Murder Trial 1897

BEHRENS, BENDT

Posted By: P.Chase (email)
Date: 1/20/2013 at 08:47:24

The Clinton Miroor (Clinton, Iowa) November 13, 1897. col.3
Thumb Print Evidence
Important Part Played by Testimony in a Murder Trial.

The fate of Mrs. Christian Behrens, on trial in Davenport for murder, was left undeceded by a jury which after considering its verdict for 52 huors, was discharged. Last December the accused deserted Claus Behrens, her husband, to live with Henry Bendt, of Rock Island, Ill., and in July she returned to her husband promising to change his insurance plicy to her name instead of their daughters. A week after the new policy was issued Behrens died in his home with his wife as his only attendant. Paris green was found in the dead man's stomach at the autopsy.

Bendt and Mrs. Behrens were arrested. Two notes where found later purporting to be written by Behrens and stating that he had committed suicide. A high school teacher at the trial identified one note from a thumb print found upon the surface, and compared with the thumb of the dead man, exhumed ten weeks after his death. The theory of thumb-print identification has been the bsis of an interesting contest during the fortnight's trial.