The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-17

Within two hours after the discov-
cry of the body at s o'clock Sunday
morning the theory of her taking off
changed from the first supposed heart
failure to suicide and then to murder.
Now no one who has looked into the
case doubts murder. Who? Why?
Find the owner of the knife from which
was broken the shining blaze that lay
on the porch roof when Roy Shearer,
the brother-in-law, carefully went
through the room, and the detective
work in the case will be ended. Who
bought the vial of chloroform at the
Palace drug store. emptied. it over the
girls face and set it across the room
on the dresser? Find an answer 20
that question and the mystery will
clear.
That there was no jealous suitor, no
rejected swain who could have done the
murder. This seems absolutely GER
tain after three days of unremitting
probing into the girls past life. She
had no shame to conceal from the man
who expected to marry her on the day
following that on which she died. NO
one. either in or outside her family, op-
posed the marriage. She had beer
faithful to the engagement which she
had made to marry Earl Livingstone IL
wear before. Nothing offers as an ex-
PLANTATION for her death In that dlrec-
ton.
She carried a life insurance policy
for $500 in the fraternal order known
as the Sons and Daughters of Justice
payable to her mother.
Family Heart Broken.
Charles A. Eenignus, the girls father,
is a stout, fiaxen-haired. jovial appear
ing German butcher. Since the disoov-
cry of the crime-he was the first to
announce the finding of his daughter
dead in hed-he has been talkative in
a hysterical sort of way. Restless, he
has spent his time going from place TO
place about the town and talking freely
to everyone of his acquaintances. In
broken English he repeats his asser-
tion that he would have killed the muir
derer with his own hands had he dis
covered him at his work.
Il would have digged his eyes out and
let him go. said he as a climax to
his threat of violence.
Mrs. Benignus, the mother. q woman
of middle age. was in ill health before
the girls death. Now she is utterly
collapsed. The arrangements for the
funeral were changed so that the SER
vice yesterday was held from the home
instead of from the Grace Reformed
church as had been planned.
Sheriff Searched the House.
When the funeral cortege left the
house at 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon
Sheriff Jack Young made a final and
most searching examination of the
premises which had been examined
closely by him and by a dozen other
persons on Sunday. Nothing new ma
terislized. The expectation that fome
ew clew which would justify an ar
rest would be discovered was not real
ized and when night came the detec-
ton of the crime was apparently as
hopeless as ever. The inability of the
policing machinery of little country
community to cope with a situation as
puzzling as this one was never better
manifested. A sheriff and an under
sheriff are the only officers available
for work on the case and their expert
ence has never included any problem
presenting the difficulties found here
mo reward has yet been offered which
might serve to interest the professional
sleuths whose experience would qualify
them fer such investigations.
Beta Benignus' Romance,
Earl Livingstone, the unhappy youth
whose dream was so cruelty shattered
by the untimely death of his fiancec, re-
counted the plans that had been mad.
by him and his sweetheart for the mar.
1iage that was to have taken place or
Monday.
From a position as cashier in the
Fred Harvey eating house in Topeks
he had just been promoted to similar
position at Syracuse in the western ma n
of the state. He was to 60 to worl