New-York tribune., 1916-07-13

Two little girls, with bobbed brown
hair and short white skirts, hurried
down the corridors of the Essex County
Jail, in Newark, yesterday afternoon.
Their mother. Mrs Christof Beutmger,
is imprisoned there. charged with mur-
derine her husband. They were Mar
garet. not quite nine years old, and
Marie. six. who heard the five shots
that ended the life Of the wealthy coal
operator and who saw him die.
Their round childish eyes had looked
upon a good deal Of the almost incredi-
bic cruelty that led TO the tragedy, ac-
cording to their own statements. They
had seen their father hit their mother
they didn't know why they had
heard him threaten to kill her. they
said. But they weren't crying. Gleeful
at the novelty Of the excursion and the
prospect of seeing their mother they
smiled at the prison officials and chat
tered in youthful excitement.
where's mamma" asked Marie.
"why don't she come to meet us?",
A door opened. and they we're led
into a cell. An eager woman hurried
forward with outstretched arms and
caught them TO her and kissed them,
and sobbed for the hrst time since she
had been brought to the Jail. Her chief
counsel. Walter G.. Brandley, of Cald-
we'll; the Jail matron and the keeper
turned away.
Don't cry. mamma" said Marie, as
she put up a brown little hand to pat
her mothers cheek.
Saving Their Candy.
They brought MS candy and we put
IL on the top shelf. and We aren't going
TO eat IL till you come home" Margaret
offered, by way Of supreme consolation
The two little girls, too young to
understand the significance Of what has
/ happened. will be the most important
witncsse. Of the defence in theiI
mothers trial. They were sleeping ir
/ the room with Mrs. Beutinger wher
she shot her husband Tuesday morn
| lne. and wakened in time TO see the
end OF the tragedy. They say, too, that
thev have seen many Of the bruises in
/ aieted. which, according 20 DR.. Edward
W. Markens. physician IN the Esse,
/ County Jail. still discolor the prisoners
| body.
In their home in Caldwell. where the
| FIVE children are being taken care OF
by servants. small Margaret, the eldest
/ told her story yesterday as casually as
! though she were relating the events a'
dolls tea party.
IL didn't like my papa as much as
my mamma" she said. when he got
mad he pounded the table with my
dolls. even my best one, and never
/ thought Of how they'd feel My
mamma wouldn't do a thing like that
/ lie swore at Freddy and me when we
said our prayers the way the Sisters
/ taught us. Then he hit mamma when
she asked him not TO let us hear him
swear.
Cried When lie Hit Her.
"He hit her lots of times. She would
cry, and then we would cry. too. Las,
week he hurt her eye so much II is al
black yet. Have you seen my pretty
mamma
81 woke up tho other night wher
that shot went off Mamma WAS stand
ing by her bed. right next TO ours, IL
her nightgown, and heard hel
scream. didn't know what the mat
ter was. but thought, OF course, m,
papa had hit her again. Papa wa
sitting in the rocking chair by th'
window, and he said. T'll kill you yet,
and was scared. But mamma said
no, you won't bother me any more
BILLY see IL, too ehuckled thu
three-year-old baby, evidently regard
ing the entire account as a story tolC
for his amusement. He climbed int
the reporters lap and then slid dowr
again.
| II like my mamma better'n you," h,
said. II amt your boy"
From her cell Mrs Beutinger ISSUED
a brief statement through her counsel
declaring that she had killed her hus
band in protection.
Was Choking Her.
81 shot him when he seized me by
| the throat 20 choke me-" she said
| "For more than nine years he made
my life hell. Nothing that they car
| do 20 me will be worse than the things
| have already suffered It was my
life or his. My only regret is for my
little children. feel that all the laws