The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-07-22

soldier who for a period of twenty nine
years was supposed to have been killed
in the battle of Shiloh and buried on
the field two days later by comrades.
The prisoner is known as "Rickety
DAN Benton, and he is physical
wreck. and the story of this most ro-
mantle case is being unfolded in the
trial
''R1CKETY DAMS HISTORY.
The government, which rested on
Friday last. examined forty or fifty
witnesses and seemed to have made out
an overwhelming case, butt the de-
Tense is now proceeding, and matters
are becoming decidedly mixed. The
government first has Newly dead and
buried then it takes up the boy, ''Rick-
ETY. DAM Benton, at the age of say
$. 6 or years, with his mother, Lydia
Benton. He is traced from White coun-
ty, ILL.,, into Tennessee, where he and
Wooten. There Dan grew up. drifting
away occasionally. but only for short
periods. He was known to the
people of the neighborhood, and so
was his mother Lydia. Finally he
was sent to the penitentiary at Nash
vile for horse stealing and remained
there for twelve years. All this time
he was Dan Benton. He left the peni-
Tertiary in 1889. Afterwards he was
an inmate of many poorhouses in Ten
/ nesee, OHIO, Indiana and Illinois. In
these he WAS registered as Dan Benton
There is no conflict of testimony as to
oil
lutely. ru
ALWAYS KNOWN AS BENTON.
=. In one of these poorhouses he seems
I" lave become enamored of female
I'll 0G> tie, now known as Hannah Stew
ar They left the institution together
anc. became tramps. They did not
marry. but she bore him two children.
One of these was a son and was name ed
Dan. He is ''rickety' like his father.
Both mother and son are here and
testified for the government. The
prisoner was always known to
both as Daniel Benton The moth-
er visited Dan in the peniten-
tiary from time to time, where
he was, as elsewhere, Dan Benton. She
furthermore testified that he told her
that his mothers name was Lydia Luz
cinda Benton. He also always claimed
to be two years younger than she. AS
she is now SO, Dan must be, if he told
her the truth, 81, which is much
younger than Newly would be il alive.
1t is difficult to see how all this formid
able evidence of the government is to
he overturned but it is being attempted.
THEORY OF THE DEFENSE.
The theory of the defense is in brief
that Newly was not killed and buried
at Shiloh. as has been supposed by all
who knew him for thirty years. He
was only desperately wounded in the
head and leg He was taken by rebels
from the field. and finally placed in
Andersonville prison, where he be-
came known as Crazy Jack. In
course of time he was released, a
demented. ''rickety" man He became
q wanderer and drifted about the coun
try, an inmate of the poorhouses and
of the Tennessee penitentiary, just as
Dan Benton. Thus he passed his time
for quarter Of q century until he
finally got into the White county poor
house. Then his reason partially re-
turned and he came to realize that he
was Newly. He went out among
his old neighbors, and declared himself.
He recognized old friends and talked
in such manner of old times
that he convinced many of them. It
must be so, they urged. for nobody but
Newly would know things he spoke of.
Some members of the Newly family,
including his old wife, who had long.
been drawing a pension on his account,
received him as genuine. Finally he
himself made application for an original
pension aud then his troubles COM
menced. An Investigation of his case
resulted in establishing his identity to
the satisfaction of the government Off
Gals as .Rickety Dam Benton and his
arrest and Indictment followed.
WHAT IS EXPECTED.
The presumption is that the defense
will reserve it's strongest testimony for
the close, when a brother and two SIS
-ters are expected to swear that the pris-
oner was their brother. His mother, 96
years old, believes him her son, and
two sisters and brother. it is said,
will testify that he is certainly Newly.
The prisoner, if he is really. Newly, is
understood to be entitled to 8 pension
and arrearages amour ting to about
81 $22, 600. ss 81 SI5.l S
sss Ruled e. i SUNDAY Picnic
GHIeAao the explosion
Ia il at lian