The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-27
A BRILLIANT ROGUE.
Ending a Sensational Life in
Fitting Style.
BENSON ESCAPES AT. LAST

BENSON ESCAPES AT. LAST
How He WheedIed the Mexieans-
He Interviews Patti HIS
Awful Leap to Death.
Salt Lake in common with the rest Of
the country, stood amazed at the In
genious cleyerness of the rogue Benson
who some months ago personatet
PATHS advance agent in the city o
Mexico, and bsgged several thoasanc
dollars of the greasers money. Recently
interest in the celebrated manlpulatoI
has been revived by his Sensational
death, inflicted by himself to escapt
being sent back to Mexico. The follow
ing account of his suicide, and of his
sensational career, which reads like
chapter from a novel, is taken from
the New York Herald of the nth:
George, alias Harry Benson, ne Patti
ticket swindler, committed 81 eide at
6. 80 last evening, by jumping from the
second tier Of tie Ludlow Street Jail to
the floor below. He died at q quarter
past ten pm.
ALua!I-past six in the evening, Ben
son asked Jailkeeper John Powers to
escort him to a retiHing apartment
Powers complied with his request. As
they returned to Benson's cell Powers
walked close behind his prisoner. When
the stairway leading to the second tier
was reached Benson bolted his keeper
and rushs up the stairs.
PLUNGED TO HIS DEATH.
He was closely followed by Powers
who was gaining on him. When Ben
con reached the second tier he threw
himself to the ground floor. He fell on
his side and received internal injuries
Ur, NJ. Markiewicz, of No. 251 Broome
Street. DIR. Hogan and DR.. Crosby were
Immediately called. They did all in
their power to save the life OF the man.
but unsuccessfully.
1
Sheriff Grant and United States Mar.
shall Mcmahon were notified aud they
at once repaired to the jail. Coroner
| MESSENGER was notified and the body
will remain in the Jail until he arrives
Keeper MoCabe, to whom Benson
offered $4,000 to allow him to escape
was on duty at the door when the sui
eide occurred.
RATHER THAN BE SENT TO MEXICO.
Time and again during the proceed
ings in this city looking to his extradi
ton TO Mexico, Benson has declared
that TO return thiiher was equivalent tt
signing his death warrant. Since tn,
Supreme Court decided that he should
be sent thither his morbid fear becam
| intensifed, and he again declared witt
emphasis that he, knowing as he die
the vindictiveness of the Mexican
temperament, would rather die than g
there.
A PRINCE OF ROC $.
THE PECULIAR METHODS -1-EsCN EN-
PLoYED TO swINDLE Able
|
Hath cheated me of this island
Shakespeare,
That Benson was far above the ordin
ary run of scoundrels, both in education
and natural genius, is generally con
ceded. He was a man endowed witt
exceptional ability, OF pleasing addres
and conversed fuently i'll hall
dozeu different languages. Being thu
equipped, it was not difficult for him Il
ingratiate himself into the good grace
of the bon ton in whatever country hi
deviltry might take him, and whel
once he had accomplished this prellml
nary, it was not long before ne wa
heard of publicly in connection will
some sWiudling scheme that his fertil
brain led HIM to indulge in
WE'LL KNOWN TO THE CONTINENT.
In Paris and London, Benson's pedi
gree is q matter of history, and tn
clever manner i'll which he obtained
from the Marquise de Goncourt fahu.
lous sum OF money in connection will
the famous turf fraud" subsequent,
involving prominentLoad on detectives
earned for him the reputation of beinI
one of the sleekest criminals on record
His last exploit, so far as is known, wa
in cheating Manager Henry 3. Able,
and the gay inhabitants of the City o
Mexico out of cool $4,000 by mean!
of bogus tickets for PATHS concerts
and for which crime he is now a pris
oner awaiting the pleasure of the Sec
rotary of State, whom he has petltioneC
not to deliver him into The hands of hi:
enemies-the Mexicans-Who are i'm
patient for his possession. The appea
against his extradition was a creditabls
document, prepared by Benson himself
and was published exclusively in tht
Herald of the 18th inst.
The way in which Benson accom-.
plished this last act of roguery ha
already been told in part, but it was 81
we'll conceived and neatly executed al
to deserve telling in detail.
TIE TEATRo MACDONALD.
In November, 1886, under Mr.. Alb
bey's management, number OF operas
in which Patti, Nicolini and Scalchi ap-
peared. were produced in this city, and
tour was arranged for December ano
January which included among other
places the city of Mexico. In anticipa-
| ton OF his visit to Mexico. Mr.. Abbev