Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-18
WITNESS SAYS
ACCUSED MAN
BOUGHT POISON
SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY AT
TRIAL OF BENNETT
NAME OF ALLEGED AFFINITY is
BROUGHT IN CASE
Husband of Woman Who Deserted
Home Weeps While Reading
Letter Intended to Cloak
Her Conduct

/ sponded DR.. Quint 1T may be delayed
four or FIVE hours If the patient is un
/ der the care of a physician, and If thu
sufferer is living beyond that time Their
is a good chance for recovery. Death
as rule, takes place in from half t
| five hours"
And in the case of ptomaine poison
/ ing?" suggested the court.
THE authorities" said the witness
give twelve hours to three or fou
days. In some cases death may taxi
place in less time, depending upon thu
amount Of poison absorbed and the con
dition of the individual"
The medical testimony was concluded
at noon, and an hour later new line o
evidence was begun by the assistan
district attorney, developing sensa
tional features and welding a chain o
circumstances so grave that even the
heretofore unresponsive bronzed face o
the defendant paled, while his tightly
clenched hands shook nervously.
Mrs. Cora II. Carpenter, 1920 Wood
| lawn avenue, wife of E. W. Carpenter
a police sergeant, was the first witness
her perfect frankness being manifested
when she volunteered the Information
that she was 80 years of age in response
to a question by Mr.. McComas if she
was more than p.
Mrs. Carpenters testimony related Il
the association of Mrs. Lulu Molstel
with Bennett, a relationship which, ac-
cording to the prosecution, furnished
ample motive for the crime with which
Bennett is charged. Her own actions as
an apparent go-between for Bennett
and Mrs. Molster the witness excused
on the ground that she was working
for the best interests of the woman
whom she loved as a sister
HT baUa lyOoHpY MrS MoIcfoy. Fo,
twenty three years" said MRS. Carpen-
ter. She came to California with me
sixteen years ago from Portsmouth, o.
and about three years later was mar.
ried to e. c. Molster."
what do you know of the relations
between Bennett and Mrs Molster prior
to death of Mrs. Bennett?" asked Mr.
McComas
Il called Bennett on the telephone the
latter part of last January replied
Mrs. Carpenter, "and asked him II
Nudge my name for her, ever men
toned me to him. He said she had. and
asked him to call at my home. Nudge
had told me she loved Bennett, and that
he loved her, and when he came to the
house / said: so you love "Midge," dc
you?' He said he did, and I told him
1t remained to be seen which of us loved
her best. I referred to the fact that he
was a maj it1 anu dSh0u Illltl II lit
realized what ii meant to break up
| home. He said it was too bad, but ht
| believed in affinities. and that he and
his wife were mutually separa ted, thai
he had provided a home for Mrs Ben
nett in Texas and only one technically
remained before the papers would be
| signed His wife, he said, loved hi,
youngest daughter, but hated the Older
of the two girls.
Offered TO Keep Child
Ike told me Mrs. Bennett would be
gone within ten days, and that he would
marry Mrs. holster. He wanted me tC
keep Nudge at my home, promising tC
! pay her board, but | told him while
had a roof over my head she was vel
come, and that there would be no ex.
pense. The next day Nudge was at my
! house and declined to accept my offel
| of home. She said she was going t.
a rooming house. l tried to persuade
| her not to do this, telling her it wa,
very common. Bennett was in the room
at the time and she was sitting in hi,
lap. He placed one of Mrs. Molster'
hands in his and said. These little
| hands were not made for work I ther
offered to take Mrs. lobster out o.
town, so he woulc not drop in to SCI
| her every time he went to his office, bu
they would not agree to this.
My only object in all this was tC
| protect Mrs. Molster, whom l loved as q
sister. Then the question came up
when | saw she was determined to have
her way, what to do to silence the sus,
| picions of her husband, and at my sug.
gestion it was decided to place an ad-
Vertisement in a paper asking for q
| nurse to accompany an old couple with
| two grandchildren on their travels
| Bennett did this, and the next day Mrs
| Molster went to Glendale.
She returned later and | asked Ben
nett where she was. He said he would
| take me to her and / met him by APP
, polntment at Fifth and Spring streets
! on January 80. He said he would ac-
| company me to the place where Mrs
holster was stopping, but I told him
| wouldn't be seen on the street with
him. We boarded a Washington street
car, occupying separate seats We
alighted at Sixth street and I followed
| him to the Dakota rooming house
! ll212 West Sixth street, and there ]
! round Nudge in a poorly furnished
/ and cold room. she was in bed with
/ her clothes on trying to keep warm.
After | returned home I fixed ur
| package of laundry and gave it to
| Bennett on Spring street for Mrs. Mol
/ ster. A short time afterwards a feel
/. ing as If somebody had slapped me in
| the rooming house ! discovered they
were registered as Mr.. and Mrs Arson
| ! begged Nudge to go home with me
| and upbraided Bennett for telling me
! his wife had left him. ] told Midge
/ her husband and little boy We're at my
! house imploring for some news about
her
about . O'Clock Bennett went out
and returned with a supper / drank
some coffee. Mrs Moster sat on Ben
netts lap and they kissed between
| bites. 1t made me smile, and wher
Bennett noticed it he said Smile
again, won't you. | haven't seen YOU
smile for a long time.
Purchase of the Chill
1.-THE next | saw Mrs. Molster was
at the Golden West rooming house
| 7121a west Sixth street. After the Da-
/ kota house meeting did not see Ben
nett again until two days after his
wife's death Then / telephoned and
! asked him If | could call and see him
I found him sitting on the porch with
George Reynolds, smoking a cigarette
When we were alone he told me al
that had occurred. He said Mrs. Ben
nett came to his office the day of het
death and that she was so prettily
dressed he was pleased at her appear
ance. She suggested he said, a light
supper. and he purchased two cans OF
chile con carne. This he placed on two
plates and afterwards went to the cor
ner drug store to telephone to Mrs
Molster On the way back he COM
,,,aprad Ia xOfnit and utbpu he reached