The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-19
MAN WHO KILLED
WIFE ARRESTED
FOR VIOLATING PAROLE
BY ENTERING SOUTH CAROLINA
AFTER BEING PARDONED.

BrunsOn, $. C., Arrested Here.
CorOner's Jury Has Declared Kill
ing Was Accidental, and There is
No Charge Against Bennett in
That COnnectiOn-FOr First Time
He Tells of killing His Wife.
J. Ben Bennett, who killed his wife
at Brunson. S. c.. several weeks ago,
was arrested in Savannah yesterday
and is being held at the police station
pending an effort to get a requisition
for his return to South Carolina.
Bennett is wanted by the Carolina
authorities to finish serving out a life
sentence, it being charged that he for
feited his pardon by returning to the
state at the time Mrs. Bennett was
killed. A coroner's jury which inves-
tigated the killing declared that it was
accidental and Bennett was released
after having given himself up to the
authorities.
He has employed Col. Robert L.
Colding as an attorney and will fight
being carried back. He would have
been taken back before this had he
agreed to return without requisition
papers. Col. Colding will urge Gov.
Terrell to refuse to grant the requisi-
ton.
An Extraordinary Case.
The case is one of the most unusual
with which the authorities here have
ever had to deal. Bennett was sent
to the penitentiary for life for being
an accessory to a murder After serv-
ing six years he was pardoned by the
Governor of South Carolina on condi-
ton that he leave the state and not
return. Bennett came to Savannah
after being pardoned and secured a
position with the street railway COM
pany. From here he wrote to Gov.
Hayward begging permission to be al
lowed to return to his home in Brun-
SON.
Permission was not given, but Ben
nett went anyway. While there Ben
nett shot and killed his wife, thinking
some one was attempting to enter the
house. After being released by the
coroner, he went to see his mother at
to Charleston, and thence to Fair
Bluff, N. c., where he remained until
he came to Savannah. He came here
Friday morning and enlisted in the
regular army for three years. He was
to have been sent to Fort Cassell, N
c., last night had he not been arrest
ed.
story of killing.
For the first time since he killed his
wife, Bennett talked for publication
yesterday. He is a man only q years
of age, though he was married ten
years ago and has a daughter years
old. The thought of again going to the
penitentiary, and for life, has so af-
fected him that he was almost crazed.
Il was working here in Savannah on
the street cars. he said, "and it SEEM
ed that l simply couldn't stay away
from my wife. ! went to Brunson on
Sunday and was to have come back
Monday or Tuesday, but when l got
there l found her sick and / STAYED
two or three weeks. l heard threats
as to what people said they were going
to do to me for being back there and
l decided TO leave.
MY wife begged me not to go. She
said wait until she got better and we
could leave together. | had gone there
to dispose of her property which had
made over to her, so that she could
move here with me. She said wait
and sell out so that both of US could
leave. l was fixing to go Sunday, but
decided to stay over Sunday night to
see If she did not get better.
Shot Through the Heart.
I'VE went to bed that night and Just
before we went to sleep. she asked me
If l had said my prayers. / told her
yes and then she told me to kiss her
/ kissed her and went to
sleep. She must have heard some
thing during the night and gotten up
without my knowing it, 1 was awak-
ened by noise and it looked like some
one was coming in through the Win
dow over the machine.
Il jerked my pistol out quick from
under the pillow and shot. oh. papa,
you have shot your darling she cried.
She used to call be papa. l jumped
up and she fell into my arms. l got
her on the bed and struck a light.
She was bleeding from the mouth, and
my little girl, who had been aroused.
was screaming. l called to my daugh-
ter to bring me some water, and /
was wiping the blood from her, when
she gasped her last breath. The doc
tor told me she was shot through the
heart.
II ran to the door then and called
Clelland. who lives about 100 yards
from the house. 1 told him to run
quick, that / had shot my wife through
excitement. l told him to let the COM
munity know and TO tell the sheriff.
The sheriff didn't come but a dep
uty came. l told him / had shot her
and asked what 1 must do. He said he
would stay with me a while. The cor
oner came and a big crowd gathered.
After the inquest they let me 60"
About the First killing.
Bennett was in the penitentiary as
an accessory to the murder of John
Lightsey. A man by the name of
Thomas did the killing, Bennett says.
and he was given a life sentence also
He says there were five in the crowd
and that three OF them turned against
him and Thomas. Thomas killed him
and he had nothing TO do with it, he
He states that Thomas ad-
mitted the crime and exonerated him.
After being in the penitentiary for
six years, he was asked If he would
agree to leave the state If pardoned.
He said he promised and signed a pa
per stating that he would move to
Georgia TO live. He says the paper
did not state that he could not return
to South Carolina. but that he must
move away to live. II is contended
that as Bennett did not escape. he has
violated no law and can not be carried
back. A hard fight will be made to
get Gov. Terrell TO refuse a requisi-
ton,
A Reward Was Oncred.
Sheriff J. II. Lghtsey who came to
savannah Tor Bennett says Gov. Hey
4.