New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-13
f. Y. BENNETT SUICIDE
Suffer from Mental Depression
Cigarettes, Says Coroner.

combination of Illness. mental depression. the
effects of excessive cigarette smoking and possibly
financial reverses caused Frank V. Bennett one Of
the best known hotel managers IN the country. to
commit suicide by shooting in his room the
Hotel Gotham Fifth avenue and 55th street, yes
terdey afternoon. At the Hotel Gotham, of which
he was manager until shortly year ago. all
the employees were instructed not to talk to re-
porters, and the friends of the dead were very
reticent.
Mrs Bennett has been in the country all summer
She has apartment No. 2131 Broadway
There are three surviving-Walter V. Bennett
manager of the branch of the brokerage firm of
Van schaick Co., at the Gotham Frank Bennett,
clerk at the Hotel Imperial and John Bennett,
who Is with his mother.
Mr. Bennett a friend of the late Mark Hanna,
who with several other well known men, financed
the Hotel Gotham which opened in 1903. with
ME- Bennett as manager, after he had been for
twenty years connected with the Hotel Arlington.
IN washington The last thing that Mr.. Bennett
was seen to do yesterday before he took his life
was to go to the Hotel st. Regis directly across
Fifth avenue from the Gotham, and inquire for
Dan X. Hanna, the of Senator Hanna. On
being told that Mr.. Hanna was out Mr.. Bennett
LEFT note for him. Mr.. Bennett then went back
TO his rooms at the Gotham end within nalf an
hour was found dying
The discovery of the suicide came about by the
double ring meaning ice water" on the indicator
OF the Gotham. Frank Rooney, belIboy, took
q pitcher up to the room the eighteenth floor,
1t opened and he found Mr.. Bennett crurnped up in
chair close by the bell button. There was bull
let wound in his right temple and a. revolver lay
on the floor beside him. He breathing ftfully
ana the boy ran back to the elevator for help. BY
the time DR.. j. Bentley Squer, of No. 20 East
18th street, arrived Mr. Bennett was beyond help
ana died five minutes later. Mr.. Benefits son
waiter who was in his brokerage office the
ground floor of the hotel, informed of his
fathers death.
II was learned Inc, ,t,b. +h,+ ,r-z II = po++a-
VINO lives at the Glenrnore apartments No s65
seventh avenue was overcome at the news of the
suicide Two men, who said they were physicians,
declared she could see nobody, but she managed TO
say that Mr.. Bennett had called on her yesterday
morning and left her at about Il o'clock She said
he did not appear be depressed and that his act
came as g great shock to her. Down at the Moul-
ton Livery Stables. No. 827 Seventh avenue, the
manager said that Mr.. Bennett had been paying
Mrs. Potters bits for carriage hire, and the ae-
count still unpaid about s225. Friends of Mr.
Bennett said it his friendship for Mrs. Potter
that had caused trouble between him and Mrs.
Bennett.
Coroner Hamburger pronounced the simply
suicide, and ventured the opinion that excessive
cigarette smoking presumable cause. He
found among the dead mans effects bills for cigar
cites aggregating close to $3.50 Friends Of Mr.
Bennett said that three months ago he had suf-
fered slight stroke of paralysis, and that he had
been worrying about his business affairs since he
who is assistant manager OF q large hotel uptown,
said: ct tried to cheer him up several times lately,
but he always denied he gloomy, although
knew that he worrying.
Mr.. Bennett probably of the most popu-
lar hotel men IN Washington during his years there.
For many years he caterer to the Gridiron
Clubs entertainments. and during the latter ten
years of his twenty years stay at the Arlington,
in Washington, he manager of that Motel
Thus it came about that when his wealthy friends
backed him in orening the Gotham he numbered
among his regular guests Senator Plat and Sen
ator Hanna besides many members Of the diplo-
matte corps. The Gotham, however, did not pay
as we'll expected, and this was due IN part
to the fact that it could have bar, because 1t
was within two hundred feet Of church. About
a year ago the stockholders brought about a
change, and Carl Berger, the Newport and Lake
wood caterer. made manager After snort
trial he was succeeded By Mr.. Wishart, the pres
ent manag ger.
Friends of Mr.. Bennett said he might have been
in debt 70 the Hanna estate, but when Da1lel H.
Hanna was asked of this last night he said ADJ
surd, absurd! don't want to discuss II al all