Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-05
NOTED PLUNCER
RICHES
Newt Bennington, Once Fa-
miIiar Turf Figure, Released
From Sanitarium.

NEW YORK, July 5.-Like man
4 -. tho crave W. Newton Benning
4 tor once possessor of a fortune of
:, 5oo 600 amassed largely through
snecracular turf plunges, has reap
cared in this city His fortune has
I'm practically swept away. His
baalth however, has been restored to
him after a long stage of mental ana
,bvsieal illness lasting five years, dur
H., which he was confined In several
eanitariums and hospitals.
However. | thank God that | am
alive he said yesterday to reporter.
81 needed a long rest and have had
q Now weigh more than 10 pounds,
and I'm going to plunge back into
business again. You know that | al
ways knew lot about real estate
nhough people spoke Of me mostly
as turf celebrity.
"a have $4,000 worth of real estate
left of nv fortune. 1t is distributed in
tbe state and in New Jersey. With
mis- money l expect to begin my finan-
cia, rehabilitation. You'll hear them
sneak again Of Million Dollar Ben
nington' in a year or two.
Remington in appearance IS still the
tall nlunger" whose nod to a book
maker during the heyday Of his turf
career meant a FIVE figure bet on Bel
dame DeMund or another of the great
horses that raced under his colors.
New York Looks Good to Him.
New York looks as good to me as
snring to desert goat continued
The man who insists that he is still
Lucky" Bennington. II have known
nothing of ii practically during the
past five years.
II went to DR.. Combes' sanitarium in
Flushing during the summer of 1907, as
Won NAV remember This was follow
ing a number of reverses and after
nervous breakdown
when ! left DR.. Combes' ! took up
nv tangled business affairs again. A
few weeks later came the accident
which came within a gamblers ace of
costing me my life l went to Cobalt,
Canada. with friends to inspect property
there in which we had an interest.
While walking alone l fell over a cliff
which fen away a sheer three hundred
feet Fortunately, | was caught in
some tangled bushes which grew out
of the side of the cliff, and l escaped
with my life
q was so badly hurt however. that
I entered Dr.. Bulls sanitarium when l
returned to New York, After leaving
DR.. Bulls l decided to give my shat
tered nerves another chance to heal by
re-entering DR.. Combes' sanitarium. In
June, 1910 | left Or. Combes' place in
a hack | thought that we were going
10 the Erie railroad. where I was to
take a train for my home in Cornwall.
For some strange reason the hackman
drove to the Ontario and Western rail-
road station and I found myself aboard
a train for Middletown, n. Y.
Won 100000 in Four Years.
Z haven't the slightest idea who gave
the hackman the order to drive to the
0 & " station. l am sure 1t was not
Dr.. Combes or my wife.
anyway when | got to Middletown
] found that I was consigned TO the
State homeopathic hospital there. !
have been there for the past two years.
] had a private room was we'll cared
for and for a time was Satisfied be-
cause knew that l needed a good long
rest"
Newt Bennington, six years ago, was
one of the most conspicuous figures in
the~Wall Street district and on the turf
In his heyday he was chum of Gates
Drake, Davy Johnson and others whose
bets on a single race often totaIed
100000.
Bennington's career on the turf was
most spectacular With Fred Bellew
he Won 100000 in stake winnings in
one period of four years. He con
rolled the services Of Frank O'Neill.
who was for seasons one of the most
successful of Jockeys. This combina-
lion was dazzling in its pecuniary re-
suits Bennington won a fortune in
purses with the great colt DeMund bA
tore he sold him for $4,000 to Paul ].
Rainey
Bennington married Bessie Taylor. a
wen known actress, seven years ago.
Mrs Bennington is said to be at pres
emit In Chicago.