The sun., 1902-03-12
PLOT TOKILL, M'CULLAGH SAYS
BENNETT, SHOT ny DIVEKEEPER
KUTNER, EXPECTED VIOLENCE.
lie Was One OF the Most Dangerous OF
Election Agents to the Repeating
Gang. and the Cans Had Set Out TO
DO" Him New story OF the Crime.

Abe Kutner, the Bleecker street saloon
keeper who shot Lester Bennett, McCullagh
agent, on Monday night, was arraigned
before Magistrate Olmsted in the Jefferson
Market police court yesterday and held
for examination tomorrow. Bennett. dam
gerouSly wounded in the abdomen, is in
ST. Nincent's Hospital Unless compli-
cations should set in. however, he will
recover.
More Of the circumstances which led
TO the shooting Of Bennett came out yes
terday, and these tended to put new com
pleHion upon it. Bennett. according to
Supt McCullagh, has been one Of his most
active agents, and while not Deputy
Superintendent of Elections, has been
successful in getting evidence which broke
up the Max Hochstim. or Hoop gang
followers Of Senator Big Tim Sullivan,
and prevented extensive election frauds
in the Second, Sixth. Eighth and Thirty
second Assembly districts and in the Bel
mont-O' Grady fight at the special election
in the Seventh Congress district
Bennett, Supt. McCulagh saws comes
Of a good family, but for years has been
estranged from them and has made his
home on the Bowery. Supt McCullagh
met him two years ago, after Bennett had
been arrested for some illegal voting
Iennett went to Jail for that, the men for
whom he had worked leaving him in the
lurcl. He didn't "squeal' while in Jail,
but when he got back TO his old haunts
talked freely Of what ought TO happen to
the men who had deserted him. Then
according TO Supt McCullagh. a Job was
a -, l.. \
Street dl. While there some Of his friends
subscribed sS5 for him, but while com
m'ttee' was carrying the money from
across the street to the Jail SIS Of it dis
appeared,
After that Bennett made open war on
MS enemies. he went to supt. McCullagh,
tolo What ne knew and became one Of
McIullagh's workers, obtaining evidence
which only man OF his character could
get. He knew how the gang operated
and he was instrumental in putting Max
Hochstim in Jail and in making trouble for
Charlie Kramer. Sonny" Smith, ex-Alder-
man yelling and others who have figured
prominently in registration and election
cases. In the Seventh Congress district
Bennett posed as a "hoater, and 10 make
his relations with the colonzers closer was
arrested himself As result ex-Alderman
yelling was charged with being one Of the
principals in band OF colonzers
Recently Bennett has been the manager
for Jack Hatch's saloon at 3li BoweTy
II was raided by the police about a week
ago and Bennett was arrested on a charge
Of running a dsorderly house and violating
the excise law. The disorderly house
charge was dropped and Bennett was fined
s25 on the excise complaint, Supt. McCul-
Iagh appearing as witness for him.
The saloon had been the headquarters
Of McC ulagh deputies and in il the plans
had bean made for breaking up bands of
colonizeu or trapping illegal voters. Ben
nett IN consequence had been warned that
the gang had announced that he was
marked o be @done"-which is Bowery
parlance for being assaulted or killed.
Then Bennett took 10 carrying a revolver
IN expectation OF an attack
! repea edly told him that he had better
leave the bowery, said Supt. McCullagh yes