Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-20
ALLEGE WOMAN
WAS POISONED;
BODY EXHUMED
HUSBAND DISAPPEARS SINCE
WIFE'S DEATH
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE
BEGINS INVESTIGATION
Chemists Will AnaIyze Internal Or
eans of Mrs. Eueenie r. Benz
nett, Supposed to Have
Died of Ptomalne

N ESPONDING to the insistent de-
IL mands of friends whose suspicious
AZ were aroused by the sudden death
in February of Mrs. Eugene Thompson
Bennett, the district attorneys office
Yesterday began an investigation by
which the exact cause OF death is hoped
to he determined, whether the investi-
cation will result in confirming the ver-
dict of a coroner's jury, which found
that Mrs, Bennett died from ptomaine
poisoning after eating chile concarne,
or the filing of complaint charging
murder, depends on the reports oi
chemists into whose hands the Internal
organs of the dead woman nave oeeh
given for analysis.
That there was suspicion of FOUL play
in connection with the Woman's death
first came to the attention of the dls-
trict attorneys office more than Tort
night ago. and on Tuesday of this week
the matter was placed in the hands OF
s. L. Browne, chief of the department
of criminal investigation of that offlce.
Mr.. Browne. accompanied by Louis
Duni one of his assistants, and yrs.
LYMAN B, Stookey and julius koeplg'
two of the leading analytical chemlsts
of Southern California, went TO Ever
green cemetery yesterday. Under ms
sunervision the body of Mrs. Bennett
was exhumed by the superintendent
and taken to the cemetery oftlce'
Body EmbaImed
Portions of the internal organs We're
placed in jars, some of whlcn
tvere taken to DR.. iStookeys offices in
the Auditorium building, and the others
to DIR. Koebig's offices in the l. W;
Hellman building. The chemists VIII
complete their examinations in ABOUT
week and make separate reports 10 MI
Browne. ,.4 oe
4 Mrs. Bennett died on the nlgh1 ol
February 49, Her husband, h. u. BEN
nett Of the Bennett Real Estate ana
Ins1,rance company, whose where
abouts at present are said TO pc uh-
l1noWn to the investigating olicers'
purchased two cans of chm collcalhS
early in the evening of that Day anu,
according to the stories published at
tbe time Mrs. Bennett died a few hours
after partaking of about one-thlrd OF
the food. A coroner's jury returned
verdict of death by ptoR1alne polsoillS
three days later and the BODY was Ain-
terred at Evergreen cemetery alter De
ing embalmed. - ON
baIning fluid, 1t is said, was USED oy
fhe undertakers on request of Bennett
Who said he wanted to send the re-
mains east for burial. The heavy en-
balming was particularly notlcaple yes
terday when the body was exnuhleo,
and some uOuDL WdS Ca u NSeN0
nbvsicians regarding the result OF thelt
ANALYSIS, as it is well known that tle
materials used for preserving corpses
have a tendency to absorb certain
noisons, especially strychnlne.
The remains when disinterred were 10
all appearances similar to those OF
nerson who had died only a few hours
previously.
Sues Grocery Company
The fact that the body was not sent
east is regarded by some of those VINO
have called at the district attorney
office in connection with the affair as
ensnicious circumstance. In addition
to This many of the persons VINO nave
Insisted upon an investigation nave
sunnorted their demands by lnforma-
tion which they claimed to possess con-
cerning the Bennett family history
These details are guarded with the "
[,,nst secrecy by the officers having the
matter in charge, and the names OF
those at whose instance the inVestlga-
tion was begun are also shroudeo III
mystery. None of the facts in TINS con
nection. it was stated yesterday Will pe
disclosed before the reports on the
chemical analysis are returned.
ON March 10, a little more than
month after his wifes death, Bennett
filed a suit in the superior court IN
witch the grocery firm from when ne
said he purchased the chile concarne'
the Roystons, 452 South Main street. was
named as defendant. In this suit ne
demanded $4,000 damages on account
Of his wife's death. Trial of the SUIT
Is still pending, the only action taken
by the defendant being to me an AN an
ever in which a general denial OF Ben
nett's charges is made
Mrs. Bennett was SS years old ana
vas married to Bennett December %,
1894. No children were born OF the