The Washington times., 1922-06-11

ana u WOMAN NJ tuo opoA- s..
Familiar in construction but new
in its development. for one Of the
mon is dead. and the other II In
prison on . charge Of homicide and
the woman 10 the sole witness to
the killing!
Mrs. Bertha Z. Bennett 10 the
woman in the three-cornered trag-
edy staged in q bungalow that was
little more than. . campers cabin
In lonely wooded district. There
Charles Colby came wooing the
woman and there later came Oliver
Bianchette. . rejected lover Of
other days.
Half an hour after his arrival
Blanchette was found at the foot Of
the stairs in the cabin. with his
face wiped away by Q charge Of
buckshot. dead. Crouching in q
corner above, under the caves. were
found Mrs. Bennett. half hysteri.
cal. and Colby. sullen and speech
less, and between them the shot
gun that had solved the problem In
90 direct and primitive . fashion.
A. the police led Colby. the
killer, away. Mrs. Bennett cried In
an outburst OF emotion:
"Call Il love-cali II what you
win, but II this mans life In In
danger now because he protected
me. am willing to die insteadr'
PRIMAL EMOTIONS AROUSED.
Charles Colby contented himself
with the statement that he fired in
self-defense, and the woman eager.
ly confirmed this statement. As
they told II. Mrs. Bennett was In
the cabin when Colby called that
morning. She was preparing break.
fast for him and chatting ~ she
brought food to the table indoors.
Suddenly they heard the sound Of
feet through the shrubbery out.
side. and they saw Blanchette ap.
preaching.
Now, Mrs.. Bennett 10 married
and the foster.mother of an adopt.
ed child. Colby. too, is married.
Blanchette was bachelor Of forty
four. who. the woman said. had
long pursued her with unwelcome
attentions. But the police offer
evidence to show that the slain
mans attentions were not unwel.
come. and that even after young
Colby entered the lists Mrs. Ben.
nett was writing love letters to the
slain man using code for the ex.
pressions Of extreme endearment.
wOMAN'S TALE OF TRAGEDY
Anyway. a. Bianchette headed
for the cabin the couple. in fear,
ran upstairs and huddled in the
shadows Of the attic. Here IL
what followed. as Mrs. Bennett
told II:
"Blanchette had come running
to the house In wild fury, with
eyes blazing. knew a. I sow
him that the turn In our affairs
had come. I felt that the curtain
was to be rung down on some
great event. I screamed. or
dered Colby upstairs. and fed
after him.
"Blanchetts started up the
stairs prepared to kill me with
drawn revolver. Charles brushed
me aside. There was q crash Of
glass below and, the tramp Of
heavy feet through the debris. as
Blanchette mounted the stairs,
crying:
I'm going to kill you. Bertha
'T was between Charles and
him.. and Charles swept me clear
of him. Blanchette actually
gioated as he called to me from
the foot Of the stairs and Charles
Colby stepped forward to the head
of the stairs to meet the field.
"Bianchette raised his pistol
high, then brought It down slowly.
cooking II a. he lowered It. with
the muzzle pointed At colby's
heart, he aimed. A. he did 70,
Charles shot biazed out. Blan.
chette fell back and crashed down
the stairs.
But Charles Colby had twice
risked his life for me. first when
he faced the revolver In Blsn-
chetts's hand and again when he
fired IN my defense. for he knew
not what penalty the law might
exact Of him for the deed. Blan.
chette died by his own acti"
SPECTACULAR oOURTsHP.
Mrs. Bennett said that she had
been married to John c. Bennett
IN Warner five years ago and
that they had parted after . year.
Then she had adopted the baby
girl. now four years old. she said.
Later she met Bianchstts. q
boardsr In her cousins home.
she told msiodramaticaily of ire