The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-22
BODY IS TAKEN UP
Stomach of Bertha Benignus
Sent to Lawrence.
Chemists Will Try to Determine
Nature of Poison.
MOTHER ON THESTAND
Said She Heard Nothing Night
of Murder.
Report of Wet Footprints on
the Porch.
MOTHER ON THESTAND


the statement of Mrs. Charles A. Ben
ignus before the coroner's jury and the
disinterrment Of the body of Bertha
Benignus in the Abilene cemetery two
steps in the work for the detection OF
the supposed murder Of the dead girl
were taken this morning. The mother
statement revealed nothing. The stom-
ach of ahe dead girl, which was rernov-
ed in the presence Of the coroners jury
shortly before noon today, is to be ia
ken tonight to Lawrence by Coroner
]. c. Entz who will place il - the
hands of Prof. Bailey, chemist at the
l<arsas State university. who will make
a chemical analysis for traces OF polS-
cnous substances
The testimony of Mrs. Charles A. Ben
ignus was a disappointment to the Of
ficers VINO, after their many failures 10
find working theories of the girls death,
now eight days old, had come to look
with much expectancy for the state
ment by the mother who has been in a
condition CT collapse ever since inform
ed of the girls death. Mrs. Benignus
was barely able to sit up before the cor
uner's Jury which was assembled at her
home fer the taking of her testimony
this morning. 0'-" spoke in feeble
voice III answer to the questions put
her.
She had slept soundly, she said, on
the night of the girls death and no
sound had disturbed her rest. She had
been unaware of anything until
aroused about o'clock in the morning
by the other members of the family
who had just discovered the girls dead
body in the upstairs room. Mrs.
Benignus, who has been in i'll health,
was sleeping in a rear lower room. Mrs
Benignus added that she had heard u
neighbor woman, Mrs. Thomas Brown,
say that wet or muddy footprints had
been seen on the porch roof and on the
window sill in the girls room. The
simple testimony of the girls mother
disproves the theory that when she
broke her silence continued for the
week past, she might tell something
which would be of great service to the
officers.
From the Benignus house the corona er
conducted the jury and other officers
to the Abilene cemetery. During the
morning the girls casket was removed
from it's grave and placed in house
at the side of the cemetery. DR.. H. P.
Mera. and DR.. ]. N. Deter at once pro-
ceeded to the removal of a portion of
the stomach. This was placed in A
sealed bottle to be turned over to the
chemist at the state university.
1t is considered that a grave mis-
take was made by the failure to hold
death of the girl, but the officers have
bungled the case from the start and
have tried to cover I'D their short
comings by keeping newspapers from
securing information. The possibility
that her death resulted. not from
chloroform. but from some other agent
of unknown character which might
have been administered by her owr
hand, has been a disturbing element
throughout the investigation. Thai
the work of investigation has beer
conducted in a most unbusinesslike
manner throughout is a complaint
made by many persons who have beer
familiar with it's progress. Want oi
thoroughness and dispatch in many
directions of the studies of the crime
have been freely criticised.
Coroner Entz has adopted a plan OF
interference with the newspaper CORE
spondents assigned to the report of the
murders investigation which, while moi
attaining secrecy in the Investigations
has merely made the work of the re-
porters harder. At the house and ir
the cemetery today numerous persons
not personally connected with the in
vestigation, were permitted to be pres
ent but a careful guard was maintain
ed to bar the newspapermen from the
inquest proceedings.
Governor Offers Reward.
The governors office today took ac
tion in the matter of the reward ask
ed for in the Abilene murder mystery
Governor Stubbs on behalf of the stat
offers a reward of $500 for the arres
and conviction of the unknown persol
who murdered Beta Benignus at Abb
lene on the night of August 13.