The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-15
Richmond Mar Declared
Sane Under Name He
Cast Aside.
GETS PROPERTY
WORTH S27, 900.
President Of Chemical Supply
Company Escaped From cana
torium in 1906, and Was
Later Regarded as Dead.
Friends Urged Him to
86 Ask Aid of Court.

.al AFTER lie nan llfe0 mere lc:f nNe yedA -
under AT assumed name. built UP for
himself profita bie bnsiness. b. X. Ben
ton. PRESIDENT II the Chemical supply
COMPANY II, Virginia street yester-
day admitted that his real name was
Ralph Clsrke and that h" rad esca ped
from a private sanatorium In New York
stare. ma king his way from city 10 city.
until he nnaily landed. penniless. in
Richmond. ldcntifcation came because
OF the fact that an estate OF $4,000,
~'hich Was placed In the charge OF
trust company q the time Of his com
nistrnent to an asylum. has been re
stored - him. en- proof Of his sanit*.
and ht expects to return TO Sew York
Within The nest few days 10 have his
legal ara property rights restored
M Married Mis. 'FRONT.'.
hfr Benton was married In Wash
:nlton on March 2. g, aiss Mamie
Promtt. daughter u Mrs. r. 81. Prof
MT. Of ai4 East Cary street, the cere
mony being performed hy Rev f ".
swan BAPTIST Minister Miss Prof
fit was tho plaintir in the sensational
ej0.oGG III ina 81 s;;:; against tha HHnle-
man family, tried in the Hastings
Court o, South Richmond. early in tho
year She WAS awarded damages In
The sum oi si.1oo. but the defense is
SOW preparing Ia lake the case to the
Supreme Court on an appeal. Mr Ben
ton testified in tnaI proceeding In he-
half Of Miss Promtt.
a Worked Ills Way Up.
3i Clarke-known rs Benton-workei in
Richmond hrs, at tho local branch OF
. l,.a . r-fs- lya rrL la
then hera me salesman. and also
worried for the Columbia Shoe COM
panv. FL. saved his money. and in Ian
uary. 1910 he organized, with capital
of only $3.50. the company of which he
is now the president. The firm has
minimum capitalization of $1,000 and
a maximum of $4,000. Business went
Well. and he made money. His past
life was forgotten. as he had wished
1t TO be. and he had started anew. not
wishing even TO have his property in
New York restored TO him. No one
here knew him. but nc made many
friends and business ac1uaintances.
TO those whom he knew hes; lie said
thatih he had come from Tennessee, and,
when they questioned further, he would
give no further Information.
Saw Family In March.
Mr.. Benton, so he said in an Inter
view yesterday. would not have asked
~
tights had he not been discovered here
ny frienis. They insisted. and finally
he was prevailed upon TO go TO HI. tani-
fly, and in the latter part OF March he
visited them in New York. He returned
as one from the grave, for they had be-
leved him dead.
soon after his escape from "The
Knobs" a private sanatorium near
Yonkors. y. T., the body of man much
resembling him was found floating in
the Narrows. 1t was believed by fam
lily and friends that he had heen
drowned Though there was no con
elusive proof OF his death, Clarke, or
Benton, would have been legally dead
In New York, and his property would
have been distributed among his rels-
tives. This was prevented by his
friends. who practically forced him o
declare his Identity.
Proved He Was Snne.
Benton wentto New York a few days
ago and furnished conclusive proof inI
the Supreme Court, Brooklyn not only
that he was alive, but also mentally
competent lie toldSof how, under the
name of Benton. he had become fac
tor In the commercial life of Richmond.
and how he had tested his sanity both
here and i'll his native city.
When lie esca ped from THE Knolls,"
he had only ) cents anu a silver watch
In his pocket. He spent the cash for
car fare. and he pawncd the watch.
For several days he livd In a"Bowery"
lodging house. Afterwards he made
his way 10 Richmond. At the Locomo-
tive Works he operated a lathe. Then
he procured a position with the Co
lumbia Shoe Company at So week
Finally lie organized the chemical
company n Restoration of his property
rights was established BY friendly
proceedings. his mother, Mrs. AdelaidS
Johnson, of Fertile Valley. and otheA
relatives consuming.
Notified BY Lawyer.
In his Office. tho Chemical Supply
Company. Mr. Benton Immediate
~ admitted his idontity and
sroke frankly of MS expe-
riences since he left New York five
years ago. lie stated that he was
placed in a private sanatorium near
Yonkers, n, y. after a period OF dis
sipation. and that, by order of court,
his estate was given into the charge
Of the Franklin Trust Company. he
received Yesterday telegram from
4 his attorneys--Yorke & Yorke, OF
& Brook yn-stating that he had been
declared competent and that his estate
would be returned to him. III two
more yeats Mr.. Benton. . S he is known
here and the name by which he expects
TO be known always hereafter, would
have been legally dead in New York
State, and his property would have
5I|a CONTINUED on Tenth PaGe.l