Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-07-20
A QUEER CASE.
It Crows Out of a Pension Claim
at Springfield, III.
a Man Known for Years as Dan Benton
Now Declares Himself TO BE william
Newly. Supposed to Have
Been Killed at shiloh.
A ~ o. MYsrERY.

SPRINGFIELD. Ill, July 1S.-The case
of the United States vs.. Daniel Benton,
which is on trial in the federal court
here, is one of the most remarkab bic
that has ever been tried IN Illinois, if
not in the United States, and since the
trial was entered upon the middle of
last week it has been the principal
topic of conversation in nearly
all circles in this city. The case is
criminal prosecution against Daniel
Benton, who is under indictment for
personating William Newly, a union
soldier who for 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 a physical
wreck, and the story Of this most ro-
mantle case is being unfolded in the
trial.
''RIcKETY DAMS" HISTORY.
The government, which rested on
Friday last, examined forty or fifty
witnesses and seemed to have made out
an overwhelming case, but, 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. Dan" Benton, at the age of say
>, or years, with his mother, Lydia
Benton lie is traced from White coun-
~. H., into Tennessee, where he and
his mother were taken by one Andy
Wooten. There Dan grew up, drifting
away occasionally, but only for short
periods He was known to the
people of the neigh borhood. 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
these facts. They We're proved abso-
lutely.
ALWAYS KNOWN As BENTON.
In one of these poorhouses he seems
to have become enamored of a female
inmate, now known as Hannah Stew
art. They left the institution together
and became tramps. They did not
marry, but she ~ore 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 if alive
1t is difficult to see how all this formid-
able evidence of the government is to
be 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. lie
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 Cray Jack" In
course of time he was released,
demented, 'rickety" man. He became
a 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 "A quarter of a 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. lie 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 1t
must be 50, they urged, for nobody bat
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 and then his troubles com
menced. An investigation Of his case
resulted ia establishing his identity 70
the satisfaction of the government off
Gals as "Ricl1ety Dan" Benton and his
arrest and indictment followed.
WHAT IS EXPECTED.
The presumption is that the defense
VIII reserve its strongest testimony for
the close, when a brother and two sis
tiers are expected to swear that the pris-
oner was their brother. His mother, %
years old, believes him her son. and
two sisters and a brother. it is said,
will testify that he is certainly Newly.
The prisoner, if he is really Newly, is
understood to be entitled to a pension
and arrearages amounting to about
81, 600
Two Men Drowned.
Iowa CRY, la, July 1s-Charles
HafAa and Charles Sibel, living in this