Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-31
BENNETT AYERS
HE IS INNOCENT
OF WIFE'S DEATH
SAYS HE Is PREPARED TO
MEET ACCUSATIONS
REFUSES TO DISCUSS RELATIONS
WITH "AFFiNITY"
Real Estate Man Talks Freely of the
Tragedy and Declares He Ate
as Much Chill as Did
His Spouse
:kT AM innocent of the charge Of
murder against me. and can look

Il the whole world in the face with
q clear conscience" said Harper E.
Bennett, real estate and insurance
broker who is accused or having
placed poison in a quantity of canned
chilli con carne which caused the death
of Mrs. Bennett at her home at 22I
West Forty-fifth street Saturday night,
February 49,
The body of Mrs. Bennett, which was
buried in a local cemetery SIX DAYS
after her death, was exhumed q short
time ago and the stomach and other
organs were taken, sealed in glass
jars and turned over to chemists Tor
analysis. An account of TINS was
printed in the Los Angeles papers and
Bennett, who was in San Diego at the
time read the article and came back
to Los Angeles to face any charges
which might be placed against him.
Other circumstances regarding the
case were investigated and a warrant
charging Bennett with murder was
sworn to before Justice r. A. Ling sat
urday morning by Sergeant E. w. Car
penter of the University police station
and the arrest of Bennett followed late
Saturday afternoon.
When seen at the city Jail yesterday
afternoon Bennett talked freely about
his case except when the name of Mrs.
NlluBe MOlSleT was lHeIllOIlcu' llcll
he refused to reply to any pertinent
questions concerning his relations with
the woman other than to declares that
she was employed simply as house
keeper for him while he lived at 1855
University place. San Diego,
II am innocent and will tell you my
side of the case" said Bennett. my
wife and | lived in perfect harmony,
and the intimation that ! was prepar-
ing to institute divorce proceedings a
short time prior to her death Is an alb
solute falsehood
81 do not know what prompted the
action taken against me- probably it is
the result of the suit for damages /
brought against the Royston Grocery
company, $50 South Main street, where
| purchased the canned chill con carne
that caused the death of my wife
Shortly after her death | brought suit
against them for $4,000 damages, and
it might be this has something to do
with the charges preferred against me.
Says Wife Was Fond of Chill
81 bought the canned goods on sug-
gestion from my wife. She was fond
of the dish and suggested that we have
it for supper.
II took the condiment home and
opened the cans and poured the con-
tents into frying pan which was held
by my wife. She then placed it on a
stove and heated it. My two daughters
8 and II years old. respectively, would
not eat any of the chill because OF
the pepper in it, and l gave them some
money to go to a nearby grocery store
to buy what they wanted. They re-
turned in a short time with some
canned French sardines.
GAS the children did not eat any of
I ho
food equally on two plates, although
| think l had little more than she
did.
I'VE ate our supper and shortly aft
erWard my wife went to bed About
that time / began to suffer intense
pains in my stomach and went to a
drug store about a block and a half
away to get something to relieve me. |
returned quickly and told my wife the
supper did not agree with me, and |
was quite i'll. She replied that she was
feeling all right, and the exact words
she used were The supper sets all
right with me-
Il then became violently ill and
made my way to the bathroom in the
rear of the house. | Vomited all the
way there. ] remained there about fif-
teen or twenty minutes and then re-
turned to the bedroom where my wife
younger daughter.
Il asked my wife how she was feel
Ing and she replied she felt all right.
Then / became more violently i'll and
was stricken suddenly with blindness.
The last thing | remember some one in
the house hurried for DR.. A. C. Platt,
who lived next door. Then l fell on a
slop jar and rolled over on the floor.
| family recollect the physician insert
ing hypodermic needle in my arm,
then ] lapsed into Inconsistencies.
Chill Causes Death of Wife
up to the time I became uncon-
scious my wife had not become ill., The
first I knew that the chill had affected
her was the next morning when I was
told she was dead.
81 then wired to my relatives in
Texas and was instructed to take the
body to Fort Worth for burial. DIR.
Pratt stated at that time if I ac-
companied the body there would be two
funerals because / was in no condition
to make the trip
This information was telegraphed to
my wife's mother and the body was
held until the following Friday when
my wfes relatives arrived and the
funeral was held"
what about your going to San Diego
and living with the oster woman? ?"
Bennett was asked
81 did not live with her" replied
Bennett. 1.-The talk about her being
my affinity is untrue l went to San
Diego to look after a real estate propo-
stion. as I had an opportunity to
handle tract of $4,000 acres of land in
Old Mexico and wanted to be in san
Diego so as to look after the details.
Mrs. Molster was employed as my
housekeeper. NV two daughters were
living with me and had to have some
one to look after the house"
Bennett at first refused to give the
name of the woman whom he employed
as his housekeeper and stated he did
not want to discuss that part of the
case. However. when her name was
mentioned he admitted she is the one
who kept house for him at San Diego.
"You knew her before the death of
your wife, didn't you?" he was asked.
Yes, I knew her a short time pre-
vious to that time" he answered.
He refused to state under what cir
cumstances he formed her acquaint-
ance. but stated she WAS not living with
her husband at the time.
Bennett refused to discuss the case
further and stated he was prepared to
meet the accusations against him
How Rude