Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-09-08
BELIEVE THAT BENIGNUS
GIRL WAS A SUICIDE
CHLoRoFoRM IN STOMACH, WITH
OTHER EVIDENCE, CoNVlNcEs
ABILENE OFFICERS.
Coroner May So Find.-Family Still
Says Murder; No Suicide Motive
Is Advanced.

Abilene, Kan.-If Beta Benignus
had in her stomach nearly two table
spoonfuls or chloroform, could her
death have resulted from any other
cause than suicide? The authorities
think not; the family believes she
was murdered. Professor w. w. Bush
ong of the state university made a
second report in which he said:
81 have to report that on opening
the stomach of Beta Benignus found
It to contain liquid which was poured
off carefully from the undigested
stomach contents, apparently well
masticated meat and potatoes. This
liquid was only slightly brownish and
was transparent enough that writing
could be read through it. It's specific
gravity is 1.4235 at "a degrees Cent?
grade, which shows it to be very near
ly pure chloroform. 1t is probable
that 1t has dissolved enough fat from
the food to explain this specific gray
ity. The quantity was Is cubic cent?
u16I6TS, WulCuB llOul IhC opOSAhS 6AN'
ity, would weigh 81 1-3 grams"
Since the adjournment of the cor
oner's jury week ago the authorities
have been piecing together facts, until
they have worked out many details
that we're overlooked earlier in the
investigation. One of these, they say,
is that during the evening before her
death Beta went up and down the
stairs several times and was two hours
bidding the members of the family
good night, an unusual proceeding.
When finally she retired she shut the
door of her room, which had not been
her custom, they say.
It also has been found, 1t Is said,
that in the room Of her sister, across
the hall, there was the next morning
three-ounce bottle of chloroform,
partly full, which usually had been
kept downstairs. How it got there the
sister does not know. 1t is asserted 1t
was taken away early that morning
by someone around the house and re-
turned to its old position.
The red handkerchief which was
used to tie her hair and her wrist has
not been identified, but its perfume,
It is declared, is found to be identical
with that in bottle on her dresser.
The authorities argue that all these
things point to suicide and that she
wrote the note to throw off suspicion
Yet there has been found no motive
for suicide, and the fact that she asked
a girl friend to remain with her that
night indicates, if the case be suicide
the act was done on sudden impulse.
Marshal Engle, who frequently was
called to escort Miss Benignus home
when she was kept late at the tele'
phone office, or came in on a late
train, said;
"The last time went home with he1
she spoke Of the stories of a man
watching her house, and made light oil
1t. She seemed to think it amounted
to little"
If the case really be one Of suicide
1t was the most cleverly arranged or
record in this section of the state and
has puzzled those who have worked
on it for three weeks. The outside de
tectives gave it up early and went
home. The family and the girls fiance
Earl Livingston, insist that she die
not commit suicide. No claim has beer
made for the 5000 reward.
The coroner's jury will meet agar
September II. 1t is the general be
lief that it will return verdict o.
suicide.