Myrtle Bennett trial "The Bridge Game Murder"

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herrfrank
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Myrtle Bennett trial "The Bridge Game Murder"

Post by herrfrank »

With the successful conclusion of the NABC tournament here in Kansas City, I thought it timely to post references to the infamous Bridge Game murder and trial that dominated the KC headlines from 1929-1931.

Myrtle Bennett, of the 900 block of Ward Parkway, murdered her husband John during a long night of contract bridge with Myrna and Charles Hofman. After a bombshell trial, she was acquitted under the guidance of former Mayor and man-about-town, Senator James Reed (this was just before he rescued his kidnapped young bride, the housedress impresario, Nelly Don). The final bid was four spades, doubled. Her husband missed the trump finesse, going down two, at unfavorable vulnerability, yielding 500 points for the Hofmans.

This article from the Jackson County Historical Journal summarizes the story well.

Snopes includes a diagram of the purported hand

The infamy of the trial continues to intrigue bridge aficionados today
flyingember
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Re: Myrtle Bennett trial "The Bridge Game Murder"

Post by flyingember »

Bridge, apparently it went from 44% of people paying it in the 1920s (about 45 million) to 1% today (about 3 million)

I can't say I've ever seen the game.

But a murder over a card game, that is so 1920s
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