The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-08
THE NEW YORK SENSATION.

. THE NEW YORK SENSATION.
Something More about the Bennett.
May Affair.
TWO STORIES ABOUT THE BREAKING OFF
WHY THE ENGAGEMENT WAS ENDED So
SUDDENLY-CAUSE OF THE AFFRAY NEAR
| THE CLUBHOUSE.
An exchange says: "There arc two lead
ing stories-both, perhaps, partly true.
The first is that young Bennett talked about
Miss May in places where he should have
held his tongue-bad talk, too; and in sub
stance that he had tired Of her, and, though
he supposed he must marry her, he would
give any man a hundred thousand dollars
to take her off his hands. I don't believe
this. He was never so tight as to make a
virtue OF brutality. The other story is
more likely. It is in effect that Mrs. May
had the actual charge Of her daughter s
affair. and that in final interview with her
rejected son-in-law the latter, perhaps
stung too sharply with modification at the
moment, was cruel and foolish enough to
speak rudely, if not coarsely, both OF mother
and daughter. Young May overheard the
conversation, and, filled with wrath. went
| cunning for Bennett. There is talk, too,
| that Bennett OH one Of his recent visits to
the May mansion smashed pier glass and
shattered the furniture generally. Last
Sunday he Is reported to have repeated this
visit and its incidents, and to have been
sdealt with by DR.. May. This is more or
less true-the less the more probable. Said
personal friend Of the family's tonight: {:
.The Mays-father, sons, cousins-will
either or all of them be prompt enough to
give Jim satisfaction, if he wants it. It's in
TO take turn first with the cowhide and
then with something more defnite.' Mean
while, everybody pities the young lady.
She. not Bennett, suffers the martyrdom."
BENNETT NOT AT TIE HUB.
| \ Boston dispatch says: GA careful
search fails to discover James Gordon Ben
nett in this city, and his friends here deny
the rumor that he came here to-day
WHAT LEONARD JEROME SAYS.
The Graphic of last evening has the fol-
lowing: Mr.. Leonard Jerome said to-day
s.I think Mr. Bennett will challenge Mr..
| MAY il he can get any one to carry the chal-
lcnge: but the law is so stringent in this
State that much difficulty may be. ex-
percnced in that respect. The af-
fair is not ended. Mr.. Bennett has
plenty OF pluck-plenty OF it, and
enough to call Mr.. May out under any cir
cumstances. I don't see how the matter
can be adjusted without recourse to such a
measure. Mr.. Bennett has pluck enough
| in the final resort to call him out even il hc
has to go to Jail for his temerity. There is
absolutely no truth in the published reports
that blows were struck with fists, so far as
can be learned from eye-witnesses here at
the club-r0oms.'
THE CAUSE OF THE CANCELLED ENGAGEMENT.
4 gentleman OF high standing in society,
and acquainted with all the parties, said TO
reporter OF the Graphic that the report
that Miss May was in her bridal robes on
Wednesday morning was a mistake.
| But" said he, ''shc was in her bridal
robes on Christmas morning and on
the evening before. Mr.. Bennett was so
delighted at the approach Of the event
that he lost his head, and in this cir
cumstance lies the whole truth and
point of the affair. The Mays think he
| did this act on purpose to break off the
engagement, but he did not. He simply
sbroke loose and, instead of going to the
altar as had been arranged, he poked off up
town the evening before the event was to
come of without any oyercoat or evershoes;
| and walked all the way to Stetson's and
back again, making as we all know a re-
markable journey that did not fatigue him
so much-as the Irishman said-because Of
the length as the breadth of it, That's the
whole Of the affair, and it ended in the en-
gagement being broken off more than week
ago." = - .r.s..-... 3-.a.. -
THE CAUSE OF THE AFFRAY.
The New York correspondent Of the
Philadelphia Times gives the following YER
sion Of the cause that led to the cowhiding !:
"The part OF the affair that eXcites most
speculation, however, is. relative to the
cause that led to the cowhiding. The mar
riage engagement between Mr.. Bennett and
Miss May, while broken off by mutual con-
sent, was unquestionably. ordered to be
nullifed by Miss Nays father, and unques-
tionably one OF the reasons was that MIR.
Bennett had, in addition to being contin-
ually in his cups for year or more, said
some things concerning Miss May at which
her family took offence. This talk is said to
have been made to some of Benefits club
companions, and it soon reached the ears OF
the May brothers. With their father, they
insisted that the match must be
broken. Miss May was willing to
overlook some OF Benefits eccen-
tricities. but the three insisted, and
she agreed to try to arrange an amicable set
tlement; hence the interview, in which she
told him frankly that she could not live
happily with him, and in which be rs frankly
replied that he was unworthy OF her, and
at which the engagement was dissolved.
This was what the, brothers were waiting
for, and then they began to prepare to chas-
tise Mr. Bennett in public. 1t is said by one
who should know that one of Mr.. Benefits
offensive remarks in public place was that
he did not wish to marry Miss May, and
that he was tired Of her society. s He sup
posed he must marry her, but would give
any man q hundred thousand dollars to
take her oil his hands. Benefits friends
say that he would scorn to touch May in re-
taliation, unless in a duel They say it is
idle to represent him as coward, and pre-
dict that he will insist upon a meeting.
AS to the affray itself, the weight OF testl-
mony seems to be that HAY, with his little
rawhide whip, cut Bennett four times
across the face, each blow bringing blood.
Bennett then rushed on May, and, making
a motion toward his hip-pocket, gave May
the impression that Bennett was about to