SORDID STORY

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1929, Page 5

SORDID STORY

TWO DEATHS BY VIOLENCE STAGELAND ASSOCIATES. SUICIDE FOLLOWS MURDER. (Australian Press Association.) (Rer-oi vc* cl 9 fi.in.) NEW YORK, June 11.

Investigations have not disclosed a scintilla of evidence or any further fact to explain the reason for the murder of the actress Miss Margaret Lawrence by Louis Bennison, who had often appeared with her on the stage.

'Considerable interest has been aroused by disclosures of friends of the victims concerning their lives together. The city toxicologist has confirmed the fact that both had con sumed a large quantity of alcohol.

A medical examiner has confirmed the original -view, saying: “Miss Lawrence came to her id'eath by homicidal shooting, and Bennison’s death was suicirlad, J

Miss Lawrence was 40 years old and was the mother of two children by her first husband, Mr O. D. Mann, snd Mr Bennison was over 50, but they both aspired to continue to keep leading positions in the theatrical world.

Miss Lawrence had expressed , disappointment recently over her failure to secure good parts, and only a aavok ago she consulted her solicitor, asking for his advice -whether she should play in the talking movies. Less recently Miss • Lawrence had incurred the i'll-favonr of Equity, which is an American actors’ association, when she, failed to keep a. ’ contract ’ to appear at an advertised 'performance, and it was 'rumoured that her failure V . J was duo to intoxication.

Miss Lawrence’s solicitor says monetary difficulties could not have entered into the tragedy, as she had considerable property, and was to have received a. half share of the estate of her second husband, Wallace E-ddinger. Bennison, who had played in the old Avestern films, is -believed, to have had difficulties Avhen he attempted to .secure a movie contract. It is reported that ho had boecn expected to appear in a play in New York last evening,- but was asked to withdraw last Avcek, Avithout explanation,' . A , short... time., ago they appeared together in . if. .-vaudeville sketch Avhieh was a failure. Many friends have stated t-ha,t their life together was a morose and unhappy one, Avith much heavy' drinking. Benisori AA r as said to have been insanely jealousj and to have -preferred to remain in their flat, instead .of . visiting places of amusement.

Yariious mi embers of- .the LambsClub say Be;imisoii during his drinking spells would, talk wildly, and usually brandish two revolvers, as if reminiscent hof his cinema roles.

The whole affair appears extremely sombre, and t the newspapers, according to it/heir own- investigations, present many lurid ‘details that were allegedly responsible- for the undoing of the pair. It will probably bo some time before accurate information will be obtained. ■ ' ..

Louis Bennisou was well-known in Now Zealand; but Miss Lawrence had not been in the Dominion. About two years ago both came to 'Australia ( ami played in “The Bead to Romo. ” About six years ago Beunison toured New Zealand in “The Great Lover,” which was his greatest part. He was also in “Johnny Get Your Gun,”

Margaret Lawrence, who was in her 40th year,, was born at Trenton, Now Jersey She was twice married, first in 11)11 to Mi- Orson Desaic Munn, editor and publisher of the ‘/Scientific. American,” and after the dissolution of that, marriage,- to .Wallace Eldinger, an actor. She made her first appearance on the stage at Chicago in August, 1910, in “Her Son.” Next year she made a great success at the Hackett Theatre, New York, as Elsie Darling in “Our Night.”