The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-20
BENNETT HELD
FOR ARMY OFFICER
UNCLE SAM INTERPRETERS
IN AN ALREADY COMPLICATED
CASE INVOLVING TWO STATES.

South NhTOl1nn Had joined Nhe
Army, Lieut.. Moore Ordered Him
Held Subject to His Orders-He
VIII Later he Dismissed From the
Army-WouId Rather Die Than
Return to Penitentiary.
Uncle Sam has asserted his
authority in the case of Ben Bennett,
the man whom the South Carolina
authorities want to take back to the
Palmetto state to finish serving a life
sentence in the penitentiary, because he
returned to that state after having
| been given a conditional pardon.
Lieutenant Moore in charge of the
United States army recruiting officer
here, called at Police Headquarters
yesterday and notified the officers that
! Bennett, as a United States soldier,
| was subject to his orders and must not
! be turned over to Sheriff Lightsey, of
! Hampton county, S. c., or to any one
else, except upon his order Opposite
Benefits name on the superintendent
sheet had been inscribed Held subject
to the order of Sheriff Lightsey." This
! has now been changed to read, Held
subject to the order of Lieut. Moore"
Later in the day telegram was re-
| ceiVed from Gov. Terrell ordering Ben
| nett held until requisitiOn papers ar
| rived from South Carolina. This fur
| Their complicated the case as the SUI
| perintendent of police is in doubt as to
whose authority is supreme in such
| case. AS both request that the man
be held, however, there is no conflict
for the present.
Will Dismiss From Army.
Lieut. Moore, when asked about
! Benefits case, would not discuss the
matter. He stated that it would be set
tied in a few days and then the mat
| ter would be made public. Lieut..
nett however that he would be
dismissed from the army for
| making false statements at the time
| of his enlistment. Bennett stated when
| examined for admission to the army,
! that he had never been in the peniten-
| tiary. 1t is not the intention of Lieut.
| Moore, it was learned from police Off
GERS with whom he talked to try to
have Bennett punished for enlisting
under false representations, except by
| dismissal from the service.
The army will not harbor criminals
yet the officials do not propose to have
one of the enlisted men arrested and
| held without due process of law, as
| was done in Benefits case. SO far as
| is known no warrant of any kind has
been issued for Bennett. Certainly none
has been produced here.
Very Complicated Now.
The case is even more complicated
now than before. The interference by
Lieut.. Moore plays directly in favor
of Col r. L. Colding who represents
Bennett For the time being Bennett
is immune from molestations by the
South Carolina authorities. but as soon
as he is dismissed from the army the
South Carolina sheriff can again take
him in charge.
Col. Colding was preparing to take
out habeas corpus for Bennett, when
he learned of the action of Lieut.
Moore. There was then no necessity
for the habeas corpus, as the police
authorities had agreed not to turn the
man over to anyone except on an order
from Lieut. Moore Bennett is now
much more hopeful than he was when
first taken in charge. The man was
so worried at first that he had practi-
cally given up hope.
Rather Die Than Return.
4 had rather die than have to go
back to the penitentiary." he said. Il
spent six years, nine months and ten
days there and 1 had honestly rather
be killed right here than to be carried
back there for life. l don't see why
they want to take me back, anyway.
Il did not commit the crime for
which l was sent there. The man who
| did kill Lightsey said 1 had nothing to
do with it. The jury that convicted
me, every man of them, signed a petit
ton for my pardon. And l didn't sign
any paper to stay away from the state
/ simply agreed to move away.
'As to my killing my wife, if I had
done that purposely, penitentiary for
life would be two good for me- l
wouldn't have killed her for the whole
world. If I hadn't loved her, I never
would have gone back to her after all
! those years in the penitentiary. And
l found her the same true and loving
| wife that l had left"