The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-14
THE BENSON
MURDER CASE
Continued from page onc)

cared to give to legal matters, and
as Vance was able to indulge thu
luxury of having a personal legal
factotum, SO to speak, permanently
closed my desk at the office, and de-
voted myself exclusively to his needs
and whims.
II, up TO the time when Vance sum
moned ND to discuss the purchase Of
the Cezannes, | had harborcd any
secret or repressed regrets for having
deprived the firm of Van Dine, Davis
and Van Dine of my modest legal
talents, they were permanently ban
ished on. that cvcntful morning; for
beginning with the notorious Benson
murder, and extending over a period
Of nearly four years. it was my priv
lcgc to be spectator of what | be-
lleve was the most amazing series Of
criminal cases that ever passed be-
for the eyes of a young lawyer In
deed. the grim dramas l witnessed
the most astonishing secret dOcu-
ments in the police history Of this
country.
Of these dramas Vance was the
central character. BY an analytical
and interprctative process which, as
far as l know, has never before been
applied to criminal activities, he sue
cccded in solving many Of the inn
pOrtant crimes on which both the
police and the district attorneys Of
flee had hopelessly fallen down.
Due to my peculiar relations with
Vance it happened that not only did
which he was connected, but | was
also present ut most Of the informal
discussions concerning them which
took place between him and the dis
trct attorney; and, being Of method
zeal tcmperament, kept d fairly
complete record Of them. In addi-
ton. | noted down las accurately as
memory permitted Vance's unique
psychological methods Of determining
guilt, as he explained them from
time to time.
The first case to draw Vance into
it's ramificatiOns was that of Alvin
upon Vancc's life suddenly and UNI
cxpcctedly, although he himself had,
by a casual request made to the dis
trict attorney over month before,
been the involuntary agent of this
destruction of his normal routine.
The thing, in fact, burst upon US be-
fore we had quite finished our break
fast on that mid-June morning.
As | was ushered into the living
room by Currie, a rare old English
servant who acted as Vance's butler,
valet. majordomo and, on occasions,
speciality cook, Vance was sitting in
large armchair, attired in surah
silk dressing gown and grey suede
slippers, with Vollard's book on Ce-
zanne omen across his knees.
Forgive my. not rising, Van,' he
greeted me casually. Il have the
: whole weight Of the modern evolu-
tion in art resting on my legs. Furth
ermore, this plcbeian early rising
fatigues me, " know"
He rfflcd the pages Of the volume,
pausing here and there at a repro
duction.
, "This chap vollard," he remarked
at length, "has been rather liberal
with our art-fcaring country. He has
sent really goodish collection Of
his Cczannes here. / viewed 'em
yesterday with the proper reverence
and, ! might add, uncOnccrn. for
Kessler was watching me; and I've
marked the ones want you to buy
for me as soon as the gallery opens
this morning."
Vance was what many would call
dilettante. But the designation
does him injustice. He was man
Of unusual culture and brilliance.
All ArIStOCsdt ~ DITIH anu Instinct,
he held himself severely aloof from
the common world Of men. In his
manner there was an indefinable con-
tempt for inferiority Of all kinds.
The great ma ority Of those with
whom he came in contact regarded
him as a snob. Yet there was in his
condescension and disdain no trace
!. of spuriousncss. His snobbishness
was intellectual as we'll as social. He
detestcd stupidity even more, be-
lieve, than he did vulgarity or bad
taste.
Vance was frankly a cynic. but he
was rarely bitter, his was flippant,
Juvenalian cynicism. Perhaps he
may best be described as bored and
supercilious. but highly conscious
and penetrating, spectator Of life.
He was keenly interested in all hui
man reactions; but it was the inter
est of the scientist, not the humani-
tartan. aWithal he was a man of rare
personal charm. Even people who
found it difficult to admire him,
found it equally difficult not to like
~him. His somewhat quixotc man.
nerisms and his slightly English ac-
cent and Infection heritage Of his
pressed those who did not know him
we'll, as affectations. But the truth
4 is. there was very little Of the poseur
about him.
He was unusually gooi-!ooking.
although his mouth was ascetic and
cruel, like the mouths on some of
the Medici portraits; moreover, the,e
was q slightly derisive hauteur in
the lift Of his eyebrows. Despite the
aquiline severity Of his lineaments
his face was highly. sensitive. His