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

NEW YORK, July 5.-Like man
tro,7 the grave W. Newton Benning-
49, once possessor of fortune of
=, 5oo 600 amassed largely through
s~,.o+acular turf plunges, has reap
rsared in this city. His fortune has
bsan practically swept away His
boalth however, has been restored to
hin, after a long stage of mental and
rbvsical illness lasting five years, dur
10 which he was confined in several
saritariums and hospitals.
However. l thank God that | am
,,,-e he said Yesterday to a reporter
4 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
r-avs knew lot about real estate
(+boueh people spoke of me mostly
as turf celebrity
81 have $4,000 worth of real estate
laft of my fortune. 1t is distributed in
+bis state and in New Jersey. With
+bis money expect to begin my finan-
cial rehabilitation You'll hear them
sneak again of Million Dollar Ben
rington in year or two.
Bennington in appearance is still the
a+au nlunger" whose nod to book
maker during the heyday Of his turf
career meant 1ve-fgure 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
q spring 10 a desert goat" continued
the man who insists that he is still
"Inckv" Bennington. q have known
nothing of it practically during the
past five years.
81 went to Dr. Combes' sanitarium in
Flushing during the summer of 1907 as
Won may remember. This was follow
ing a number of reverses and after
nervous breakdown
when I left Dr. Combes' l 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 1 fell over a cliff
which fell away a sheer three hundred
feet Fortunately. l was caught in
some tangled bushes which grew out
of the side of the cliff, and | escaped
with my life.
q was so badly hurt, however, that
entered Dr. Bulls sanitarium when
returned to New York. After leaving
DR. Bulls I decided to give my shat
tered nerves another chance to heal by
re-entering Dr. Combes sanitarium. In
June. 1910 left DR.. Combes' place in
hack. l thought that we were going
tn the Erie railroad, where l 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 | found myself aboard
train for Middletown. \. Y.
Won 100000 in Four Years,
II haven't the slightest idea who gave
the hackman the order to drive to the
a. < W station. I am sure it was not
Or Combes or my wife.
ANYWAY. when l got to Middletown
I found that | was consigned to the
State homeopathic hospital there.
have heen there for the past two years.
had private room. was well cared
for and for a time was satisfied be-
cause [ knew that I 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 a chum of Gates,
Drake. Davy Johnson and others whose
bets on a single race often totaled
100000.
Benningtons career on the turf was
most spectacular. With Fred Bellew
he won 100000 in stake winnings in
one period of four years. He con-
trored the services of Frank O'Neill,
who was for seasons one of the most
successful of jockeys. This combina-
ton was dazzling in its pecuniary re-
suits Bennington won fortune In
purses with the great colt DeMund be-
fore he sold him for $4,000 to Paul j.
Rainey
Bennington married Bessie Taylor, a
well known actress, seven years ago.
Mrs Bennington is said to be at pres