Annie Bensen, Obituary/Death NoticePorter County obituaries and death notices . . . .
Annie Bensen
POINTED PORTER PARAGRAPHS,
Relating the Haps and Mishaps of that Enterprising Berg.
Porter, Ind. -- Coroner Coates finds Westchester township a lucrative field lately. He was called here Wednesday to hold an inquest over the remains of a woman, who poisoned herself the night before. The particulars of the case as we have been able to gather them are as follows:
Six months ago Annie Bensen came to Chicago from the old country. Her folks lived in Chicago, and had sent for her. While on her way to America the father died, leaving the family penniless. The mother with her children, left Chicago with some of her countrymen, but could get no word to the daughter on the way. When Annie reached Chicago, she found no friends, and for weeks and months searched that great city for her folks. She could get no clue, but heard that a friend by the name of Johnson was living at Miller's Station. She went to him, and staid there some time. How she came to leave there, we do not know, but she told that she was tired staying there and wanted to go where she could earn some money. She came to this township Tuesday, having walked, and went to the Central House, and asked to stop all night. Being without money she was refused admittance. The next day she wandered around, asking for work, but meeting refusal at all doors. Wednesday night of last week about dusk, she was walking down the Michigan Central tracks east of the brick yards, when she met A. J. Anderson. She asked him where she could find a barn to sleep in. He talked with her a few minutes, and finally took her home with him, and let her sleep in his barn. She slept until 4 o'clock the next afternoon, being all tired out, and on getting up was given something to eat by Mrs. Anderson. She went from Anderson's over to the little white house opposite the Waverly school house, owned by Joe Stevens and occupied by James W. Brown, and finding no one at home, sat down on the porch. Soon after Brown came, and she asked for work. Brown's wife had left him and he is living alone, so he engaged her to work for him for a few days. She got supper, and Brown says proved to be an excellent housekeeper. Tuesday afternoon he took her over to his sister-in-law's, Tilda Anderson's, to see about work for her, and brought her back home about five o'clock in the evening. She seemed in her usual spirits, and he went to Porter after butter. On his return, about nine o'clock, she was in dying condition.
After Brown left the woman must have undressed and went to bed. A box of rough on rats was found in her room by Dr. Washburn, a dose of which was the cause of her death. About eight o'clock some children saw her out in the yard in her night clothes, in tearful agony, and gave the alarm. A. J. Anderson went to Chesterton for a doctor, but could get none, and went to Porter and got Dr. Washburn. The woman was then dead. The Dr. made a search of the house and found the box of poison, and said it was a case for the coroner. He locked the house and put the key in his pocket, turning Brown out. The woman died on the floor near the door in the front room, and the next day presented a sight never to be foregotten by those who saw her. She had laid just as she died, and was rapidly decomposing, awaiting the coroner.
The woman said she was 35 years old and had never been married. She was either a Norwegian or Dane, but could talk fair English and Swede.
The coroner came Wednesday afternoon and made an examination. He opened the woman's stomach and found in it half a box of "Rough on Rats." He took the testimony of the witnesses and turned the body over to Undertaker Lundberg for burial, and the body was buried Thursday.
Newspaper: The Tribune
Date of Publication: July 15, 1892
Volume Number: 9
Issue Number: 14
Page: 1
Column(s): 2
Key to Newspaper Publication Locations:
Newspapers Published in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Chesterton Tribune
The Tribune
Westchester Tribune
Newspapers Published in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Porter County Vidette
Practical Observer
Valparaiso Practical Observer
Vidette and Republic
Western Ranger
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Obituary/death notice transcribed by Steven R. Shook