The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-04-09
MURDER IS DONE
WITHOUT MALICE
FRIEND MEETS DEATH AT THE
HANDS OF FRIEND.
THEY ToYED WITH BIG KNIFE.
Engineer Frank Benson, of the Iowa
Central, Kills Brakeman Byron
e. Body in Scuffie at
Marshalltown.

Marshalltown, Ia, April ga most
unfortunate outcome of what, from all
indications, appears to have been
friendly scufle, resulted late Friday
night, when Byron e. Body, an Iowa
j Central brakeman, 20 years old, was
i stabbed in the left breast by Frank
Benson, an Iowa Central engineer.
Body died less than a half hour later
as he was being removed by the police
and surgeon to st. Thomas hospital.
The scuffie took place on East Main
| street, about in front of the Reflector
Office. After Body had been cut the
4 six men in the party went into the A.
i Bowman saloon, to ascertain just how
badly Body was hurt. Body Stun
bled as he entered the saloon. and
I grasped the bar for support. he fell
to the floor a moment later and the
police were call"d. The man was i'm
meditely removed to the hospital but
it was seen that he was dying before
the journey was half completed. He
gasped his last as the hospital doors
| were entered.
Knife Belonged to Harrison.
| The knife used was big jack knife.
commonly known in boys parlance as
a toad stabber." 1t had blade four
| and one-quarter inches long, and OPP
ened with double spring. The knife
belonged to Harry Harrington. an
| Iowa Central brakeman, who had ham
ded it to Benson shortly before Body
| declared he had been cut.
Story of the Cutting.
All witnesses to the affair tell prac-
| tically the same story. Benson, VIM.
Benskin, Great Western fireman,
living in Des Moines, and Joe" Jen-
sen, of this city, an Iowa Central Ire
man, were together and came up
Third avenue, intending to take In
the 10-cent theatres. On Main street
they met Harry Harrington, Central
brakeman, Body and r. P. Ward. an
other Central brakeman. All the men
knew one another and all were friend.
ly. They started for a saloon to
have another drink.
Claims Was Trimming Nails.
Benson, as well as his companions,
claim that he was standE L., ~ "
his nails when Body, MA 10 ~ =
mood, threw his arms around sir
sons neck. The knife was place
his hands, according to Benson, and
according to others Benson asked
Harrington for it, although he had a
| knife of his own. At any rate, the
first thing all knew Body was I'M
steady on his feet and claimed that
he had been cut. All of the men say
that there was no hard feelings, no
words and nothing but the most
| friendly relations between any of the
members of ,..e party.
Dead Man Here Short Time.
Byron Elwood Boody, the young
man who was killed, was only ~
years of age. He was the second son
of widowed mother, Mrs. c. w. Boo
dy, living at 300 West Railroad street.
He has four brothers, Louis A., of In
diana; John, Eugene and Roy, or this
city, and one sister, Maybe, who is
also at home. The family came here
Sept 1, 1907, from Thayer, Mo, where
Il ldlntI LCh LlOhlho ubO'
The young mans body will probau.y
be taken to Thayer for interment.
/ Benson Married Man.
i Frank A. Benson, who held the
knife that killed Body, is a young
married man, and has been in the en-
ploy of the Central for number of
years. He is 80 years old and has a
wife and one little daughter. He is
we'll liked by his associates and pears
good reputation. --e is a Hardin
county boy and was reared at Gift
ford, where his mother. Mrs. Emily
Benson. aged rs, now lives.
William Benskin, who was held as
a witness, formerly lived here at ITO
South Third street. He ran out of
here with Engineer Wells johnson. on
the Great Western. He now lives In
South Des Moines and has wife and
an adopted daughter. Harry Harring-
ton Is comparative stranger and
came here week ago from Kentucky.
He has been braking on the chain
gang and quit Friday.
Charge Of Murder Filed.
An information charging murder
was filed by the state in Justice Mil
! lard's court. Harrington will be held
as witness, and unless he can fur
nish bond will be kept in jail Ben
: skin will be released.
i Frank A. Benson. the young Iowa
Central engineer who stabbed his
: friend, Byron Body in a friendly
scuffie at Marshalltown Friday even
ing was well known in this city hav.
ing resided here number of years.
While here he bore an, excellent repu-
: tation and was we'll liked by his many
d railway friends in the city He is a
brother of Elmer Benson, Tie ball
player who played third base for the
: oskaloosa club the early part OF last