The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-16
Abilene Pelice Are Convinced
Murder Was Done.
New Evidence But Nothing
Tangible Obtained.
HOLE CUT in SCREEN.
Theory Still Held That Two Had
Part in Killing.
Finger Marks Found About Face
ana Neck.


| Abilene, Kan, Aug 16.-Followine
the inquest in which no new informa-
ton was gained, the investigation of
the death of Miss Bertha Benieus has
been postponed by a coroner's Jury
until next Monday. All the evidence
taken and the papers bearing on the
hearing are sealed. The police still
hold to the theory that two persons
entered the girls room, overpowerine
and chloroforming her. The suicide
theory has been given up. Though the
authorities are still working on the
theory that Miss Benigus was killed
by jealous suitor, nothing his been
found on which to base a conclusion
! Tangled information sent out from
Abilene in press dispatches has been
found to be different by a State Jour
nal staf correspondent who came here
from Topeka to investigate. The note
found under the window of the room
in which the girl was found dead read
as follows:
My God man Cor lmen), have
Killed her. For Christ's sake meet me
with the poneys (may be moneys or
jewels, as the writing is obscure). a
couple of lots n Cor w of here
/ II is scrawled in English and not
| IN German as reported.
the girl died sometime after
o'clock Sunday morning. A hard rain
fell that night, though no tracks have
been found. Marks of a ladder
placed upon the caves trough of the
| building have been discovered. The
4 rested.
small hole was cut in the screen
large enough for a person to reach
through and unfasten the screen,
| M i0E 10 a
hook at the bottom. On the roof Of
| the porch was found the blade of a
bright new knife and one burnt
match. The note was on the ground
underneath the window. 1t was writ
ten on scrap of paper torn from a
store bill.
The girl was found by her father
about o'clock Sunday morning. She
! chief on her left wrist The right was
doubled against the body on the other
side. Pillows had been laid over her
face and the bedclothes pulled up close,
| face slightly. ard evidence of electra
were found about the mouth and upon
the pillows.
On the girls face were what looked to
be finger marks. There were others
upon her neck. all of them faint. Thev
old not show at first but now are more
1 prominent
/ Light Was Burning.
A light was found burning by the
father when he discovered the dead
body.
h Saturday morning Miss Benignus re-
ceived a letter 1t was handed her at
the telephone office by her closest girl
friend, Mamie Stark. In the afternoon
came a second letter in the same hand
| writing, bearing the same postmark.
| After reading it Beta betrayed excite
ment bordering on keen anxiety. In
the girls bedroom the envelope was
found which had enclosed this second
letter, but the letter itself was miss
ing. $ The sheriff hopes to induce Miss
| Stark to talk more freely of these let
ters than she has thus far shown will
ingness to do.
While the coroner's inquest was in
progress in the office of the county at
torney, two young men, Will Ether
ington and H. w. Keel, employees OF
Lifts haberdashery. were called as
witnesses. The report had got abroad
that Etherington had told Keel that
Etherington had overheard the remark
a couple of weeks ago that BETA
Benignus would never marry that fell
low Livingston" that there would be
trouble If she tried to-
To the jury Etherington declared he
could not remember just where he had
heard the remark or who had made it.
All he was sure of was that he had
heard it somewhere in Abilene.
The young woman owned some jew
elry, diamond engagement ring given
her by Livingston, worth about 800.
and several other rings and a pearl
necklace. These she kept in her bed
room until about five weeks ago, when
one night when she was alone in the
house she heard a man in her chamber
| She was down stairs and shouted for
her father, thinking to frighten the
} intruder away. The man dashed down
! the steps, the family say, and rushed
out of the front door. She caught a
, glimpse of his back, but did not see his
, face He escaped through alley in
the rear of the Benignus barn.
The next morning, Miss Benignus
found her pearl necklace in a clunp of
weeds behind the barn. Since then she
had kept her jewelry at night in n
handbag in her parents bedroom on
tt first floor. She told cousin,
: Amelia ButteIl recently that the out
; lines of the man who rushed from the
house that night reminded her OF d
medium sized stranger in black clothes
and a black slouched hat who for
| weeks had been eyeing her on the
street corners as she passed and who
several times had seemed to be follow
ing her.
t The funeral of Miss Benigus was
, held this afternoon. Besides friends.
, a morbid throng of curious followed
: l. the body to the grave.
. |