Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-06
A Terrible Tragedy, Revealed
In Little shanty Below
City of Burlington
JEALOUSY MOTIVE FOR CRIME
Frank Benedict's Wife Found Terribly
injured and in Dying Condition,
While ecnedc. Himself Was Stone
Gsad-Wounded Man Who 6sfriend
ed His wife-clam Disser's Story.

cav occurred vi Il Illtit SittthNS stpVut q
mile below the bridge. The affair
happened some time Monday night, bu,
the place being isolated nothing was
known ofit until many hours after the
crime Was committed Frank Bene-
dict, in fit of jealousy killed his wife,
wounded the man who WAS befriendinS
his wife and then killed himself. a
five-laar- old son of the dead man was
the only other witness of the AFFAIR.
When the news of the crime reached
this city Chief Hornung and Bert Sea-
mans went TO the scene of The shooting.
aud after a hasty glance 1t the interior
they sent for the coroner and u phys
ician.
AS it would be Impossible to get near
the spot by wagon. a switch engine an.
a coach We're promptly placed at the
disposal of the officers by Superinten-
dent Mcfarland The short distance
was covered in Il very few minutes. "A
number of people who had heard of
the crime, had gathered in the vicinity
and had built a big fire.
Making their way down dozen steps
covered With ice and snow, the party
uttered the first of two shanies. il
contained two small rooms, furnishei
Eth some view to comfort. In the first
foom. on a bed, lay the body of a
woman, whose face was one mass d.
blood, so that i; was Impossible 10
recognize her. She was lifted to Il
stre',cher as tenderly as possible and
Wrapped in blankets, she Was carried
10 the car. She gave low moan o.
TWO, complained OF being. cold, and
asked to be left alone
In the other room, stretched out on
the floor. with his head to the south,
lay the body of man. bulle. hole IN
the forehead He was stone dead, and
seemed to have died with out so much
as a tremor. And in the bed that stood
in this room was a little lad fast
asleep A lamp stood on the floor near
the dead man. He was large and very
heavy, and 1t was no slight task to
carry the body up the rickety flight II
steps to the car. Officer Seamans pick.
ed up the boy. wrapped him In big
blanket and followed the Others Al
that moment another party appeared
upon the scene. lie was bleeding from
A cut above the left eye and said that
ne was shot in the shoulder He proved
to be the owner of the beat. Stephen
Erwip. and he asked for his ear trum-
pet and his overcoat He is he IS.
without his trumpet, and his I'd nd
was troubling him; he was chilled TO
the bone.
The party returned to the city az
speedily as possible. Halt was made at
The 3. Y. offices. The corpse was taken
TO Prugh's morgue; the dying woman
10 Mercy hospital. and the wounded
nan and the little boy to the police sta
ion.
Erwin's Story.
AT the police station Erwin was
taken into the chiefs private office.
The first thing the humane officers DIX.
vas to examine the mans wound. He
had a bad flesh wound in the left
SHOULDER; his clothing had caugh, fire
rom the shot. a hig hole had been
burned thru his coat. vest and shirt.
ind the burning cloth had scorched the
flesh. He had cut above the. LET;
we. A doctor was summoned. ;uad the
" Sasb0t7u N1S sts GotulOTtd-
Die as possible. officer houston and
,ther members OF the rrer,S know him
we'll. He is q tail. dark. very quiet, |
peaceable man. clam digger by pro-
iession, and enjoys Il good reputation. |
He told his story In q straightforward |
way. and closed by saying: Il hay.
nothing TO conceal. My conscience is |
lear" He said the dead man is Frank |
Benedict; the woman who was shot Is
lis wife, Bertha Benedict. The boy is |
heir son: he Is about 5 years old. My i
lame ds Steve Erwin. ! am a clam |
liggsr. Benedict fshed, dug CLAIMS and |
worked at anything that he found to
10. The last work he did was ON thu
CT. Benedict and his wife did not get
long well. She left him several times.
lie was quarrslsome. She came to my
abin and let her in. Soon after. II
must have been about dusk. Benedict
anne. They began quarreling a.. once.
could not hear what they said, bur
" watching THAR liFs knew that they
we're having trouble. All at once. whe,n
happened to he looking in another d.
ection. / heard shot, and saw heir
all. I jumped at Benedict. who had
evelsd his revolver at me. my only
hance being. If possible. TO disarm
i'm: he Aired several shots and then
truck me over the eye with his gun
managed to gs, to the door aud ram
ut. had no hat nor overcoat, but i
an to Burtlow's. who lives some dis
ances to the sonth. / borrowed hat.
md an ovarcoat and a revolver. and
vas on my way back to my cabin.
rhen met an officer. / gave the gun
o HIM"
DIR. Harrell who had been attending
he dying woman at Mercy ospital.
ressed Erwin's wounds. who was
hereupen taken To st. Francis hos
ftai. The officers are convinced that
is story Is true.
In the meantime the little lad. who Is
bright youngster, was making 1im-
elf al home IN the station. ii made
riends with Officer Bert Seamans, and
yhiie he does net rsaliZe fully what
as happened, his story rully conrobo-
ates that of Erwin. He was made
Apply with a bag of peanuts. and said
n response 10 the ot.lrer's queries:
My name is Ralph Floyd Benedict.
~ father came in and said Damn
gu to Steve. Then he shot mamma.
hen he shot some more and hit Steve.
Men he shot himself"
Mrs. Bslletlct was taken to Mercy
ospitai. She was made as comforta-
lie as possible there But Mttle was to