New Britain Herald Newspaper, January 18, 1930, Page 13

The Hands Behind the Fatal £Z8B A & City, Mo., When He Trowbridge, Chisf ity, Mo., Failed to Make Four of Policewomen. Spades in Auction THE DEAD MAN'S HAND John G. Bennett Held These Cards When He Opened with » One-Spade Bid, Playing with Mrs Bennett Against Mr Mrs. Charles M Hoffman u”"b “POST MORTEM” By Sidney §. Lens tnternationally Famous Auction Bridge Lypert. Who Herewith Analyzes the Fatal Game, Play by Play. HIS innocuous-looking deal at the bridze ] lted in killing of Tragedy of the Perfume 13 naocuous ocking deal at e bridge tabe: teuled in the Viling o i) ength is quiie conventional. althou lay londs itzelf to various Agent, R e e S . x fenn u.s“pa'l}'lner{ his F‘i;\” Jumped his declaration to four spades, and all hands 1 the ay o = blaln bv HIS tinalite et o $pad ,"‘<1 wg:dur;mdrm A én,l_vm%]m uwgv? (;‘;‘u‘..- iv-ni‘k: 7{: . Irate BRI T Brs Ol b et o o s e i time. If the ace happens to be on the declarant’s left, the king’s chan i Wife After He o Was Set Four Spades ning is rather remoie—against perfect play Bennett’s proper procedure would have becn (o pae, making a HE Bennetts—John G. and his attrac tive wife, Myrtle bid if the other players made any declaration. After the spade bid Ho was justified in pidding two diamonds. As s matter of fact, Hoffman 7 sound opening bid of a diamond. Now we conte to a dram situation: ti jump to four spades by Mrs. Benneit, Playing with « sound and reliable partner. the pre-emptive call would scarcely be open to criticism, althou 1 opinio pre-emption accomplishes little except when done as an origu TER two suits have been showi, it is difficult to shut out tie adveisan when they have a real chance to land the game. However, on actual value:, Bennett held close hr ses f riginal spade bid, as evidenced the result. With every card badly lo¢ i proper initial bid, it required perfect defen:e to defeat the bid by only one tri Actually the contract might have been made if the declarant had been a Jucky er. After the bid of four spades, the one point open to discussion whether it would have been good strategy for Hof'man to have doubled. Many players would have doie so, but it would have been very bad pla The guarded spade honor would hava been lovated in Hofman's hand and in all likelihood the contract would have been made. . In the play of the cards Hoffman had the choive of two openi —were having a quict Jither the ace of diamonds or the jack of clubs would have been cor bridge game in tneir Kan- Hoffman choze the former, and when the singleton diamond appeared in dummy, o i the jack of clubs was Lhe logical switch. Bennett won with the king and led the with their Jjack of spad Hoffman did not “cover an honor with an honor.” and Mrs. man The play was animated; the between-hands small talk just what you would expect in the circum- slances; the evening bore avery aspect of neighbor- ly good humor and the casual affability of people who know and like one another, and enjoy a brisk rubber. Besides the Hoffmans, however, the Bennetts were entertaining un awares 2 third guest Death. This intruder OFFMAN, nevertheless, was playing properly. It is erroncous to cover unless such play stands a chance to set up a good d for self or partner. Hoffman could not set’ up a spade trich for himself, and he his partner held but one spade—if any. With the high cards in dummy and Ho s hand, the original bidder must have had at least five spai ; Of course, the declarant could not afford Lo finesse with nine suit. The chance of alling in two leads appeared favorable, ds missing Y e was to be taken, the percentage favored taking it against Mrs. HoTman First, because Hoffman had bid and shown length in the diamond suit. If Hoffman could obtain the lead and com= through the king of hearts it struek quickly, savagel There unquestionably was 2 good chance to win the contract if Benel 8 ! e slew. In at that moment when ‘a plased just a bit better. The two trump leads were simply guesses, but at the he ¢ time a pa ldlthus nua};rd }f“-zywwl up fifth trick it was bad play to trump the diamond. The c¢libs should have been trolman between the host and established first; then the fourth trump in dummy would have been a re-ent ss over the husband’s ability card for the good elubs and the adver:zavies would have been held to one trick —or stupidity—as a player. cach in“spades, hearts and diamonds. That is, if Hoffman had played as he did revolver so she could take ; Fragedies, comedies RY‘Id the and cashed in the ace of hear her own life and join Ben- ‘:-:aii:inc ({?l;rfan'\]a;chrhi‘édlgm in 1f Hoffman had refused to lay down the ace of hearts until Bennett played nett. ¥ ge game ing, two tricks ts must be lost by tae declarant. They took her, for var et ostion anothes Faiitor the king, t o‘ ricks in heart: mum} be lost by the declaran They took her, for vari- ous reasons, to view her this page-—ever since the vogue husband’s body. Her sor have been ruinous. Therefore, the ace of spades went up, and on the return Mrs. Hoffman did not follow suit, so even if t} sse had been in the mind of became far-flung. Itis doubtful 1f row, perhaps her remors were starkly outlined on her tear- aprdg 2uQ ‘PurH W4l Iwploy 111 i 1 IS 7 de Bidder, Spa SHE PASSED NOILISOddO FH1 Hoffman Passed, Giving Bennett, the Original A I A AP AR5 g A i 1340 spuowriq om) pig uewyop {% « peuusg & John G. Bennett, Wealthy Per{ume Man, Killed by His Wife After She Had Called euwasg ‘SAW JO 14%d SY) U pig Y1y Iuinsugy ayy poardsup siyqy Mrs the plager it was now known to be impossible. The king of spades won; tie last diamond was trumped in dum cotlagelne taay ace of clubs taken in. Tien the nine of clubs was led, covered by meacm PRl and trumped by Bennett. Hof'man overtrumped and led the ace and a low heart, and He Had Slapped defeating the contract for one trick, since the declarant was unable to get in Her Face dummy (o discard on the two good clubs and lost another heart trick “ 5 5 H - H Y a B 2 wn ] 3 ~ H H £ = » H S H 2 i L3 x i v = & b 11 H & 4 @ v & H 3 v =z : T . H passed, she im- plored him to lend her his s, B L ey Ay The details of Bennett’s death, as this article will attempt to chronicle them, must necessarily depend largely on that version of the shooting given by the Hoffmans; for Mrs. Bennett, Id on a charge of first-degrce mur- der, has been too hysterical to give completely her side of the afir: backward glance at the home life of the Bennetts, as it was known to othey ncighbors, may prove interesting, also he couple” lived in a fashionable Park Manor apartment at Ka City They were decidedly “well off.” Ben ott, who had been married to Myrtle Bennett for eleven years, had, by am- hitious application of his talents, be come a highly paid perfume agent. His vearly salary and commissions came to 5 00, and sometimes reached $40.000. This is rated good pay for a man harely thirty-sis. 1t was certainiy a long leap (rom his financial beginrings. When Bennett married Myrtle in 1918 he was then twenty-five; she, twenty three—he was getting $200 a month as a perfume salesman for a well knov:n conczrn. Four years ago he was made We: c: itative and transferred {ansas There he established his wife and children in a ome home. 1t is said by some of his associates intcrest in social activi with his rising fortunes. of golf, of partics, and cards. Opposed to th & | stood Myrtle Bennett's dislike of noise, snioke and high jinks. The quiet maternal type, she preferred domestic ity, and it seems not unnatural that eventually she and her husband should sce less and less of one another. except for the daily contacts that man and wife perforce undergo. i, The Sunday Bennett was slam dawned peacefully tor both principals in the oncominf tragedy. Bennett and Hoffman, who lives in the same block, played eighteen holes of eolf at the exclusive Indian Hills Country Club. Then they went back to the Bennetts’ apartment, their appetites whetted, to enjoy an “ice-box lunch.” For the afternoon, a foursome was proposed, with Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Bennett participating. a c—| “Myrtle actually saw more of John that day than she had for weel com mented a neighbor. *“‘He never took her to the links except once in a blue moon. [t was probably a big treat fo! her.” This being so, it must have been an ecable surprise to Myrtle Bennet hen her husband proposed, after two rounds of golf, that the quartet return to his apartment, have a cold supnci and pass the evening at the bridze table. Here 1s what occurred neat, as My, Hoftman related it to the police “The Bennetts were partnere against wiy husband and myself. At first ev erything was fine—there wasn't a hint of ill feeling on anybody’s part. In the course of the game the Bennetts took the lead—then lost it. Both Mi. and Mrs. Bennett made mistakes. There was the usual bickering, but it all sounded good-natured enough. We were playing for our usual stake: a tenth of a cent & point. ““As the game went on, th Bennetts’ criticisms of each other grew more and more caustic. Finally a spade hand was bought by themn in the following manner: Beunett bid a spade. My hus- band overcalled with two diamonds M Bennett promptly boosted the original spade bid to four. I passed. Mrs. Bennett, as dummy. laid down a vather good hand. But her husband went set. “This seemed to nfuriate hus wife and she began goading him with remarks about ‘bum bridge players.’ He came right back at her. 1 don't remember the exact words, - This kept up for several minutes. We tried to stop the argument by demanding cards, but by this time the row had become so pronounced that Bennett, veaching across the table, grabbed Myrtle’s arm Mre g HE Lilling of Jehn G. Beunett. of surance man and her husband. ences of opinion vver card plaring. tone. can be traced to the squabbles cago, atlached by lushand, mil sions. Here are s (ew typical samples “pulled wronz card.” She goi of botl soris: divorce and $260.000 alimony and slapped her several Limes. SHE RAISED Her Considerably Strong Hand, Shown Above TRAGEDIES AND FARCES IN THE WAKE 0 THE BRIDGE CRAZE Kansas City. Mo.. by hia wife fol had beaten her up for doubling lowing an auction bridge quarrel lour diamonds. giving opponents no means an isolated case of ten tricks: rumping his ace lead. ic emotionalisnr vaused by difier and failing 10 take him out of « one no-trump doubled Other domestic disasters, farcical in Mrs. Flossie Griflith, of Chi the gane too {requemly ocea- lionaire conractor. after she Mrs. Rosa lLee Henderson. De. Mrs. Jean Stewart Lingquist. of troit matron, shot and killed Mrs. Chicago, wife of wealthy man, Lee Bishop, her parine blocked herself in dumniy. los lor twice playing the wrong card ing five tricks. ushand “pum Meacham, of Wilkes. meled me and d me mental boro, N. (., swore he would kill agons.” She got a divorce. the next person who dealt him Mrs. Velma West, of Paines a poor hand. He dealt himself ville, 0., Ailled husband with without # face card: then hammier after bridge quarrel. conmitted suicide. Beautiful young Mrs. Annelte Mrs. Hazel Moore. wile of Stein, wife of Chicago million- George Moore, Chicago, failed 10 aire, 60, apprehended on train take him out of a one double. while trying, she declared. to run He beat her up. She gol = di awav from big bridge debis. vorce; the custody of their child, Mrs. Tanya Silvasv. of New and s 810,000 property seltle- York, sued hushand for divorce ment. after bridge spat, charging he Mrs. Ruth Kelso Wood. of Oak heat her up and “caused grave Park, Ul. Marriage dissolved by mental annoyance” by throwing the courts after cards in air and yelling at her. tone, ‘Nobody but a bum would hit « “We tried {o intervene, but it was woman, her husband jumped up and futile. While Mrs. Bennett repeated shouted, ‘I'm going to spend the night over and over, in a strained sing-song at a hotel. And tomorrow I'm leaving Copyright. 1949 b e Brltain Bighis Keseived Bennett Promptly Boosted Her Husband's One.Spade Bid to Four Spades on you folks had bette) While the Hofimans were pu Angry depression > L%0 men were in conversa picrced the wooden pane! th astonishment , van down the hall and began g to the street. the Hoffmans ke slumped, unconscious to the floor. Mrs. Bennett was standing at the other side of the living room, the gun langling loosely from her finge: Bennett fell, her daze broke. Police found over him, civing vent to wild sobs. Cver since ehe has not ceas stained face. Even the havd-boiled deputies who guarded her, men whose duties make them impervious to most emotional displays, were frankly impressed. z “I can’t live without him,” she would wail, the stencil of her phrase lifted into something ver: I the intensity of I’ve got to go through life knowing that I was respo: 5. She was speaking quite coherent- for the first time. One of those incongruous touches t would never be permitted in a I ecause it's too improbable” was Mrs. Bennett's protest to the under taker who had been called in t ennett’s body “My aver liked that > she complainad. . 100, And why t You put n the outer pocket of face: she prayed er d Deputy Wil ickhardt, who was one of the y have cau o hate the world, to res cious impatience any critici conduct, even in so small a matter e In the past four year he Jos hildren. The second ‘child died two years ago. Since then, it is Bennett had shown signs o Often she would sudden- during dinner and rush from the room, her handkerchief sed to I eves. She complained *loneline. and her mother, touched, consented to nove in with the family to keep up her laughter’s spirits while Bennett was m the road ou busine bridge tragedy i a case for the la for the fatal game was not the start but the climax of the domestic discord. Meanwhile auction experts like Milton Work are advising that the over-emeo- tional abstain from playing, on the score that it, unlike contract bridge, gives too easy a vent to wild passions hidden in the human heart. - R Ll T AR 1 A AT