Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-28
Ky
BURNS MAY KILL
A WHOLE FAMILY
Wife and Child Dead, Ben Steu-
termann Probably Will Not
Survive Injury.
ACT OF A JEALOUS WOMAN
Rejoins Husband After Years Separ-
alton, Two Get intoxicated and
She Sets Fire to Bedding.

Since the terrible tragedy at Keokuk
In which Mrs. Ben Steutermann satur-
ated her husbands clothing, her little
step-son's and her own, and then ap-
piled a match to all three, resulting in
her own death and that of her child,
following a drunken quarrel, subse-
quent developments have brought out
the facts that Mrs. Steuterrnann's two
sisters, Mrs. John Korty and Mrs. Os-
car Campbell, 4o2 West Fifth street,
and Mrs. Steutermann's mother, Mrs.
Herman Korty, $40 West Front street,
are now residents of Davenport.
The crime which Mrs. Steutermann
committed and which shocked the en-
tire community was committed while
in an enraged state of mind, and af-
ter both she and her husband had
been drinking. The woman, who had
gone to KeoIxuk from Quincy after be-
ing separated from her husband for a
year, during which time she was resid-
ing with another man, first struck her
husband. knocking him TO the floor and
then saturated his clothing, her own
and her child's and then applied a
lighted match to all, burning herself
so seriously that she died few hours
later, her child died about six hours
afterwards, and her husband is still
in a serious condition from his injur-
les. and his chances for recovery but
slight
Husbands Graphic story.
My wife and had been on the outs
for over a year" Steutermann told the
Keokuk police 1T was a year ago last
July 25 that l came home one day and
found a note saying that she had gone
to Quincy.
"A little over a week ago she wrote
to me and said that she wanted to
come back, so l went TO Quincy and
brought her and the little boy here.
All seemed to be going well. but
could notice that she was dissatisfied.
THAT morning I went to look for
stick pin. called a spike and made of
shells that l had fixed lately, and
could not find it. l jokingly accused
her of taking it, and said 1 suppose
I'll see some other fellow wearing it
around in his tie At this she got
plum crazy, but she quieted down.
That was in the morning.
Two other boarders in the house,
John SandberE and Blanche Marvin,
were in playing cards with us. and
while there my wife said something
about drowning being an awful death,
and several other queer things We
were all drinking. Altogether, we
drank. more than four gallons Of beer
and Clipped In on another can.
After Sandberg and the woman left
we were lying on the bed cutting up.
This was after dinner, past o'clock.
My wife hadn't gotten over the stick
pin racket We had IN the morning, and
we got to fussing again. She reached
down at the side Of the bed and picked
up her slipper and hit me couple of
times over the back Of the head with
It We had both been drinking lot
wire 0zabs Gasoline Can.
IN settle all Of this. Wen all go
together said my wife, as she grabbed
my arms when she was hitting me.
She got MP and took the gasoline can
and poured gasoline on me and then
herself and the little boy. I grabbed
hold OF her and told her she was not
going to do anything OF the kind and
that she should put the can down, but
she threw the gasoline on my clothes,