Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-15
BENNETT TELLS
STORY OF WIFE'S
DEATH ON STAND
BLAMES MRS. C. H. CARPENTER
FOR PRESENT TROUBLE
SAYS SHE ENGINEERED MEETING
WITH MIDeE MoLsTER
At Close of Examination Witness De-
cIares Wife Might Have Put
Strychnlne In Bottle
of Beer
tcontinued from Pare One,


to take 1t to Mrs. Molgter at the Pa
cific Electric station, as she was on her
way to Glendale. Mrs. MolSter was
surprised to see me and 1 explained
matters and left. 1 did not visit her at
| Glendale"
Perhaps q week later he said, Mrs.
Carpenter again telephoned him, ask
ing him to telephone Mrs. Molster to
come to Los Angeles.
'She was afraid to do this herself
because of Molster," he explained.
Registered as Man and Wife
He said he secured a room for Mrs.
| Molster at the Dakota house, register
ing under the name Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Anson in order that there might be no
| objection when he visited the place in
Mrs. Carpenters company.
The name "Anson," he said, was Mrs.
holsters maiden name and was sug-
gested by Mrs. Carpenter. The latter,
he said, threatened to tell Molster
about the registered names, and, said
Bennett, 81 made a special call on Mrs.
Molster the next day to get an eX-
PLANTATION, as 1t dawned upon me that
both women might have arranged some
sort of scheme to get me into trouble" +"
He denied Mrs. Carpenters state
ment that he and Mrs. Molster kissed
between bites" while eating lunch
| he had sent to the room.
IT saw Mrs. Carpenter again two
days after my wife's DEATH" said Ben
nett, but there was nothing in our
conversation that could be interpreted
as meaning what she has testified She
made no accusation then that 1 was
responsible for my wife's DEATH"
Bennett created a stir in the court
room when he testified concerning the
next meeting with Mrs. Carpenter on
| San Pedro and Washington streets
about March II.
"I met her in response to q telephone
message" he said, land took with me
L. M. Johnson, belonging to my COM
pany. I was afraid OF Mrs. Carpenter
and wanted him to hear our converse
tion. I talked in a loud voice that
Johnson might hear me, and Mrs. Car
penter also spoke loudly because she
was angry.
Accused of Demanding Rribe
Mrs. Carpenter said: 7 see you have
filed suit against the Royston Grocery
company; I am a valuable witness for
either side, and my price is $1,000. If
| you pay it I will keep my mouth shut;
if not I will tell of your relations with
Mrs. Molster,' I told her / would not
give her one cent, and left. She tele-
phoned me once after that, asking If l
would accept her proposition, but |
hung up the receiver without making
reply"
Mrs holsters visit to San Diego was
explained by Bennett who said she
went on the advice of his attorneys.
He said his married life had always
been happy, although his wife's health
was not robust She was addicted to
the use of medicine containing strych-
nine, among other ingredients, he said,
which she carried with her in her
purse.
On February 13, the day of her death,
he went on, Mrs. Bennett visited him at
his office and they decided to prepare
only light dinner.
"She suggested the chile con carne,"
said the witness, "and took home two
cans. She helped me to cook 1t. While
was on the back porch she opened a.
bottle of beer and brought a glass to
me and drank some herself. 1 felt sick
after supper and fell to the floor un-
| conscious"
Denies Poison Charge
SNOW. Bennett, did you put strych-
nine in the chile con carne or the
beer2' interrupted Attorney Drake.
II did not" responded the witness
positively.
could Mrs. Bennett put anything
into the beer and you not know it?"
YES" was the reply. "She was in
the kitchen and I was on the porch
when she poured the beer out"
] Bennett said his wife was, as a gem