The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-14
JUMPED INTO The SEA.
Too Much Liquor Drives Benjamin Ben
ham to Suicide.

The Jump Made From the Hurricane
Deck of the Tallahassee-one and a
Half Hours Searching Failed to Re-
veal Any Signs Of Him-Was on His
Way to Florida, Where He Had Work
for the season-The Plant System
Loses a Passenger.
The Tallahassee arrived from New York
yesterday morning with one passenger
less than she had aboard when she sailed.
The missing passenger was Benjamin
Benham, a mechanic and carpenter of
Bridgeport, Conn, who was on his way
to Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla, in COM
pany with two friends of the same trade,
Capt William Ferritt and David Nc
CURE.
Benham, It seems, had been on a spree,
and while not a heavy drinker, ordinarily,
would occasionally indulge too heavily for
his own good. As the result of a delirium
into which too much liquor had thrown
him, he jumped from the hurricane deck
of the steamer into the sea, about four
miles to the north of Martins Industry
lightship shortly after 10 o'clock night be-
fore last.
The three mechanics left Bridgeport to-
gether for Florida, where they were en-
gagged for work this winter and they
were in the intermediate cabin. Benham
had been TO Florida at work before, and
Capt. Ferritt, who is in charge of some
such work in that state, had engaged him
for this winter. He was considered a
first-class workman, and for this reason
his services were in demand.
Benham had been drinking before he
went aboard the ship. Capt. Ferritt stated
in talk with Purser Faver that the man
was not a habitual drinker, but went on
occasional sprees, which were sometimes
bad ones. and this seemed one of the
worst He continued drinking after the
ship left New York, and though perfectly
rational during the greater part of the
voyage, he occasionally labored under the
| hallucination that some one on the ship
was after him, and he appeared to be
trying to avoid this imaginary person.
Night before last his friends were in the
smoking room and he strolled out on the
deck. They had kept close watch on him
for the greater part of the trip and were
not expecting any sudden action on his
part so little attention was paid to him.
About 1O15 o'clock one of them heard a
sort of dull thud, as of someone striking
against the canvass which covered the life
boat near the smoking room on the star
board side of the ship. Capt. Ferritt has
tened out to see what was the matter and
he was just in time to get his hand on the
bottom of Benham's pantaloons as the lat
ter went over into the sea.
The Tallahassee was stopped at once,
and for more than an hour and a half Can't
Askins cruised around where Benham had
gone over in the hope that ne might be
found. But there was no sign of him and
he then took up his course to Savannah.
! 1t is supposed that having fallen over near
the forward end of the ship, Benham either
struck his head and was stunned before he
went down into his watery grave, or was
drawn under and against the propeller by
! the strong suction.
Benham was considerd a fine workman,
and seemed a splendid specimen of physi-
cal manhood his weight being about 225
pounds. He was about 40 years old and
leaves a wife, mother and brother in
! Bridgeport Conn, which is his home.