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| One of many newspapers covering the trial. |
Passion is a force that runs our world. Passion for
everything, every single thing can be for good and/or for evil, love and/or
lust: Passion.
One of these many passions is for the game of bridge.
Living in our new community of retired and independent living, those passionate
bridge players play that card game with absolute dedication. Husband John is
one of those now. Passion which drives
these bridge players almost borders on obsession.
The following is a re-telling of a legendary passionate
bridge game in 1929:
John and Myrtle Bennett spent Sundays together with Myrna
and Charles Hofman. The guys would play
a round of golf in the morning, with all clustering together to play bridge
after dinner. Hofmans lived in an apartment above Myrtle and John Bennett, and
Myrtle’s mother. Needless to say, Hofman couple could hear what the other couple was
doing or saying.
Shortly after midnight, Charles and Myra Hofman were whomping
the Bennetts, pulling ahead. The
Bennetts began to bicker, with John did not making the final hand.
Myrtle was totally irritated and told John that he was
one “bum bridge player”. John leaped to his feet and slapped Myrtle a few
times. Hofmans were not surprised, as
John did this a lot, with Hofmans able to hear fighting and slapping sounds.
He stomped upstairs to retrieve his suitcase, saying he
was leaving, and told Myrtle to go get his pistol. John always took it for safety when he
traveled on the road. Myrna turned to
Charles, “Only a cur would strike a woman in
front of his guests.”
Myrtle clumped to her mother’s room where said 32 Colt
automatic pistol was hidden in their linen closet, sobbing profusely, stormed
back the den. Myrtle brushed by Hofmans, then went down the hall to a dingy
bathroom, where she shot John twice in the back. John crawled to the living
room where he died.
Well, the trial was a blockbuster for locals, and then
big newspapers. Myrna's shaky memory
of who did what, finally settling on Myrtle had been brutalized many times,
that the murder was retribution, or maybe accidental. Charles Hoffman agreed.
Either way, Myrtle Bennett was declared not guilty of murder.
The deliberation took 8 hours before reaching that
verdict, with her defense attorney’s assistant declared “It looks like an open
season on husbands.”
Myrtle lived to be 96, living in Hotel Carlyle in New
York City. She was hired to be executive
head of housekeeping. Myrtle developed many
friendships with celebrities, including Mary Pickford and husband Buddy Rogers.
Her estate was declared to be more than $1 million. Having no children or relatives of her own, a
good amount went to John Bennett’s family members.
The following is, as best can be reconstructed from Hofmans' memory:
The following is, as best can be reconstructed from Hofmans' memory:
Myrtle Bennett
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Charles Hoffman
| Myrna Hoffman
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John Bennett
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