The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-08-14
OF Robt. Sassaman, Who Accuses
His Sweetheart OF
COMM I ting CRIME.
a Very Remarkable Situation-The
Brutal Killing fCarl Miller In
May Three Years Ago-The Uni.
que Feature in the Case That Has
Attracted Wide Attention, Not On.
ly in Missouri But Elsewhere.
" in Missouri But Elsewhere.

Charging that his former sweet
heart, Anna Bentley, committed the
murder of which he is himself &C.
cused by the girl, Robert Sassamann
will present the most novel defense
in the criminal history Of Missouri
when he is placed on trial Monday,
at Warrensburg, Mo.
The case was called in June, but
the venire Of sixty men was exhaus-
ted without securing a jury, and a
continuance granted to the 18th Of
August. Owing to the great popu-
lar interest in the crime, it will prob
ably be exceedingly difficult to find
twelve men who have not formed de-
cided opinions.
The case against Sassaman rests
upon the assertion of Anna Bentley
that the accused man, who was once
her lover, killed Carl Miller for pur-
poses Of robbery. Against this charge
Sassaman will declare tnat Miss Ben
tley committed the deed and infor-
med the authorities that he did it,
through anger at his marriage to
another woman. It is only the old
story of a woman scorned, if Sassa-
man is to be believed---a woman who
did not stop at murder and perjury
to obtain revenge. Sassaman is Of a
wealthy family and some of the best
attorneys of his section have been
employed to defend him.
Carl Miller, sixty years Of age, was
killed May 80, 1904, two and one
half miles west of Holden, and his
body thrown into an abandoned well.
Nearly five month had passed before
any inkling of the crime became
public, when Anna Bentley made the
startling accusation against Sassa-
man. Officials went with Miss Bent
ley to the scene of the crime. and in
the shiny water of the abandoned
we'll the decomposed body Of the
old man was found. On the evidence
of the girl the coroner's jury render
ed a verdict that the victim had come
to his death at the hands Of Sassa-
man.
According to the story told the Of
fcers by the woman, she and Sassa-
man made the acquaintance Of Miller
at Holden and persuaded him to ac-
company them on a camping trip to
Kansas. They were delayed by a
swollen stream and on the night of
May 80. at the camp fire, Sassaman
slew the old man. and crushed his
skull with an ak. The alleged motive
was the possession of Miller's team
and wagon. A heavy stone was fas-
tened to the body, and it was thrown
into the old well. Sassaman and the
woman proceeded to Ramsay, going
to Topeka. In September, Sassaman.
according to Miss Bentley, deserted
her to go to North Dakota with the
intention of killing a tweetheart Of
hers Of whom he was jealou.. She
Immediately returned to Missouri
and Informed on him.
Sassaman's story of the crime puts
the crime on the woman. The night
of the murder, as the old man leaned
over the fire to light his pipe, the
woman, according to Sassar2.c
story, hit him on the head with an
ak, killing him instantly. She then
said to Sassaman: From now on,
Bobby, you do what I say or you'll
get a dose of the same medicine. |
am a woman, and if you should tell
that I killed Miller, nobody will be-
lieve you. If I say you did it, they'll
believe me and hang you. II you
marry that girl in St. Louis or have
anything more to do with her III lay
this murder on you the day you get
married.
After several quarrels with Miss
Bentley in Topeka, Sassaman LETT
her and went to St. Louis, where he
married the girl of whom the Bent
ley woman had been jealous. The
couple were married in Kansas City,
and notice Of the issue Of the license
was published in the Kansas City pa
pers. Miss Bentley read it and i'm
mediately made good her alleged
threat to accuse Sassaman Of the
murder.
Owing to it's unique features, the
case has attracted wide attention,
and popular opinion is about equally
divided as to the guilt Of the man or
the woman. while many believe that
both had a hand in the nurderous
affair and are now attempting to
shift all the blame on their partner
in guilt.
MURDER AND SUICIDE