The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-31
PERFECT NEWS STORIES

ers cut off and concealed the head
of the unfortunate girl so success
fully that 1t never has been found
They were trapped by u bit of excel
lent detective work Other criminals
had been found by the number
printed on tho shoe lining, bu: no
other criminal ever had been found
so spotlightedly, so to speak. Wise
murderers have been destroying
similar clues ever since. In the
Kentucky mountains the middle-aged
folks are still grooming creepy bal
lad about Pearl Bryan's head when
they gather about the cabin fire
place st night.
The oilcloth murder in New York
,. and the tan vat murder in Chicago
are examples OF cases similar to the
nearl Bryan affair. Neither would
haze risen above the mediocrity of
, murder except for the story Of the
detection.
Years ago-maybe quarter OF a
century-there was story In an up
state New York county that touched
greatness in melodrama. do not
now recall the names or details, ex-
cepr that man named Benham was
found guilty Of murder. The thought
persists. as the spiritualist mediums
say, thAs ne HAD murdered his wife.
+, A. al evsnts he was sentenced to
(; DE banged IN those days the son
! fenced person was swung into flu
ture existence from the yard Of the
4! Jail II the county in which the crime
/. had been committed. The gallows
had beer srected. the rope creased
and the hour get.
One OF the New York Life Insur-
| arce companies had issued policy
for $4,000 on Benham's life. When
it became apparent that only mir
acle could save him the officers OF
| the company took counsel. They
were pessimists and unbelievers,
| these officers, Never having seen
any miracles they did not believe
they happened. They did not want
the records of the company to show
! that it had ever paid out money to
the estate OF client who had been
hang ed-though the reason for this
| ticklishness seems Q bit far-fetched
and compromised with Benham.
! I'VE will pay your claim OF
! $50, O00." they said to him, right IN
to your hand. and take your receipt
for it. That win save our books
! from the blot" 'Rishto." said Ben
ham Right into my hand, You
! said"
| So the company paid Benham the
SIS, 900 and tive hours afterward the
/; murd erer was reprieved and little
later was released. The company
| suggested that he ought to be a
good sport and pay the money back
and Benham laughed at its officials.
He was sued, but won because he
was able to show that the company
| had paid him as compromise and
not as death claim, and presume
bly, lived happy ever after. It is
said that he rose to considerable To-
cal prominence in later years, thanks
to the timely aid Of his death insur-
ance policy.
The Becker case was another that
was almost perfect In It the Broad
way theme predominated. It was q
murder over tribute exacted from
gamblers by the police, and the well
advertised and only half believed in
gangs OF hired gunner did the &C.
tual killing. The Baff case has
came along since then. but 1t is sor.
did and commonplace compared to
the great police story. The final
ker and the electrocution OF the
squad of gunner made It perfect
Cynical and suspicious New York
had not believed to the last moment
that the sentence of the court could
be carried out against men who had
always lived above the law.
Try the idea over on your memory
How many perfect stories can you re-
member?