Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-09-19
Tale of a Tcu-kettle.

CITY POLICE, September 5.-Mr Marcus Bennett
and his wife Jane after quarrelling for ten years,
the term of their cohahitation, came to agree
ment about two weeks ago of course, they agreed
to separate. which they did incontnently and set
tied themselves in different dwellings, having first
divided the household furniture between them Some
of their goods easily divided into equal por-
TONS for instance. their half dozen chairs allow
ed three for each, and their two pine tables were
shared without much trouble: but when they came
to the kitchen utensils, the distribution was not so
readily managed. Each willing to yield up the
frying pan, but each claimed the tea ketle-an
ticle which may be applied to greater variety of
uses than any other kind of cooking apparatus-for
aside from its legitimate purpose it may (under the
pressure of circumstances do good service as din
ner-pot, a stew-pan, baking-kettle, and several
other culinary implements. The versatile character
of the teaketle made Mr. Bennett and his wife both
desire to have it, and after contention they
agreed to toss up for this invaluable piece of hard
ware. Fortune favored Mrs. Bennett and she re-
manned sole possessor of the coveted article. The
unhappy Bennett retired to his new residence. a
room which he had rented at the other end of the
court and, not having any kettle to do his boiling,
he used his bosom for that purpose, and truly that
bosom of Benefits boiled over with the fierce rage
and passionate resentment of man who has been
disappointed in the first wish of his soul His thoug
still the -kettle--nohng but the tea-ket-
tie. He felt that he could not live without it, he
resolved to die if necessary in the effort to
it. Yesterday evening" soon after night-fall he Sc
GREETED himself the house where Mrs. B. dwelt
alone, with nothing to charm her solitude but the
teakettle, which then over the fire and just be-
ginning to simmer when Mrs Bennett slept into her
next door neighbours to borrow drawing of tea
The remorseless Bennett, who had been watching
for such opportunity, entered the house, few to
the chimney whipped the kettle off the fire and
treated with the spos, without taking time to pour
out the hot water Mrs. Bennett returns and finds
the kettle gone; she utters piercing shrek, and
calls herself ruined woman" Then she looks
out of the door and by moonlight the retreating
figure of her conscieneeess husband, kettle in hand
She flies after him He is just descending the base
ment steps, (or his apartment is below the level of
the pavement when she overtakes him. She sci
the kettle and struggle follows, of the hot
water is spilled in Benefits shoes and in his efforts
to get them off he leaves the kettle in Mrs Benefits
hands and while he is STOPPING to deliver his feet
from torment the Infatuated matron applies the spout
of the kettle to the back of his neck and pours down
pint, more, of scaldng water. This was the ca
tastrophe. The bowls of Bennett brought the watch
men. Mr. and Mrs B. were severally held to bail
this morning the first for disorderly conduct, and
the latter for an aggravated assault and battery.
Phil. PennSWUanidn.