The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-04-18

Thirteen months Of hard labor in th e
Ohio Penitentiary.
That was the sentence placed yes
terday upon j. B. Hunter, the old
man who was found guilty some days
ago Of fraud in the pension business.
Hunter received his sentence calm
ly, and no one could tell that he was
in the least affected by the gruesome
prospect of convict stripes and prison
walls. He will in all probability be
the oldest man in the penitentiary, as
his years reach over the three score
and ten notch. In view Of his extreme
age Judge Newman made the mini
mum punishment fit the crime.
Hunter comes from Fannin County,
and has for many years been promi-
nent character in that part Of the
| country. As school teacher he was
admired for his wisdom and respected
on account of his age. Politically he
was leader and conducted strong
fights against the Democratic party.
A near neighbor of his was Mrs. Betty
Hughes, an octogenarian, highly re-
spected and well known in that sec
tion. Some times these old people
would get together and talk over the
days gone by. Upon one occasion
Hunter proposed that he might be
able to secure a pension for Mrs.
Hughes, as her husband had been a
union soldier. Thus through him she
made application and succeeded in
getting pension amounting to about
$4,000. Hunter, who had the thing in
charge, however, turned over to the
old lady only 81, 400, telling her that
was the whole amount. Soon after
the fraud was discovered Hunter was
arrested.
Connected with the killing Of Mrs.
Hughes's husband is one Of the
strangest stories Of the civil war. In
Fannin County there lived and -four
ished fellow famed far and wide as
"Dare Devil Ben. He was the
Brombones of the community and his
exploits extended all over north Geor-
gia. Sprung from a prominent family
which boasted Of its Bourbon blood
and rich in the possession Of worldly
goods, he was the leading spirit in the
crowd of jovial-hearted fellows who
lived only for fun and frolic.
When the tocsin of war was first
sounded Ben Jordan responded speed
ily.. Organizing company at once,
he hastened to the scene Of conflict.
In the battles throughout Virginia
there were no braver spirits than Ben.
Jordan s men. Several times he fell
wounded, fighting in the thick of the
fray. His many deeds of reckless
daring won the admiration Of all the
officers and his unshrinking valor Tn
deared him to the hearts of the men.
One day shortly after the battle Of
Gettysburg he received letter noti-
flying him of his mothers death and
telling how his home had been burned.
Jordan Immediately made application
for leave of absence. This, how
ever, could not be obtained, as the or
der revoking all leaves of absence and
refusing thereafter all furloughs had
just before been issued. Then, ac-
cording to the tale told by an old Fan
min County citizen, Jordan, with his
characteristic boldness, went before
General Longstreet.
He explained to the General how he
had heard of the death Of his mother
and the burning of his home and ask
| ed a leave of absence. Longstreet
replied that he sympathized with him,
but the orders must be obeyed no
matter what the circumstances were,
and he was forced to refuse the re-
quest. Jordan bowed and left the
tent. The next morning he was miss
ing. Some time after he turned up
near his old home in Fannin County
to find things even worse than re-
ported. Nothing remained except
| the land upon which the ruins of his
ancestral mansion were standing.
Driven to desperation he swore re-
venge. From his sister he got the
names of the twenty-five men, who, it
was said, sympathizing with the Un-
ion side after seeing the inevitable re-
suit of the war, began to commit deeds
| Of violence in their neighborhood. It
was this gang which burned Jordan 8
house. He did not return to Vir-
ginia. When the surrender was made
and peace declared, all of his old COM
panions came home. To several of
them he related his tale. They swore
to stand by him and the vendetta was
formed. Upon a Bible each took a
solemn oath to kill all of the men whose
names were on the list.
How well they succeeded any OF
the old people up in Fannin can tell
you. As each man was killed, Jordan
| would check his name off the list. In
some mysterious way the vendetta
was divulged. Jordan disappeared !,
and since then has never been heard
from. Among the names on the list
of those who were murdered was that
of Dallas Hughes, the husband of
Mrs. Betty Hughes, whose pension
old man Hunter will suffer for.-At-
lanta Constitution, April 6.
Ills Grounds for POstponement.