Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-05
LEONA BOlNE[L HELD
Detained as Witness in RuStin
Shooting Mystery.
WIDOW TELLS OF DEATH
Heard Shot, Found Husband Dying
and Dragged Him Into House.
POLICE HINT AT ARREST SOON
Private Detectives Hired by Insur-
ance Companies to Work
Out Problem.
POLICE HINT AT ARREST SOON

OMAHA. September 5-The police yes
terday afternoon arrested Leona Bonnell
in connection with the death of DR.. Fred
erick 7. Rustin.s and will detain her until
the inquest next Tuesday.
No charge has been placed against the
woman. but she has admitted she was the
last person i'm the doctors company be-
fore he reached home on the night he
was killed. and she is held pending de-
velopments.
Miss Bonnen, in an interview yester-
day. stated her real name was Mrs. Rice
in Des Moines. Shs has not lived with
her husband for some time, but is not
divorced.
She declares that her acquaintance with
DR.. Rustin extended over several months
but that she had been merely one of his
patients.
The police intimate that the guilty
person may be placed in custody at any
moment Several insurance companies
which carried insurance on the life OF
Rustin have taken hand in the investi-
CATION. and several private detectives are
now at work on the case.
The report of the surgeons who Thurs
day night held an autopsy upon the body
of DIR. Rustin shows that there was not
the slightest trace of powder either on or
around the wound. The report also says
that from the course taken by the bullet,
DR.. Rustin was probably standing erect
and was not sitting in chair when the
bullet struck him.
Dr. Sangfeld. the physician who was
first on the scene after the murder. ad-
mits that he heard rawlings of DR.. Rustin
while he was delirious, which may throw
light upon the murder.
Mrs. Rustin Tells of Murder.
Mrs. Rustin, widow Of DR.. Rustin.
talked to newspaper men for the first
time yesterday.
II was awakened by a pistol shot," he
said. II waited some time and then
something impelled me to go down stairs
and see what was the matter. l went
through the crack. 1 saw my husband,
DR.. Rustin, sitting in chair and looking
as though he were in trouble. Then
threw the door wide open and rushed over
to the chair in which he sat.
"'Oh, what is the matter, Fred? What
has happened to your l exclaimed.
"A man shot me- he mumbled. and
then tainted.
My first thought was to get him to
bed I took him in my arms and started
to drag him toward the door. He Is a
large man and It was all l could do to
move him. But / managed to get him
within the doorway. Then I screamed to
my maid for assistance.
when the maid reached me she found
DR.. Rustin lying on the floor just within
the door. That accounts for the reports
that the doctor was within the house
when the fatal shot was fired.
I'VE telephoned for physicians and for
DR.. Rustin's mother. Dr. Rustin was
taken to the hospital and died an hour
later.
Left Matter to Physician.
my one thought was for my husband
and l never thought of reporting the mat
ter to the authorities for some time. Then
1 spoke to the physicians about it, and
they said they would attend to that. But
in the hurry of the operation which was
performed they forgot to do so until after
the DEATH.
1T is reported that DR.. Rustin commit
ted suicide. Do you think he did," was
asked.
Il am sure not. 1 have no theory as
to who committed the deed, but have no
doubt that DR.. Rustin was murdered.
We had been married more than ten
years. and during that time 1 never re-
ceived a cross word from my husband.
His conduct toward me was all that a
husbands should be. Ny friends have
often commented upon the gentleness
with which DR.. Rustin treated me and his
children"