Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-27
/. DUNCAN IS
SHOT down IN YARD OF
HOME At new CASTLE
Charles S. Bennett, Jr.. OF That
Town, is Arrested, Charged
With the Deed.
VICTIM WAS WELL KNOWN

Special Correspondence of Every Evening
New Castle, May 27.--Iewis II. Dun
can, aged about so years. who lived
alone in a house on Second street near
Harmony, I'm New Castle. was shot and
instantly killed about 11.45 o'clock this
morning in an alley running of Iiar-
mony street between Second and Third.
Charles s. Bennett. aged about 30 years.
resident OF this city. was arrested
short time after the tragedy, charged
with the murder and At hearing be-
fore Mayor Leslie w. Cramer was held
without bail and committed to the work
house for trial at the next session of
court.
Bennett was released from the work
house last January. having completed
term of four years for larceny and
false pretence. He had formerly been
employed as a clerk in the register of
wills. office in the Court House at Will
mington. He was charged with the
theft Of numerous articles of clothing
from the employees in the Public Build
ing. His only comment at his hearing
at noon before Mayor Cramer was that
his parents be not notified OF his arrest.
Evidently Unbalanced.
Bennett went 10 New Castle yes
terday and spent last night at Dun
cans home. They had known each
other for a number of years as Bennett
had formerly lived In New Castle.
| Duncan became suspicious Of Bennett
| last night when the latter started To
| barricade all tn. windows and doors Of
| the house with chairs and other articles
| of furniture as If preparing himself for
| a seige. He demanded that the man
/ leave the premises, but this Bennett
| refused to do.
This morning shortly after II o'clock
| Bennett is said 20 have demanded Of
| Duncan that ne make out a check in
| his. Benefits, favor which however.
| Duncan refused To do. A quarrel re-
suited and in fear Of his life Duncan
| fled from the house. He darted up the
/ alley near his home and the next In
| slant Bennett ran from the door and
with a revolver. which he carried in
! his hand, opened fire on the fleeing
| man.
Stephen Gattis colored. Of so West
4 Fourth street, was working in a garden
close by and was the only eye witness
| OF the tragedy. He said he heard four
I shots fired and saw Duncan fan. Three
Iof the bullets took effect. ono striking
| the man in the shoulder and two in
the head. Death resulted instantly.
! Bennett then fed. throwing way the
| revolver while nc ran. The weapon had
not been found early this afternoon,
He ran from Second street 10 Fourth
| and took refuge in the yard at the rear
| Of John f. Y. Clayton's grocery store,
| At that time. while the shots had been
| heard by several people. no one knew
| that Bennett had been the cause and ne
told several people who spoke TO him
| about them that Duncan had shot and
killed himself.
Later the facts were developed and
John Wise. Constable. James whalen
and Chief Of Police Matthew Tobin ar
rested Bennett and took him to the
city prison. Mayor Cramer immediate
lv arranged for the hearing and Ben
nett was committed without bail.
The shooting caused intense excite.
ment in New Castle. Duncan was wei
known here and had spent practically
all his life in this city. He was mar.
ried. but had been divorced and lived
alone at the above address. For some
years he had been in the grocery bust
/ ness and at one time had charge of re-
ceiving freight from the Ericsson Linz
boats and the steamer Major Reybol6
at the New Castle wharf and in this
way became acquainted with smany
river men.
Bennett is known TO large number
of persons in this city. He had worked
as a clerk in the Court House aud aboC
three years ago. when an investigation
was started following the theft o.
numerous articles from the offices there
ne was arrested and convicted He wa:
released from the workhouse recently
mis- sentence having been shortened by
time off for good conduct. At the tin'
OF his last trial and during his term IL
the workhouse, the young mans men
tality had been in doubt among many o
/ those who came in contact with him.
Bennett has been wanted for some
time by the police of this city on tn
charge of having forged checks In tn
name of Duncan. the victim of hi
revolver this morning. The case ha
been in the hands of the city detectiv'
bureau and Captain Benson and hi
men have been hot on the trail of Ben
nett for several days 1T is thought hi
presence in New Castle and his barri
cading OF Duncan's house last night wa
due to the fact that he was expecting
! arrest on this charge.
Last January Captain r.. hoseIndn O
the Volunteers of America received
letter from Bennett stating that he hat
| lust been released from the workhous
and asking that he help him find job
Later a letter dated May IL and signe'
in the name Marie Duncan Tatnall,
reputed to be a niece Of the dead maj
was received by Captain Roseman. /
contained a check for 800, which checl
| was signed with the name Louis II
Duncan" The writer asked that Rose
man have the check cashed, that he re
tain s25 for himself a ndthat he forwar
the balance of SIS to 1908 North Broom
street this city. A stamped enveiop
was enclosed for this purpose.
Captain Roseman took the letter q
! the police and they found the hand
writing was the same as that in tn
! letter from Bennett, received in Janu
airy. He had written the letter, forge
the check, they believe and sent 1t t
Roseman. There is no house at ITO
North Broome street.
Bennett wrote: II am actuated b.
| these holy words. 1T is more biesse
TO give than To receive" In concluding
!. he wrote: May the Lord bless you il
/ your noble work to upiift suffering hu
manity."
BENEFITS parents, rs understood
| live at 1881 Shallcross avenue, this city