The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-04
BENNETT TURNED LOOSE.
Case Against Him for Cheating and
SwindIing Dismissed.


The hearing on criminal prosecution
of James T. Bennett, proprietor of the
Royal Music Hall and saloon, who was
arrested upon a warrant sworn out by
A. S. Guckenheimer, of Guckenheimer's
Son, attracted considerable attention
in Justice Naughtin's court yesterday
afternoon, and ended in the dismissal
of the charges against Bennett.
The warrant alleged that Bennett had
swind1ed Guckenheimer's Son out
of Sl,G0O.5S worth OF groceries. r. L..
Colding and D. c. Barrow represented
| Bennett and Col William Garrard, the
plaintiff.
Mr.. Guckenheimer, in his testimony
! SAID that Bennett went to his store with
friend for the purpose of purchasing
| goods. stating that he wanted to buy
! from $500 to $500 worth His friend
was asked if he was willing to stand
! good for the account, and replied that
/ he was not but that he knew Bennett
| to be an honorable man, and believed
he would pay for anything that he
might buy.
Upon this assurance Mr.. Quicken
! heimer said that he was willing to let
| Bennett have what he wanted and
went over the list of goods after which
| he turned it over to Mr. Alexander in
charge of one of his departments, to
be filled, and the same day Ben
nett was sold $500 worth of groceries
and in all, upon later dates, he was
credited with $1,176 of purchases. OF
| this amount Bennett had returned him
S26 worth and had paid $3.50 on ac-
count
Mr. Cuckapbai,,ar so;5 +b,t d.
nett told him he was short of money
for the reason that in the purchase
OF his place he had spent all his
money amounting to $500. About three
weeks ago he called on Bennett for
money and was told that he was short
OF funds at that time. but would pay
MIN later. In the conversation, Mr.
Guckenheimer stated that Bennett ad-
mitted he had borrowed $500 with
which the place was purchased. Mr.
Cfuckenheimer said he told Bennett he
understood he had bought the place
with his own money and that was the
only fraudulent statement he had made
so far as he knew.
Three of Mr.. Guckenheimer's clerks
also testified, and all of them stated
they had heard the conversation be-
tween their employer and Bennett,
wherein Bennett said he had borrow
MUSIC
HAL was purchased. They also testi-
fed that Mr.. Guckenheimer told Ben
nett if he was not paid he would close
MN up, and when he was told that he
could not do that, that the only thing
ne could do was to put him in invol-
untary bankruptcy. he said: II have
better way than that, and can prose-
cute Mr.. Bennett for obtaining goods
from me under false pretenses."
Mr.. Guckenheimer. in additional tes-
timony, admitted that Bennett, besides
paying him $3.50 on account told him
if he distrusted him he would return
all of the goods then on hand.
After hearing the evidence counsel
for Bennett moved to dismiss the war
rant upon the ground that the state
had failed to make out a case. and
after argument, the court sustained the
motion.
Bennett is sore over the proceedings
against him and said that it was the
first time in his life he had ever been
arrested. 1T had always been my in
tention to pay Mr., Guckenheimer," he
said, and is yet, but his action will
certainly cause him serious delay in
receiving his money, as he has about
ruined my business
Bennett further said that after the
serving of the warrant upon him the
insurance companies cancelled all of
his insurance, and, being pressed for
money,he had borrowed from one of the
banks, but that he is unable now to
make a loan or get his paper carried
longer. His business, he said, has fall
en- or, and the story of his arrest and
Incarceration, having spread over the
country makes it difficult for him to
secure performers.