Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-02-12
Man Said To Be From Bennington
Died Leaving Property.
WAS STEAMSHIP OFFICER
Gsvs His Name As r J. Bennington and Said
He Was Born Here May Have
Assumed The Name

The editor has received the IolloW-
4ag letter from a lady in Malone, N
Y, and prints it as matter of inter
est and in the hope Of throwing some
light on the case. If any of the read
ers of this paper know anything OF the
man or his family and will communi-
cate the same to the Banner and Re-
former, it will be duly forwarded
My dear Sir:-I wish if possible to
find the relatives or friends of a man
named Bennington, who has recently
died In Yokohama, Japan.
About year and half ago, l met
this Mr. Bennington on the Pacific
where he was chief officer on one OF
the trans Pacific steamers. BE told
me that his parents were from Ben
nington, VT, that he was born in Lon
don, England, Il think where his
father had an appointment under the
government; that at the breaking out
of the Rebellion, they returned to Yer
mont (?) where his father enlisted. The
father died or was killed the first year,
the mother did not live long after and
he had no brothers or sisters.
If he told me anything more OF his
life till he went to sea, fail to recall
it. He told me he had been at sea so
long that he felt at home only when
out of sight of land.
After this voyage of which have
written, ending September, 1901, he
was i'll for time and was put upon
the reserve list by his company.
During this time l wrote advising
that he try his native air for his health
and wrote to friend had in Ben
nington to meet him If he should de-
eide to do so.
BY my friends answer, I was sur
prised to learn that there had never
been any Benningtons in Bennington,
etc.
Mr. Bennington tried the Japanese
Springs and was greatly helped and
October 8, last, he left Yokohama for
a voyage to San Francisco as chief
officer again but on a different boat of
the line from the one on which | had
known him. The second day out they
we're struck by a terrible typhoon.
Many we're injured, some killed Mr.
Bennington exposed himself far too
much, not only ia the discharge of
duty, but in errands of mercy, and
was again i'll, but made the return
voyage with his boat. lie grew worse
on the way and on reaching Yokoha-
ma was taken to the hospital where he
died i've days later, about the last OF
November, 1902.
He left property there but no will,
and nothing in all his effects gives
any information where in all the world
anyone belonging to him could be
found.
He was about 45 to AS years old,
should Judge; educated, of good ad-
dress, below medium height, with dark
hair and merry dark eyes. A man Of
whom no family need be anything but
proud.
1t is possible that for some reason
he may have dropped his own name
and taken the name of his native town
but his friends at sea knew no Other
name than r. J. Bennington.
My interest in the matter? Well, he
was the friend and chum of my stepsor
who was chief engineer on the boa
with him for long time and was very
fond of him, my own acquaintance
with and liking for him, and my sons
wish to try through me to find his rel
atives.
A letter from my son on Januar!
31st decided me to make trial. l
was only natural that l should turn tC
an editor-now, wasn't it?-for infor
nation. know of no one who hai
greater facilities for finding out all h
does not already know.
Kindly let me know if you find any
thing throwing any light on the matte
and pardon me for the long letter.
did not seem able to make it brief
Any other information that might hell
you could get after time from tn
Orient.
hope that something may come o
this, but am rather doubtful.
Malone, N. Y, Feb. 3, 1903.