The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-28
Young Dennett's aiihi-hch'aff
case of Mi>taiscn Identity.

the defence the tc"'''to'' " - $50
Charles 0. Bennett. t"en'y'ohe years y! ~
con Of the well known insurance mao D. d.
p.,,e.t charged with forgery, was sun
$3.50 snd considered, aud thecase decided.
,s o,;r readers will remember. the forgery
WIS committed last Friday, some time De-
f,v,en II and Y, forenoon. The foIgcr, or
hts .mnn IA the troui.' walked into Tue
1ontinr.rpom OF Eyap> & Co., | hid street.
and n,,h nm mir OF perfect freedom from chi
harras.mrnt and complete nonchalAucc en-
dnrsn3 ,Ec check and drew The money
thrne hundred and thirty dollars. The
roshicr mid hut little attention TO the man.
10 only looked 70 see that the signature 10
,ha chcch-,Ic>se Russell, miller and Hour
dealer on Central avenue and Clark street
rs,cnhcl that to checks drawn 10y the
came party. Hardly had the :orgcr walked
out Wien IN happened Mr.. Russell. Inc
check was shown 70 him, and he iMlnc-
Giatcly pronounced the signature for
gcrc, winch i; was, but Very clever
fo.csry. This Young Bennett was
arrested the following day because t'ic Ge'
scriptiou OF the criminal WAS compete u'-
scrip,ion OF him. The young nan WAS UT.
suggested 10 Officer Chusn'tt 10y '"c .hc'
thai the name O! Bennett WAS used III lhc
check. Officer Chulncy asked Olnccr NC
Dewitt, a PERSONAL friend o! ycHnS bchhe.t,
where the latter could be found. McDc'l'
believed that nc had LETT Tor New oih On
Tho Tuesday cTcning previous, 10 loin DIS
father there, or with MS father. al ieasl'
>oupg Bennett. had informed IcpevItt that
no r0nId start that evening Rut on Satur.
day burnley learned that Bennett WAS in or
around The city somewhere. Ibis strength
cned the suspicion. Ii looked as though
iicunc.t had concoetedthe scheme OF forgery,
and hsd given out the impression that he WAS
TAR away IN order to cover his tracks.
While officers Were in pursuit OF hlin
Bennett met the Superintendent OF Ponce,
who didn't happen to know him. ut Robin
= sous Opera House, Friday cy.ninG ana ialer
in tie evening be dropped into the Ninth
Stree; s;atiuu-holisr, following prisoner
out aE idle curiosity. Tie next day (sallr-
Ga.) lie so,!ntercd cCol!y into the police
Office ana asked for his friend IcDryItt, Snt
very officer who WIS IL search OF him, anu
who didn't happen TO be in. \ few minutes
later NcDeyitt found him in saloon Oh
Contra. avenue, and without telling INN OF
the SUSPICION ag,.iGs. him invited bin to ac-
colnlnny him TO Third street "to get Il
check cashed." Bennett complied, remain
ing in apparent ignorance Of the object oil
bis companion until they were within
square Of the bank, when be was told that
be was suspected of tha. Bcnnctt-Ruo>cl
forgery. lie looked asounded At first, then
laughed and suggested that the sooner il
was cle,red rp the better. The teller could
not swear positively, but thought Bennett
was the man. lie rcsenDlcd him very much.
Mr.. Hughes, Of the banking 1iGm, Was
ready 10 swear that he vas the man, and did
81 swear, in court yesterday, Bennett was
the man beyond ii doubt. And there was Il
Mr. johnson doing business on Third street
who had seen Bennett 90 III and out Of the
haui. ii the precise time OF the transaction.
- In court Yesterday Sir. Johnson STOre thai
tie Prisoner was the man he had seen. He
knew it bccit!st IL had twice locked Al The
man on Third street, n>i>takinS him for IN
acquaintance.
Bu, the man OH Third street wore 4 black
hat with q stif lin.
Mr.. Russc. The -four merchant, testified
tbat toe transaction ut Ii. store occurred not
later than l0i \. NJ. nor earlier than - a.
II. Friday. He could not testify that Ben
nett was the man, but saw resemblance.
Here, certainly, was stunning evidence fol
tie STATE, which required absolute proof rs
70 time, which WAS promptly Forthcoming
70 court Yesterday. Young Bennet's teSt!.
nlony VA, corroborat,d by sil The parties
named il il. We give Ii is briefly IL posi-
bic
Was at his fathers house in Clifton, with
e.. man in charge there, "Wednesday and
Thursday, and uutIl about nali-pa>t 8 FRI
day. Then started in Oh wagon with Mr.
Ar:ntrcrLt. II va. tNcnty minutes past ~
when they passed the Clifton town.clock.
Reaching the city, stopped ten minutes OF 50
at the Conner Of Plum aud TIE canal TO get
groceries. Held IT," iiGeS while Armhrech'
ven IN. Then % the corner Of Vine and
L!der. TO GrotucWiy's grocery. - get II bar!
rel Of four and some other things. I,clchyd
there about halI-fast 10, sind was detained
there about half III hour. Worca ri,te ha!--
"atorelirc "-w i,la wide black band about
which Armbrecht remarked, OF starting, that
hr would lave 10 put blinds on lii horse
OF il would Brighten him. Wore that hat
all dry. Left AImbrecilt al Vine ard Elder, |
l.G 10 return to Clifton. and walked down
Vine. Stopped hrs: at the confectionery |
unGcr Woods Theatre; had two glaS,cS Of !
ale and two cigars. which were charged 10 |
Inn, is he didn't hayc- IL cent about him. |
Met Barton the actor, and inquired fer |
liarle This WAS between II and y. and |
j. was between quarter rf - and y that he /
met Barton. Was not south Of Fourth |
Stree, that day in srngir III t"ucc. Did not |
have cent about bin! That day uuti lie went
10 his room, Oh DAY ton street. and rcturuin" |
IN The evening 10 IL E,Nnbroker's Oh Contra!
aEeDlc with some clothing nawncd tie gar
Mcnts for 81.
III every particular this straightforward,
truthful story was sub>tlnt!aica by ARM
brecht, by Barton, by The pawnDroker, and
hy o'ncr witnesses, rs TO time and placr, that |
We have not mentioned, al going to prove
the G'tb' beyond c!lancc for doubt.
The evidence bariugall been heard, Judge |
Marchant lnt!lnatcd 10 counsel for defence
that argument was uuucccssary. Where
upon the prosecutor spoke briefly, claiming
that there was ground enough in the SINH
l2r!ty Of handwriting, and i'll the positive
testimony Of Mr.. Hughes and Mr.. johnson.
10 Justify The court in holding the prisoner |
for final trial.
Judge Merchant, however, dismissed the
case, stating that there wasn't particle OF |
doubt Ill his mind Of the young mars IN
nOxuce.
Among the spectators yesterday were the
father ot the Young man, j. 3. Bennett, who
was heartily congratulated by several trends
upon his sons ucuuttal; and q little Sistrs
O. the accused, Miss Josie Bennett, twelve
wears of aye, who was witness, and attract.
ed much attention by her pert answers and
intelligent manners.
That this was a remarkable case of mis-
taken identity there can be no doubt. There
are several persons to whom Young Bennett
bears Il close resemblance; aud there Is no
doubt that the mau who uttered this forged
check is very much like him in fuce, form,
and manners. But that the mistake that |
must baYe been made 10y Hughes and John
son was made easily il the toruer resembles