. More money was secured from
him, and at last when his eyes were opened
he refused to be longer worked, and ac-
cuscd Helen OF extorting money from him
and she stated that Mary had made her
do it.
He then sought to recover by civil ac-
ton and the brother and sister of the
girl fell back on her tender age a S an
excuse for dismssing the proceedings,
and then Mary tainted him, as did Pat
rick about the affair. Driven to desper-