The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-10-08

VINO was mean enough anu smart enough
to commit the robbery, and outside of
this acquaintance it was not possible for
any one to know he had any money or
where the trunk was kept. And Dick,
the black rascal, Dick had visited Mr..
Montague's premises more than once on
Sundays, and had cone up to the old
lady's door and saluted her and he could
have seen the trunk under the bed and
told his master where it was.
Thus the account stood, and while the
more thoughtful nabors were looking
around the trunk in the woods, they sud.
denly discovered tracks-tracks of q
horse and mule. They found where the
animals had been hitched while the
robbers went after the trunk, and very
near by where the mule was tied, there
was small hickory sapling cut off about
knee high With slanting stroke of an
axe. 1t had been long done and the top
edge was hard aud dry and sharpe and
there on the point of it was little patch
of sorrel hair. The mule had skinned
his Leg and left the mark behind. This
discovery settled it and removed all
doubts, for Benson had bay horse and
sorrel mule. Benson and Dick were
the robbers.
With hurried haste and fierce determi-
nation the male members of the Mon.
tague household and their resolute nabors
mounted their steeds and went galloping
up the valley road to Benson's house.
Without ceremony of invitation they
entered the stable lot and brought out
the sorrel mule, and on close inspection
found skinned place on his knee, and
the sorrel hair was all of q color. Ben
son aud Dick were there and looked on
with amazement, either feigned or real.
Poor Mrs. Benson stood in her door with
clasped hands, and looked the picture OF
alarm and despair. The children stood
by their mother and clung to her gar.
ments as they looked in her face and
then at the crowd of desperate men, who
had invaded the sacred precincts of their
home.
The leader of the crowd made a mo.
ton to his companions and uttered
between his teeth "take them" Benson
and Dick were seized and tied and
carried hastily away. They were mount
ed upon the mule aud the bay, and the
party we're soon far beyond the cries and
shrieks of mother and children. An
hours ride found them ina lonely dell
back of the Montague farm, and they
discounted and prepared their victims
for confession and resituation, or other.
wise for the scourge, It was in vain that
Benson and Dick protested their inno-
cence and plead for mercy: They were
stripped and pinioned to two trees not
far from cath other, and as stroke after
stroke brought the warm blood squirting
from their veins they called upon God
for mercy, for man had none. "Oh, my
God" groaned Benson as the tears ran
down his face. "Oh, Mas Tom, dey is
KILN of me-" screamed Dick. "Be a
man, Dick, for Jesus sake" replied
Benson and so the scourge went on
until the avengers began to fear for the
lives of their victims and held whisper
ed consultation. One of the more con.
siderate walked away quietly and care
lessly and took another look at the mule.
Returning be talked to Benson and told
him how much better it would be for
him to give up the gold, and promised
that he should not be prosecuted if he
would do so, but Benson maintained his
innocence with prayers and tears, and
the avengers we're outdone. Salt and
water had been brought to garnish their
wounds, and half dead with pain the
victims we're remounted and allowed to
90 home. 1t was q sad return to sadder
hearthstone. During the next few weeks
while Benson and Dick were being ten.
derly nursed and were slowly recovering,
this bold and daring robbery was the all
absorbing topic of the country and. the
town. There were not few; who doubt
ed Benson's guilt, and who openly de.
nounced the brutal whipping, but the
Montague family were influential in
church and state, and Benson's nabor.
hood was almost solid against him. They
believed in his guilt. As soon as he was
able to ride in a buggy he went to town
with his wife and there sent for the
sheriff and paid off that mortgage with
five hundred dollars in gold. This
capped the climax. This made the
Montagues desperate. The night after
wards fifteen masked and mounted men
visited his house again, and seizing
Benson and Dick gagged and tied and
blindfolded them and took them away TO
parts unknown. They we're kept hidden
for week, and were alternately whipped
and starved and every day brought new
horrors. Benson endured it all with
heroism, but Dick gave up repeatedly,
and when under the circulating lash
would promise to tell it all if they would
stop. Then he would confess his guilt
and declare that Mas Tom made him 60,
and Mas Tom had de money, but be
didn't know whar he hid it. "Now
Dick-now Dick" Benson would say,
"speak the truth if they kill you-you
know that aint so, is it Dick? would you
tell lie on your best friend, Dick ?"
And Dick would reply: ooh, Mas Tom
dey will kill me if / don't tell sumfn." /"
AS last resort they built up brushheap
and laid their victims on it and set it on
fire. The flames leaped quickly through
the dry fagots and licked their clothes,
and next their skin, and they were hasti-
ly pulled off the heap and their burning
garments drenched with water and still
they gave no sign. This was the last,
aud the victims were still alive. They
were kept two more days to recover the
life that was nearly gone, and then during
the darkness of the following night were
returned to their home.
Some two months after this the circuit
court convened in the County town, and
certain members of the Montague family
attended and went before the grand jury.
They exhibited the patch of sorrel hair
and recited the other evidences of guilt,
and procured true bill for robbery and
burglary in the night time. Benson and
Dick were arrested, and for lack o!
friends were put in Jail. In due time
Benson was put on trial. An able coun-
selor and eloquent advocate was employ
ed by him-a lawyer who had doubts of
his guilt and sympathized with his mis-.
fortune. The prosecution was vigorous.
ly defended, and resulted in verdict of
guilty, for the patch of sorrel hair was
in the way and proved fatalto liberty.
The case was carried to the supreme
court of the State, and the verdict
affirmed and Benson was sentenced to
the penitentiary for twenty years. Alas,
for the hearted wife aud weeping
children. The little farm was seized
and sold for costs Of the prosecution.
The father went oil in chains one way