The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-25
BENEFITS FLEE
FROM THAW TRIAL
Man and Wife Sat Next to Stan.
ford White and Saw the
Whole Affair.

q WILMINGTON. N. c.. February a.
In Wilmington to-day are two refugees
from the Thaw trial. They WOULD
fense. but the defense stands no chance
ofagetting them. However 1t is vcry|
likely that the defense doesn't know
about these two particular refugees. orl
rather what they could testify to. The
State knew about them, but 1t was
nesses, no doubt, that they Were al
lowed to escape from the sleuths of
the district attornss's office The re-
fngees arc Mr.. and Mrs. Harry n. Ben
nett Mr.. Bennett is the manager OIL
the marine department of the Bird
Archer Company Boiler. Compounds,
zoo Washington Street, New York City.
They We're eyc-Witnesses OF the trag-
cdy upon the roof Of Madison Square
Garden.
!, y In fact, save for the dead man and
his slayer, they were the nearest ones
TO the precise spot Of death Only u
few feet from the spot they sat, and so
close was ii that when Stanford Whites
lifeless body plunged forward, knocking
the table from It's path, the latter fell
across one of Mr.. Benefits feet. Ac-
cording to the Benefits Harry Thaw's
mind was dcranged when he shot Stan-
ford White. This would be good EVIL
dcnce for the defense, because while
the BENEFITS are not experts on In
sanity, yet their story shows that Thaw
was laboring under n great mental
strain. According TO Mr.. Bennett, the
district attorneys office, or one Of its
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. District At
torncy Garvan--heard Ills story, but he
was not detained at the time. Then,
before the officer with subpoena could
get active, he and his wife left Gotham,
not desiring to figure IN the trial which
now so firmly grips New York and
which = sending thrills, both Of eX-
element and disgust to thousands Of
people in this country and in Europe.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bennett arrived yester-
day morning from Norfolk, Va, and Mr.
Bennett is combining their convenient alb
sence from New York with business From
here they will go to Charleston. s. c., and
yesterday, while in the city, Mr.. Ben
nett called upon large concerns that come
under his department, but his visit to
Wilmington was mostly to see Atlantic
Coast Line officials. As souvenirs of the
tragic night, though not as reminders,
because the CHASTITY scene was sufficiently
impressed upon the mind never to be for
gotten the refugees have the coupons off
the tickets of the opening night Of the
roof performances at Madsoin Square Gar
don. These stubs bear the name Of the
place of amusement and the fateful date
June %. 1906. They also show that the
seats were at a table only a short way
from where Stanford White sat and was
so suddenly slain. Mr. Bennett tells the
following tale of the tragedy:
First-Nighters.
We'll, my wife and self generally
like to be first nighters; hence, upon
the opening night of the summer season
at the Roof Garden, June 18th last, we
We're on hand. To our right and nearby
sat Mr.. Stanford White at table, lie
& was alone. but our attention was only
attracted to him by seeing Mr.. Harry
d Stevens, caterer for the roof. go to the
table and engage him in conversation.
Z Mr.. Stevens spoke to us as he passed
going to where Mr.. White sat- The
Z performance was nonotonous and our
eyes We're on the people in the audience
more than upon the stage. We saw the
Thaw party arrive and take orchestra
chairs. Harry Thaw, whom we knew by
sight only, was exceedingly restless and
attracted our especial attention. as. re-
sardlcss Of the hot, close night, he kept
VII Iaio oSCiIotl uliL SLlaW lhit. LIZ Sdo
seldom seated and never still.
ns II don't suppose he sat down fifteen
minutes during an hours stay The
FIRST part of the show was over, and
many people, tired and disgusted with
- the poor performance. had gone. l
looked at my watch. and 1t was quar-
ter of eleven. Soon the second part
!. commenced, and in about five minutes
time thereafter, it seemed, the tragedy
y was enacted.
Thet Shooting.
''The Thaw party left their seats and
circled around to the side aisle pro-
sumably to leave the garden. We
naturally followed the party with our
eyes, on account OF Harry Thaw's
peculiar actions, and because 1t was
better pastilne than looking at very
wearisome scene then on the boards.
Upon getting on a line with White
who was alone at that time and seated
at the table. his face resting between
his hands and his eyes on the stage
Thaw quickly walked towards him.
then around in front Of him. jerkcd
his pistol from his pocket and tircd
Instantly. Two shots almost sounded
like one. and Stanford White fell over
the weight Of his body sending the
table over and onto one of my feet
"a third time Thaw fired, and ther
held the pistol aloft and broke 1t witt
both hands, the empty shells fallinl
out on the floor. He put the pistol II
his pocket and STROBE toward the ele
vator. where ] afterwards learned II
was arrested by a fireman. For
moment stampede seemed Imminent
but only for moment Thaw's face WA
8.1pshed at the time, but he appeare
to get calmer after the tragic mo
Inent IT was his peculiar actions, hi
restlessness and his appearance in gen
seral that lead me to believe that h
was under an intense mental strain a
the time
The Bennetts have been away frol
aEew York since the middle of Jan
y nary, and when asked about their re
turn home MIR, Bennett smiiingly re
piled: Not for us unt!l the Thaw tria
ends"