The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-05
Benita BischOff
 to Keep Secrets
(Continued from Page l.)

Her funeral. From other sources, however. 1t was learned the rites probably wilbl be held morrow morning at the Foster funeral par lors in Collingswood, N. J.
 And when Benita's body is car ried to the grave, the diary in which she recorded her impressions of her mother will be in the coffin, accord ing to Bischoff.
 T will not permit publication of this diary" he said.
 Tt contains only girlish con- fidences and notes of her various engagements. I will sec 1t die with her before I allow 1t to go out of my hands. l probably will have 1t buried in the casket with Benita. 1 have been offered fabulous sums for the diary, but nothing will tempt me"
 He paused moment and then be- gan strange tale of how he and his second wife had fostered the girls illusions that her mother was a suc- cessful dancer, who, for some unex- plainable reason, she would never be allowed to see. In Benita's mind her mother had become a myth, which, Tn her younger years was full ly as vivid as the Santa Claus legend.
 T did everything to spare Benita this torment that caused her death." Bischoff explained, II tried hard enough to protect her from this dis grace all through the years. Ere quently we have moved so that my first wife could not learn our ad- dress. Benita always thought of her m n Inf fttI I dancer, who, for some unknown req son she. was unable to see. The shock and the grief when she learn ed otherwise were too much for her. The shame and the pitiless publicity killed her.
 Since my former wife was mur- dered l have received letters from all over the country filled with dire threats to me, have paid no atten- ton to them because think they are the work of cranks. Most of them come from Washington and New York. A man in my position makes many enemies. I attribute these letters to some of these enemies and to cranks who are in- terested in any sensational story"
 Mrs Bischoff interrupted, You must understand there is nothing detrimental to Benita in the diary, please don't misunderstood my hus- band. It contains nothing of inter- est to outsiders and Is merely a rec ord of her school condolences"
 Have you anything to say in con- nection with your former wife's death?" Bischoff was asked.
 T haven't the faintest idea how or why Vivian was killed" He re- piled. T only know that I would gladly have laid down my own life to protect Benita from this. would like to explain another point, in her mother l believed she referred to my mother, Mrs M. Bischoff of 97OO Artesian avenue, Chicago. It couldn't have been Vivian's mother because Benita did not know her own mother Intimately and hence could hardly have known her maternal grand mother"
 Bischoff rose from his chair and led the way out past the two police- men who have been assigned to guard the house.
 Outside in this village of 10000 persons gossip was flying through the streets. One report was that Miss Gordon, who lost custody of Benita when Bischoff divorced her, tried to kidnap the child three years ago and failed. Parents of children who had been classmates of Benita were reluctant to discuss the case, for 1t had been reported that the jeers of the child's companions had been one reason for her suicide. However. Mrs Ronald Smith. mother of Emily Smith. who went to school with Benita, told what she and her daughter knew of the girl.
 'I think" said Mrs Smith, that Benita was victim of strangely hidden and deep-rooted love for her mother. She loved her mother in- stinctively. Emily said Benita used to tell her that she wrote letters 10 her mother which she believed never reached her. The girl impressed me as being serious and always little melancholy"
 Late yesterday Herbert Trout, 2s- year old bookkeeper to whom Benita left half of "Whatever money I may have" was questioned by police. He said he had met the girl occasionally
 s.i' .3|lI