The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-26
SORD|D STORY
TOLD IN COURT
Mrs. Beutinger on Witness
Stand Today in Her Trial
for the Murder Of Her
- Husband. - e.
ACQUITTAL rs EXPECTED
Case Has Proceeded 50 Rapidly That
Verdict From the Jury May
be Returned by
Tomorrow.
jACQUITTAL rs EXPECTED
[By Carl D. Groat, United Press Stafi
Correspondent

[By Carl D. Groat, United Press STAFF
Correspondent
NEWARK, N. j., Get. 26.-Before a
gaping courtroom, Mrs. Margaret
Beutinger, young and beautiful. today
was to tell down to the last details
the story Of her life with Christopher
Beutinger, the man she slew to escape
| his embraces.
| It was a sordid story as already out.
lined to the jury. 1t pictured her strap.
ping six foot husband as a lustful
brute, man untrue to his marriage
VOWS. quarrelsome, threatening
creature. who made her life burden.
The roses had gone from her cheeks
and her eyes were ringed. She hest.
tated at the glare of publicity before
a throng of morbidly curious murder
fans"
She had welded Beutinger ten years
ago. when she was only slip OF q
girl, and he man grown-t1fteen or
more years her senior. He had fascin-
ated her--the winsome little Jamaica
girl who had never known the world.
And they had travelled afar, even go.
ing for time to the Philippines.
But she learned sorrowfully that
Beutfnger was drunkard, man OF
violent lust, whose excessive indul-
gences extended even to the servants
in the home She had been forced to
get a man and his wife as servants be-
cause Of his attentions to the single
women.
Often it was said he was abusive.
He had even threatened her life. Then
she decided, despite her children and
the ban of the Catholic church on d.
vorce that she must be separated from
Beutinger. So she gained a divorce,
only to return to him on his promises,
in her presence and before a mother
superior that he would reform. But
the reform was short lived. Quarrels
started again.
She had borne him six children in
their nine years of their marriage and
was about to become mother again.
An operation robbed her Of mother
hood, however. She returned home Ill
and weak. Her husband dwelt apart
from her, but On the night Of the kill
ing he entered her chamber after she
had had her children say their prayers
and tucked them in bed. He tried to
force unwelcome attentions upon her,
despite her physical condition. She
rebuffed him, threatening to get a d.
NOTCc. HeIl, dSoiuAh6 " IiS uSh>AoN'
he made repeated threats against her
life
Finally, when he entered for the last
time. with eyes flaming and approach
ed her bed, she flashed pistol and
fred until it was empty.
Christopher Beutinger lay crumpled
at the foot of the bed. while the wo-
man sobbed Historically.
He won't bother me any more
The trial proceeded so rapidly that
the defense expected to complete Its
work today or tomorrow-and get a
quick acquittal.
Tells Her Story.
TBy Carl D. Groat, United Press Staff
Correspondent
NEWARK, N. j., Oct. 26.-Flushfng
deeply and with eyes downcast to
escape the stares Of curious court
room crowd, Mrs. Margaret Beutin-
ger today told in dramatic fashion
why she shot and killed her husband.
Christopher Beutinger, wealthy coal