Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-18
HE EMPTIES HIS REVOLVER
And Walks Several Feet Before He Sank to the
 Ground Corpse.
THE CAUSE OF THE DEPLoRABLE AFFAIR
And the Circumstances of the Shooting Fully Detailed-A Young Wiie's Piteous Vail Brings Tears
 to Many an Eye.

The deadly pistol got in its work this afternoon at Bessemer and the result is that Burt Rocket, a young white man. is dead, and Al Bensen is languishing behind the jail bars in Birmingham, where he was taken by Deputy Joe Der gin shortly after the fatal affair.
 The duel. which it really was, was caused, it is said, by the refusal of Al Bensen to pay to Rockett a sum of money said to be due Rockett by Ben sen for work performed by him for the latter some months ago, and in conse- duence of this refusal there has been considerable bad blood between the two men. Both men were known to be fear less and the result proved that surmise to be correct.
 The details of the shooting and the cause which led up to it are involved in a multitude of contradictory testimony the friends of each claiming Justification for their principal and condemnation for the other. The facts, as far as can De ascertained, are as follows:
 This morning Rocket met Bensen and asked him for the money due him, stat ing that he needed it to close purchase which he contemplated. Bensen replied that he did not have it, but would try to get if for him. Rockett retorted that he had been making similar promises since last July and he would walt no longer, but intended to have his money or cut 1t out of him (Bensen), pulling his knlfe as he spoke. Benson told him that he did not wish to have any trouble with nm and left the room.
 This afternoon the men met again on the main street of the city, in front or MT Barker's store, when Rockett agalh asked Benson for the money.
 Benson told him that he did not want to be troubled with him and did not wish to have any trouble with him; that ne had heard of the threats made against him, and to go on and not bother nm. No one seems to know exactly what Rocket said, as he stuttered In his speech especially when excited. But 1t seems that Benson turned away to talk to young Henry DeBardeleben while Rockett, who was in ,,,.,aed the street Rest son got through with MT. DeBardeleben and started off Rockett called him, and as he did so made feint as II to get his pistol. Some say he had 1t In his hand. However, Benson turned and said: "If you want to shoot, shoot you - --r' and drawing his pistol he stepped between two iron awning posts standing on the curb and fired at Rock cit, the ball taking effect in the heart about 2 inches to the right of the left nipple Who fired the second shot is not
  shooters at each other, Rocket standing like statue, though to all intents he was a dead man. His shots which he sent in quick succession, sounding like the firing of a bunch of fire crackers, went wild, as Benson was protected by the iron posts and was on the sidewalk above Rockett. Ten shots were fired in all, but the first shot was the fatal one. A stray bullet hit a negro woman in the neck making a serious wound. Another ..A1rA Tho 1or 1o fa fr1n nf baum Bros. show window.
 After the men had emptied their pistols they started toward each other. Benson, not knowing that he had hit Rockett said: Now we are equal. You have no pistol, neither have l. We'll fight this thing out!'
 Rockett started to the sidewalk, where some goods were being unpacked, and stopped down as if to get board and fell half way into the box dead.
 An immense crowd immediately gath cred and took the pistols from each of the shooters. The pistols were 3S Smith & Wessons MT. Benson was placed under arrest while Dr. Chapman knelt beside the dead man and examined his wound.
 In the mean time the wife of MT. Rock ett was notified of the untimely death of her husband, and came to the scene just as he had been laid on cot Seeing the dead body of her husband, to whom
 
 months, she broke out in passionate wailing, and taking his head to her breast she began to kiss and hug the dead body in a manner that brought tears to the eyes of the bystanders. She was finally prevailed upon to go home and was taken fainting from the scene.
 Mir Benson in the meantime was taken in charge by the constable, who accom- panied him to his home to make arrange ments for his trip to the jail. He was taIxen there, as already stated, by Deputy Joe Bergin.
 MT Benson stated that he thought he was perfectly justifiable, as Rocket had followed him about all day and made threats that he would kill him before night and that Rockett fired the first shot
 Coroner Dusenberry will hold an in- quest to morrow.
 Mr Rockett was well-known young man, comes from an excellent family and was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him. He was a switch man on the Louisville and Nashville
 MT Benson has been a resident of Bessemer for some years, and Is engaged in the saloon business.
 The Rockett family have been unfor- tunate in the loss of their members. One of the boys died about eighteen months ago, another was crushed by a train about a year ago and Burt was killed in @ street duel today.
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