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Show THOMASTON, Mo., Aug 28. Grief over tho death of his -f- f- wife led Edward Bennett, an -f Englishman and a graduate of -f Oxford university, who has been a resident hero for the last six years, to murder his threo children and then take his own llfo today. . Two of tho children were klllod by tho uso of chloroform and the third by cyanide of potassium and chloroform. To mako his own doat'i certain, the man went to the water'n edge and there took a dose of cyanide of potassium and Jumped In. His body was found when the tide receded tonight. Tho murdered children arc Edward, ngod six, Barbara, aged four, and Nancy, aged two. Bennett's wife died three weeks ngo and Blnco then the children had been enrod for by a housekeeper, Mrs Thurlow. After killing the children, apparent ly during tho night, Dennett wrote a minute description of how the deed was done and also a long paper In defense de-fense of hl3 position. Leaves Note Telling of Crime. The letter Is addressed to the Rc Russell Wood, rector of tho Episcopal church at Rockland, where Bennett attended, and Is as follows- "My darling children havo gone to join their mother, ns I am going to join them all and to face my God, who I hope will forgive me If I havo done wrong. "Nancy and Eddie went with chloro- ' lorm alono, Nancy certainly with no pain, and I hope to die with little pain Barbara I had to give KNC (cyanldo of potassium), and I am afraid she must have suffered, but It was short and I gave her chloroform Immediately, Immediate-ly, so I hope It was not bad. " "I am going to tnke KNC. As I do not know how much to take, T am, going down to the sea so that I may' drown If the KNC Is not enough. I am placing this on tho door and will havo to get away." Seeks to Defend Act. Then follows a dissertation on murder mur-der and arguments by which Bennett seeks to defend his act. The murder was not discovered until un-til late. On a cot besldo her father's bed was the body of tho baby Nancy S.he appeared to bo sleeping, but Investigation Inves-tigation showed that life had been extinct for hours. In an adjoining room were the bodies of tho other two children, side by side on their bed The bed had not been disturbed. On his desk were found the letter and a financial account which tho man had propared. |