A REPORTERS DEATH.

Kumara Times, Issue 742, 14 February 1879, Page 2

A REPORTERS DEATH.

The sad news comes from Paris of the death of W. Benton, the ki - of American reporters, who for seven 01 eight years past—so M. K. Deschanmes says in Lc Figaro—has been drawing a fantastic salary from one of the American dailies. The lamented W. Benton scattered abroad the dollars of his journal with princely munificence, was on in'innte terms with all the political and millitary celebritexof Euroj>e, spoke and assisted at all the wars of the Old World as a most conscieutous spectator. \{>. had gained admission to Prince (!ortsi:hakoff's presence as a tail or, to Bumark as a dog merchant, lo the Uoiijiivs at Berlin as a photographer ; he had to Royal banquets disguised is a waiter, and to R...yal funerals as a e dim-hearer j in he made th • actpiainta-ice ot.Mdlin. grhnidtn- in the role of j= 15 azilian diamond miner, while diiii g Hie Franco I Tu--.si.iii war ho as ; ( Th |<o (I.lacker tlnn life), a /' -uav.- or Ijiiiau, according t.i the exi ;;-aii.-i. a of I he s Inal'l .11 deni is,defi, The hvo ii..|ishel j uir..aM-fc was aho.it three w.cko ago in a great Uemiui city,

where the sensation of the time was a. troupe of trained bears. There were", i six of them, and they went their drill and other performances with such startling regularity that it was generally suspected taht they were not but men disguised in bear skins. W. Beuton thought as much, and orfered td wager with the manager that he wduld enter the den, bat the manager clined to sanction his enterprise. W. Benton thereupon invited all the jdurnalists in the city to dinner, assurred them that the bears were frauds, and invited them to be present at the afternoon performance next day, when he intended to unmask the humbug, Having bribed an employee of the menagerie, Beuton, disguised as a bear, entered the cage, " His live companions seemed fruioiisly excited, but he attributed this to their desire to fend off suspicion. The public applauded moat enthuiastically. It was theu that the unhappy being, desirous of carry* ing out his plan, turned toward the Press box, removed his bear's head, ana* bowed politely. A tremendous rour of laughter ensued, followed by an immense shriek: of terror, The bears, on seeing this; human face, precipitated themselves upon the unfortunate man, Before the tamer could take steps to save him, the reporter, frightfully mutt lated, had breathed his last. Thus perished poor "VW Benton, whose editerv in-chief seeks vainly a man fit to replace hioi*—New York World.