The Washington herald., 1906-10-17
PUT POISON IN A WELL
Paris Green in Water Supply
on Z. S. Gary Estate.
DANGER DISCOVERED IN TIME
Wife of Gardener COBfesses to Deed.
Attempt to Throw Suspicion on
Cook, with Whom Woman Is I'm
friendIy-Says She Committed the
Act Out of DeviIment.
spsoial to The washington Herald.

Special to The Washington Herald.
Baltimore. Md, oct. l6.-Aceording 10
her own confession. Mrs. Minnie Bengert,
wife of William Bengert, the gardener
employed by Z. Stanley Gary, on MS
country place. "Clearfieids," near Cations
vile, last night threw the contents Of
a box OF paris green into the well from
which the family gets its drinking wa
ter. What motive actuated the woman Is
not known. Her statement was that size
had done it for devilment."
By Mr.. Gary and the officers it IS
thought the act was the result Of de-
mentia.
Another theory is that she had fer
some time been at Ioggerheads with the
cook employed by Mr.. Gary. and that
the poisoning of the water supply was an
effort TO get the cook into trouble. 1t IS
not believed that she intended TO kill
the woman. The manner in which a trail
was left leading directly to the house
where the cook was employed adds much
10 the force of this theory. IN the Opin-
ion of the officers. II is thought that
Mrs. Bengerts idea was that she would
so arrange things that suspicion would
point 10 the cook and that she would
either be arrested or DISCHARGED.
Gardener Discovers Poison.
The facJ that the Well hld been poison
ed was discovered about o'clock last
night by William Bengert, the husband
of the woman. who this morning con
fessed that it was she who did H. Ben
CERT went to the spring, which is about
200 yards from Mr.. Gary's house, 10 gee
a bucket OF water On the walk Just in
front OF the well he noticed a green pow
der Taking away the screen which COW
ers the entrance to the spring. he saw
By the aid Of a light from ii lantern
which he had taken along, that the Wa
ter and walls Of the well were covered
with the same gTeenish powder which he
had seen on the walk He AT once sus-
pected that Ii was paris green. and on
going 10 the Toulouse adjoining the sta
ble. where he kept some of the poison
for use in connection with his work IN
the garden, he FOUND that a box when
he had left on the shelf IN the Toulouse
was missing lie then went to Mr
Gary's house and notified Mr. Gary OF
what he had discovered.
Suspicion Pointed to Cook.
This morning M Gary went TO TIE
well at an early hour, and found Iylag
near it a small piece Of paper rolled INTO
ball. An examination of the paper was
made, and on it was written:
8Ir. William Sechert.
2oi7 Clifton street, near Paysou,
ANNIE
This proved 20 be the name OF q brother
Of Mr.. Gary's cook. Some time afterwa-d
she was shown the paper and admitted
having written the words thereon. She
stated that she had written the address
on several pieces OF paper for the pun
pose Of labelling a trunk. According %
her. this was done some time ago, while
she was living at Benghist's house. and
she stated that when she left his house
and went 10 Mr.. Gary's she lefl the
pieces Of paper with the addresses On
them at the gardeners home.
This morning Or. Charles G. Mattfei5;
sanitary officer of Baltimore county. Of-
hceTs John +. Walker and William Ste
ems Of Gainesville, and Detectives Pohi-r
and Kohlmann went TO Cleardeld and hal
consultation with Mr.. Gary. The case
was put into their hands and they im'ae-
diately went TO work in an effort 10 md
the culprit
Gardeners Wife Confesses.
It was learned that Mrs. Bengert, the
wife Of the gardener. and Annie secnert
the cook at Mr.. Gary's, have for SOM
time been on unfriendly terms. The Off
GERS conceived the idea that the putting
OF the poison in the water was perhaps
done by one Of the women In an enor,
to have the other discharged. The cook
was then brought into the room and
'sweated.' She denied any knowledge OF
the poisoning, but admitted having wric-
ten the note referred to above
The officers then went 10 the home Of
the gardener. and, separating the hus-
band and wife, put them through The
sweating process. As "A result of this
process, Mrs. Bengert made a full cor
fession. saying that she had thrown the
poison into the well about O'Clock last
night, and that she had just done it Tor
''deViIment"
L. Stanley Gary is the only son of Ey-
Postmaster General James A. Gary and
is prominent In business circles in Baifi-
more. In 1904 he was elected president
Of the Merchants and Manufacturers As
ISOLATION. After the fire he was dp-
pointed a member of the emergency. COM
mittee, and took an active part in the
work connected with mis- position. Later
he was made d member Of the State
Board of Education by Governor War
field. This position he resigned last
spring. At present Mr.. Gary is the
senior member of the James y Gary
Company. having succeeded his father
His wife is a daughter OF DIT. Charles c.
MagilI of Gainesville