Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-14
ON Wedding TRIP
!. HELPED To SAVE
HER FROM CHAIR
Secret Service Man En- Route
Back to Philippines Proved
= a Valuable Witness

4
Not to every man does Fate grant
the chance to be star witness in a
murder trial while he is on his we'd
ding trip. Casimir Napoleon Guertin,
however, had just such an experience.
He is returning to Manila on
the U. S. army transport Logan with
| his bride. They were married in
Manila last fall. .......
Guertin is one of the big men OF
the Philippine insular secret service
| bureau. He is in charge OF all for
eign cases for the islands and once
trailed to North Italy and captured a
| Filipino wanted by the Hawaiian
Sugar Planters Association. However,
that is another story.
Mr.. and Mrs Guertin passed through
Honolulu going to the states last fall
on the transport Buford. They were
married in Manila, where Mrs. Guertin,
then Miss Ruby Williams, was elected
carnival queen in 1912, when she was
visiting her sister, Mrs. Louis II. Ding
man, wife of the chief of Manila's fire
department. 49,.
The Guertins in the course of their
wedding journey stopped at New
burgh, n. Y, to visit the secret SER
vice mans sister, Mrs. j. H. Rufflng
of that city. ~
Appesrs When Much Needed
Last December the trial of Mrs.
Margaret Claire Beutinger Of Newark,
N. j., was in progress in the New Jer-
sey city She was charged with the
murder of her husband, Christopher
Beutinger. Mrs. Beutinger admitted
the murder and pleaded self-defense
as the motive. She testified that her
husband had publicly dragged her
from a military ball in Manila because
she danced with a man he disliked.
Just before the close OF the trial
Guertin left ,Newburgh and went to
Newark to testify in Mrs. Beutinger's
behalf Her counsel inquired from
her whether Guertin had been present
at the ball. She replied affirmatiyely.
This was on December 5, 1916.
A man stood up in the courtroom.
He was tall, soldierly and faultlessly
dressed. Mis- Beutinger identified
him as the secret service man. Guer-
tin. explaining that he was on furlough
from the Philippines, corroborated
Mrs. Beutinger's account OF the Ma
Mia episode, averring that he had seen
Beutinger assault the defendant and
then drag her from the ballroom.
Testimony Brings Acquittal .
mrs. Beutinger was acquitted, SAID
Guertin today. 1.-The jurymen who nad
voted to acquit her on the first bal
lot went around to- her house Christ
mas Eve and helped her decorate
Christmas tree for her children. The
two who had opinions at first that she
should be declared guilty, didn't
show mp"
Guertin, has been in the Philippine
secret service bureau for Is years and
Is one of the best known operatives
IN the islands. He and his wife have
a parrot down in the Logan's baggage
room (which. has travelled with them
so many thousand miles that the bro
is now bored with the sights OF many
lands.
Defendant Assaulted Here
II Mrs. Beutinger had needed more
evidence to corroborate the story Oh
her husbands cruelty she could have
obtained many willing witnesses IN
honolulu who would have gladly testl-
fled to an assault here very similar to
the one in Manila to which Guertin
was a witness.
Cant. Fred H. Iaukea, when prompt
ed by Star-Bulletin man. recalled
most of the details Of the affair here
in 1914 which caused considerable
sensation at the time. He tells very
brief story of the occurrence.
"Mr. and Mrs. Beutinger arrived IN
Honolulu on transport, going to the
mainland from the Philippines. They
went to the Moana Hotel. Passing
there Saturday night, June s, 1914, At
torney william Rawlins heard a ter
terrified scream from one OF the Mo-
ana rooms. Accompanied by the late
Mounted Policeman Fred Wright they
investigated, found Beutinger was
beating his wife and called for me.
Husband Bigger Than Iaukea
II was sergeant then and as such
| went in the patrol wagon and
brought him to Jail. He was mass
i've fellow, larger than ! and inclined
to be impertinent. Iallowed him con-
siderable liberty in the jail at first
but later. locked him up in cell when
he got too saucy l thought | was
going to have a fight with him.
rAbout o'clock the wife came
down to the station, pleading for his
release, but Beutinger would have
nothing to do with her, saying he was
through with her She refused to
press the charge Of assault and after
the defendant had promised to take,
care of her and go on to the states
she would have been: destitute if he
hadn't released him. He refused
to travel with her, however, and went
out the same time as sne on a differ
ent ship. .. ..... -.
THE only time ever heard from
them directly was when Mr.. Rawlins
and received letter from Mrs. Beu-
a u.