The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-01-12
BADGER GAME CHARGED.
South Carolina Man and His Wife
are Implicated.

days have been full of the alleged
badger game" worked on Harry
z osenthal, Il merchant of that city,
by James Knott, formerly of North,
S. c., and his wife of three weeks.
Hcnjamin Knott, u brother. is also
held as a witness, as man by the
lame of Alton Armstrong. The
Knott family is well known in South
Carolina and well connected.
The badger game is as old as the
hills-the Marquis of Steyne
thought he was a victim of it when
R'.wdon Crawley unexpectedly walk
ed in on his lordship and Becky
Sharp in the third act OF the play
but the Knots seemed TO have
Introduced new features. Accord
ing to the story as published in the
Washington papers, the room to
which the Washington merchant was
invited by the pretty wife of James
Knott was fitted up with brilliant
ceiling lights. and when the mer-
cnant suggested that the lights
should be turned down the charm
ing Mrs. Knott explained that she
was very much afraid of the dark,
ana the explanation sufficed. Later,
when the outraged husband made
demand for 5000, the visitor dis
covered that the lights were the
Kind used by photographers to
make photographs ut night and that
ne and the pretty woman had been
CuIght by the camera. as well as by
III, husband.
Charge of Blacknail.
The Washington Herald of Friday
gives the following account of de-
vclopments in the case:
A charge of biackmail was last
Light lodged against Benjamin
Knott. of South Carolina. who was
arrested AS United States witness
when his brother, James Knott, Al.
ton Armstrong, and Mrs. James
( NGott were taken in custody for at
tcIlpting to extract s5,00a from
; larry Rosenthal, Of the firm of Ros
cnthal & Levy, after photographs Of
the merchant and Mrs. Knott alon'
in an apartment in the Cairo had
been made. The quartette will be
arraigned in the police court this
morning.
Ben jamin Knott had declared he
knew nothing of the alleged black
. r,1 n. Il D.; &c
were corroborated by his brother,
sister-in-law, and friend, but the
witness unwittingly disclosed tho
hiding place of a letter 10 detec-
tives yesterday afternoon. with the
result that he is now accused of
, implication in the plot
! What was found in the letter the
police will not say, but officials de-
tclere that new information shows
Benjamin Knott was a member of
what has been termed most dar-
, ins band of blackmailers who cveI
operated in the national capital.
Ecnjamin Knott appeared dunn
founded when informed that he was
no longer witness. and that the
same charge against him was the
same charge on which James Knott
-Niton Armstrong and Mrs. Knott
iaro being held.
Loves Her Husband.
Yes. ! love my husband, and |
think proved | loved James Knott
wren ! did what | did for him. said
TIE woman in the case al the First
precinct station last night
Behind the cell bars at the First
precinct station the four prisoners
talked with reporters. telling their
Version OF the crime of which they
are accused with as little concern as
though discussing "A topic of no in
Lerest. Mrs. James Knott, former
~ Florence Bennett, the bride of
tsree weeks, who was used as in
sirument by the alleged bIackmail-
ers. is the most interesting mem
her Of the quartctte.
Leaning back in Il chair with
hands folded in her lap, the girl
gave fragments 0f her past life and
admitted that she is half indian. L
am proud of the Indian blood which
flows through my veins, she said
NV father was Crow Indian and
bly mother was a white woman
Some doubt my Indian blood be-
cause | don't look like an Indian.
Any one who has seen me angry
does not doubt it,
Mrs. Knott has facial character
i3tics which, to Il student OF physl-
ogDomy, would denote Indian ances-
try, but to the laymen the girl ap-
pears to be of Englishh ancestry.
Although she has been described as