The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-03-12
.CLOTH|ER IS HELD
!. ON D|GhMY Charge
BUT DENIES crime
---.-- =,
N. R. Benn, Merchant In Hotel
Street, Is Arrested by 49,
Federal Authorities
UNITED STATES OFFICIALS
| WITHHOLD DETAILS or CASE
Accused Man and His Wife Pro-
/ tess To Know Nothing @aS
! ~. About Accusation Il.
(From .Thnrsdar !, Ad,ertisorll

(From Thursdays Advertiser)
M. r. Bonn, president and manager
of the Bell Clothing company, l52 south
hotel street, was arrested Yesterday on
a charge Of bigamy. He was taken be-
tore United states Commissioner
George s. Curry and released on bond.
he is prominent among local Jews.
Ofhcials refused absolutely 20 give
out any informati0n concerning the af.
rest. j. J.. Smiddy, United States mar.
shal said he feared publication Of the
facts would hurt Benn in his business.
Benin is white haired. Apparently
he Is about 60 years Of age. Mrs. Bonn
appears many years his junior. He camo
to Honolulu, he said, about year ana
eight months ago from South Africa.
Mrs. Benn is believed to have come
here from England. -'F ~ - ~ T..
/ 81 dom remember where 1 came
from, - she said last night, in parrying
questions - 70 49, - go
Benin or Rubenstein7 .....,.. g. e
| Attempts to connect Benn with the
brothers Rubenstein Of Honolulu, sum.
moned to Chicago as witnesses in
biganiy case, failed 30 far as he was
concerned. He denied that his name
was Rubenstein. A dispatch from Chi
cago, saying that two brothers Of that
|. name, of Honolulu, had been summoned
to the continent, appeared In The Ad.
vertiser yesterday morning. as 4.
, Benn, would make mo statement ex-
: leept to say it is great mistake.
He referred a reporter to his attorney,
Judge A. s. Humphreys, who said that
. he knew little Of the case. having been
1 called in by Bonn late yesterday after
Z noon, X L., y, r
The Benns reside ut the Elite apart.
: ments, 40 South Hotel street. In 1911
4 Bonn was in Johannesburg, South
!. ltAfrica, running "a mems furnishing
store, He left South, Africa the nexi
! year and went to england. He return.
y ed to johannesburg Nithsa woman he
! said was his wife She Il believed "a
:, be native of Eastbourne, England.
Came 10 Honolulu Alone
z Soon after RETURNING TO South Africa
y BeHn closed out his business In Johan
y hesbnrg He.went 10 Cape Town; thel
], TO England His wife e6mpanied him
= When he. came 70 Honolulu about ty'
~ years ago he said that he was en- rout
to sydney, where be expected to engag
In business and where he had relatives
He was alone when he came here. II
stopped here becanse Of q eonversatio
., with a y, merchant named Lando, VIII
= owned the business which Benn no'
controls. .9s F-f 'T'a, ~
iii Last summer Mrs. Benn came. PEI
y sons who knew the Benns in Sout
Africa say that the Honolulu Mrs. Ben
is the same AZ that Of South Africa. T
Al friends here Bonn 10 alleged to hav
~ said that he formerly was a merchar
in Galveston, Tex, and that his VIII
and family were lost In the flood .
1900. ~ a.,,%is. =. f
Benin visibly was depressed TAI
he night; when questioaeA concerning tn
is arrest brought only refusals to repl
,se or evasive answers. VI"
no "You were arrested this afte
lr. noon 20 he was asked. 49,
70. al was down mere little while,
Dol he said, after a hesitation. u
Oh "The charge was bigamyf't. ~ g,
alf That is what the police say" MI
Benin interiected. She had come to b
lse husband y side, having eyed a report
1t with a startled look when he enter'
by the store. a. ytets ,.......
Of 1--WE know nothing about it," thu
m exclaimed in unison.
tai at is aha great mistake" Benn q
6rmed. -.
ers "a great mistake, - his wife reit'
ing ated. - .,rtt Z.
in: - Are you guilty Of higamy'" Be-
ted was asked. : -, !, r .'..
the "we have nothing to affirm or to .
err n.y." his wife replied. H.. -.
ub "Is your true name Rubensteini
nee the reporter queried. ~ al@'
OF Benn hesitated palpably,
THAT is not what my name is
the came the reply at length.
lest "Is your true name Bennf"
"That is my name.
Chow long have you been in Hol
- lulu" - -, y @&ali .
DC "a year and eight months
VI "And prior to coming herei' .,
81 was in South Afriea--Johann
OF burg"
Dor o., '.pid YOU evsrgliEs in Chicago
TOT Detroit7' ..,, ID.
&C "My lawyers told me to say moth
t' at all. -, g.. b. 4 .... ......
ON Again Mrs, Benn interiected. D..
lew 'rHow can we say anything when
,ch know nothing. We don Z know WI
one it's all about ourselves. It is a or
70 mistake" iii
a