Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-09
TRIPLE SUICIDE PLOT
Rustin Inquest at Omaha De-
velops Startling Story of
Agreement
GIRL TO KILL. THEN DIE
Mrs. Rice, Doctors Pagamour, Lost
Her Courage and Drug Fiend's serv-
ices Were Then Procured in Return
for Poison to End His Own Life
Practiced to Enact Tragedy.

Omaha, Sept. s.-Startlng revela-
tons were made at the inquest into
the death of DR.. Frederick I'll. Rustin
which gave a new and strange aspect
to the suicide theory advanced by the
police for the past few days, and in
dictated that three persons Were in
polved in a remarkable agreement, each
seeking death, but for widely different
reasons.
Mrs Abbie r. Rice, the woman ar
rested the night Of the shooting and
held since, first as a suspect and later
as witness. was the one who gave
the sensational testimony. The prin-
cipal points brought out by her We're:
1. That DR.. Rustin long had con-
templated seeking death because OF
financial and other worries. but wanted
I to disguise the fact so as to protect
his life insurance for the benefit OF
his wife and children.
2. That he arranged with her, after
long intimacy. for them to die together.
g. That he was to furnish her with
deadly poison, and that in return she
was to shoot him before taking the
drug.
"A. That she made several attempts
to carry out the compact, but that In
each instance her nerve failed her, or
something interviewed.
8. That, finally, DIR. Rustin, despair
ing of her ever being able to fire the
fatal shot, told her that he had ar
ranged with man to perform the
deadly work she lacked the courage to
do. and that in return he had given
the man a drug to put himself out
of the way.
Bank Clerk Accused.
AS a climax OF these startling state
ments Mrs. Rice pointed out Charles
F.. Davis, clerk in a local bank, as
the man with whom he had made the
arrangements, and Davis, taking the
stand. admitted that he had tried to
commit suicide on the night Dr. Rustin
met death. He did not admit. however,
that he had fired the fatal shot, tho
he said he had been near the Rustin
home.
The old police theory that DR. Rus
tin had fired the fatal shot was still
further upset by the fact that the re-
volver with which the shooting was
done has never been found, and the
testimony of Mrs. Rustin and the
physicians who. attended the wounded
man that they found no weapon.
The mystery OF the death of DR..
Rustin was solved and yet made even
more mysterious by the testimony of
Mrs. Rice at the inquest yesterday. At
ter surgeons had told Of the wound which
caused Rustin's death and Mrs. Rus
tin had given her testimony regarding
the finding of her husband. Mrs. Rice
came to the witness stand and gave
the testimony which has set all Oma-
ha on fire with excitement.
After telling of the condition of Rus
TINS finances and his desire for death
in order that his family might secure
his life insurance, Mrs Rice said:
1T was two weeks ago that Fred
first talked of suicide. but said his
wife couldsnot get the insurance If he
did, and then he asked me to SHOOT
him After several days of urging. ]
finally agreed to shoot him and then
shoot myself.
"He showed me just where to shoot
him in the abdomen.
I'VE were living at the Loyal hotel