Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-10
LOOKS MUCH LIKE A
PLAY FOR SYMPATHY
Letters to T.-R. and Police Head
quarters Say John Benson
is Dying
WAS FORMER BARBER HERE
Letters Say He is at Charles City,
With Both Legs and Arm Broken
Seen at Fl. Dodge Saturday, and
Letters Are From There-No Ono BY
That Name Hurt at Charles City.

What appears very much like Q
play for the sympathy OF a divorced
wife in a supposed hour of affliction.
came to light Tuesday in the receipt
of letters from Fort Dodge by the
Times Republican and Chief OF Police
Nicholson. H. P. Black also received
communication in the shape OF a
postal, of the same trend set forth in
the letters.
The information in all the epistles
is in effect that John Benson, barber,
until recently of this city, (altho no
name is given because 1t is claimed
the man is trying to conceal his dden-
tity), is lying terribly hurt at Charles
City. While the letters do not so state,
the inference is given that he was a
victim of Sunday nights tornado. Both
of Benson's legs are said to be broken,
as we'll as one arm, and the letters
state that Benson says he is going to
die. The letters all claim that Benson
was recently divorced from his wife,
Lucy Benson, who lives at 203 South
Third avenue. In the letter to the
T.-R., the writer, who signs "A
Friend" appeals to the newspaper to
make public the mans sad plight. that
the information may reach his people.
In Chief Nicholson's letter, which is
in the same handwriting, and on the
,fot{
written under Fort Dodge date OF the
9Th, the name IS. Walton" Is signed.
Mr.. Blacks postal Is signed "Chief of
Police"
No John Benson Hurt.
Satisfied, after this investigation,
that the letters We're fakes, the T.-R.
made doubly sure by wiring Its Charles
City correspondent, resulting in reply
this morning to the effect that there
was one j. Benson living at Charles
City, but that he was not hurt.
Benson in Fort Dodge Saturday.
Councilman j. e. Mcdonald, OF the
First ward, who was in Fort Dodge
Saturday, saw John Benson, the bar
her, there, and happened to mention
the fact in the Pilgrim barber shop,
Mrs. Benson says that she has been
receiving letters from her former hus-
band from different places since she
secured her divorce on May Is last,
in which he kept Insisting that he
would be found dead either at Glidden
or Brooklyn. 0
Think Benson is Insane.
Mrs. Benson. as we'll as the police,
think that Benson is of unsound mind.
Mrs. Benson says that her husbands
16-year-old son is with him, and that
If anything had been wrong with the
father, the son would have been able
to give any information necessary as
to his fathers relatives. The fact that
the note sent to Mr.. Black, signed
chief of police, is significant. especially
when Chief Nicholson had to be In
formed from the same place by one
IS. Walton" rather than his brother
officer.
Benson is known here as hard
drinker, and was in Jail here a few
weeks ago following his wife's COM
plant. He was being held for a hear
ing on am inebriacy charge, but that
action was finally dropped upon his
consent to a divorce, which was
granted the wife by Judge Parker ON
May 10 on ground of cruel and In
human treatment and habttual drunk
enness.
Benson is At years old, and has an
aged mother, Mrs. Josie Benson. living
at Montezuna. A brother, William,
also lives at the same place.