The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-07

mcny, impersonating a clergyman, in the
private room of q hotel. producing forged
bishops license as his authority. She left
that place feeling confident that she WAS
legally married.
"From the first he treated her brutality
and when he finally became tired of her,
after her baby was born, he informed her
IN colo blood that the marriage was not
lawful and she was not his wife Then he
left her. The shock almost broke her heart.
With no money and no place 10 60 she
sought refuge in the kitchen Of a
hotel, where she eked out a mis-
cradle existence. Then she saw in
one OF the papers the account of my return
and subsequent appointment to the new
vessel. That is how we met The poor
woman only lived two days, but had moth
ing 70 forgive her, and like at our last sepa-
ration, we parted with a kiss. The uufor-
tunate fruit Of her union with Bennett died
with her and was buried in the same grave.
When the last elod had been thrown upon
the coffin l registered a solemn vow that IL
ever met Bennett ! would kill him.
"One day two years afterward was
standing on the bridge of my steamer
watching the passengers come aboard at
London, when | saw the wretch step lightly
up the gapg-plank, followed by his valet.
his appearance was the same as when he
was my passenger on the Madrid, except
that he had grown slightly older. He went
to his stateroom and for few DAYS I saw
nothing Of him. When he came on deck
saw that he did not recognize me, because
Of the beard which mad grown since we
last sailed together. One week after Ben
nett came on board / shaved off my beard
in order that I might better play the part /
had mapped out.
1.-THE door of his stateroom was open and
he was looking out of the port hole when /
called his name. Never shall forget the
look on his cowardly face when he saw me.
He really thought had risen from the dead.
Sitting his shrek with my hand | asked
him ii he recognized me. He did, and the
knowledge took away his power of speech
for awhile. won't tell you all that passed
between us, but knew his craven DISPOSE
tion and told him that just as sure as there
was a God above us / would kill him before
we reached Calcutta. Then left him. NV
plan succeeded well. From that time he
followed me around continually in constant
fear of his life. The passengers began TO
remark his strange conduct, and several of
them warned me TO be on the lookout On
these occasions I simply tapped my fore
head aud said: He is a little gone in the
head, but will see that he does not harm
me-
1.-THE day before we were due at Calcutta
l went to Benefits state room to carry out
the remainder of my plan, which was ripe.
had made up my mind that he should die
and nothing could shake my determination.
Coolly and calmly l told him that we must
fight to the death that night. Pistols were
to be the weapons and that part of the star
board side of the deck where the bridge
threw a shadow was to be the place. II he
refused would kill him where he stood. A
look of hope flashed into his eyes as he
asked: VIII you promise to fire only one
shot eachp replied that l would. 'Thel,
said he. Il agree. but I warn You am a
dead shot with the pistol / turned on my
heel and left him, after fixing o'clock as
the hour and repeating my threat TO kill
him on sight If he failed to put in an ap-
pearance.
Just as the bell on the forecastle struck
two notes. o'clock-I saw Bennett hasten
ing toward me. The first lighthouse had
been so well timed by me that within a few
moments after he arrived it was in sight
1t was revolving light of the flash order.
told him that we were TO wait for the third
flash, then turn, facing each other, and fire.
had arranged 1t so that he would be COM
PEELED to turn his back to me In order to
watch the flashes. was convinced, coward
that he was, that he would not wait for the
third flash, but would fire before. While his
back was turned toward me l hurriedly
! slipped off my overcoat and hung it to the
DrldRe guard, so that IL hung where L was
standing. Then 1 noiselessly stepped to one
side few feet, with my pistol ready. How
we'll | knew him. The second fash had
i hardly shone when he turned with lightning
| like rapidity and fred point blank at my
overcoat, which in the hurry and excite
ment of the moment, he thought was me.
He saw my trick as soon as he fired and inn
mediately dropped upon his knees, with
both hands clasped. pleading for mercy.
With curse fred my pistol within a few
feet of that white, drawn face, and he fell
dead at my feet
1.-THE sound of the shots brought some of
the crew to where / was standing and ex~
planned that the crazy man had tried to
shoot me and l had fred in self-defense
The rest is soon told. When we arrived at
Calcutta was tried, but the dispositions of
the passengers who had seen Benefits
strange conduct in following me around
the ship, together with the evidence of the
crew, was more than sufficient to clear me-
Until heard your discussion tonight l
never believed myself guilty of murder,
and / ask you whether the expressions made
before told my story apply to my case"