The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-14

not a Catholic. For a time after their
marriage everything went well, but
ultimately the woman began to feel
she had done a great wrong in leav-
| ing the church of her youth and in
marrying a man who was not in the
church without the permission of the
| church, and that it so wrought on
her mind that she became exceeding
| ly unhappy
Hungate declared that. while living
at Lexington, Neb., the first Mrs.
Beers took sick and died of the
her eighth child. During the last
| illness of his wife Beers employed
| the woman who subsequently became
| his second wife to nurse her, and
after her death that he, helpless with
| eight small children on his hands, ar
after his children. Later, the attor-
ney said, they became enamored of
each other and, as decent people
should do. were married.
Later, he said, they went to Chi
cago. where both attended the Moody
institute, and then went to Ohio to
small charge Beers had secured.
Beers Broke Down.
It was while his attorney was de-
scribing the scenes incident to the
death of his first wife that the min
lister, for the first time since the trial
w
tofore he has maintained a studied
calm.
Coming out to Kansas, Hungate said
Mrs. Beers told people at Wakarusa
that she was worn out with the care
of a large family and had come to
rest. She explained that they had
brought only one child, leaving two
in Ohio until she had rested awhile,
when the other children were COM
ing to join them.
Said Wife Assaulted Him.
Hungate said Mrs. Beers acted as
president of the Ladies Aid society of
the Wakarusa Methodist church, and
that she led the Epworth League. He
said nobody in Wakarusa knew there
was any trouble between the minister
and his wife until she left him, October
9. about month before the tragedy
For several days before she left he
knew she was making preparations to
go, Hungate said, and tried to dis
suade her. Then donation of IS that
should have reached them failed to ma
terialiZe and it was not until he told
his wife he was going to find out about
it that she told him she had received
the money and had kept it. When he
became suspicious Hungate said she
flew into rage and assaulted him, beat
ing and scratching him in the face.
Ten days after she came to Topeka,
he said she called her husband by
and how he was getting along. He
made arrangements to come to Topeka
the following day, and she promised to
meet him at the train, but did not do
so. He went to the St. Francis hos
pitaI where she was staying to see her,
and the attorney says she promised to
go home with him. but failed to do so.
Theory of the Tragedy.
He had come again to see her, Hun
gate said the day of the tragedy. They
walked around town in the rain for a
time, and finally, being wet, went to
the hotel to dry their clothes, and went
to bed. AS they lay in bed she suddenly
attacked him, the attorney declared, so
suddenly that he was at disadvant-
age He put both his hands against
her, one to push her off and the other
to stop her screaming, and threw her
over on ner own side of the bed. Then
he noticed she was gagging and went
to the door to call for help, but the
help came too late-the woman having
strangled to death
The last witness for the state this
morning was Former Coroner H. w.
Bomgardner. who told of an interview
between himself and the minister. He
declared Beers said he put his hand
over his wife's mouth to stop her from
screaming and in so doing dislodged
her lower teeth He reiterated state
ments by witnesses given yesterday re-
garding what the preacher said about
former troubles with his wife.
A petition for divorce, filed by Laura
Beers against w. L. Beers in the court |
of common pleas of Seneca county, |
Ohio, was offered in evidence by the |
state, but was ruled out on the OBJ |
lection of the defense.
Large Number of Dispositions.
Nearly a score of dispositions from |
former friends and acquaintance of |
Beers occupied considerable time this |
morning, and was the first evidence
introduced by the defense. Witness
after witness denied knowledge of as