The sun., 1896-09-06
THE AMERICAN TICHBoRNE.
Rickety Dan Benton's Attempt to Get Pen.
sion Money or n False Claim.

from the Buffalo Courier.
Dan Benton, alias William Newby. has heen
discharged from an Illinois pententiary,
where he has served term of two years on
charges Of presenting fraudulent pension
claim. committing perjury, and making
false affidavit in pension claim. lie is the
American Tichborne. and II large number OF
people were. at the time OF his conviction, as
firmly convinced Of the injustice OF his pun
ishmert as were the adherents Of the ia
nous British Claimant"
William Newby. private In an Illinois
regiment, was supposed to have been killed
April @. 1862 and to have been buried on
the field OF Shiloh. His widow applied for
and obtained n pension. About six years ago
a hatless and badly dressed man appeared In
Carmi, H., Newby's f..rmer home, and an
he had been shot In the head at Shiloh and
left for dead, that he had been confined in
Ssya "qs By m he aa
cd from one poorhouse to another until he had
found himself In the aln.shouse at Taylor.
His knowledge Of people and places con-
WINGED the old residents that ho was the per
her son; NeTbys widow was sent for at her
home in Tennessee, and at first rerudieted
him, but was finally persuaded OF his tden-
tty and resigned her pension. He put in u
claim for 100000 arrears OF pension money,
former convict who accidentally met him. dc.
clared that he was "Rickety Dan" Benton,
who had served a term OF eighteen years in
the Nashville penitentiary for horse stealing.
An officer OF tho Pension Bureau was detailed to
investigate the matter. and one of the facts DIS
covered by him was that tho -, d!sant Newby
OF the real Newly, who had told him much
about the family and the old residents of Car
alive, he would be entitled 70 100000 OF the
pension money. The pension official also traced
the history OF Benton back 70 childhood, hc-
man who profess"d tn be Ncwhy came to .be
tried for attempting to dcfraud the Govern
ment a very strong case was made out against
him. among the witnesses who swore he was
Dan Benton WAS woman who had tramped
with Benton from one poorhouse 10 another
against the accused, and there were other wit
nesses who had been connerted with the Nash
vile penitentiary aud who had known Benton
from childhood. On the other hand some 200
people of Carmi and Its neighb0rhoOd tssti-
hed that the accused was Newly. There was
a good deal Of feeling in the matter. and tho
prosecution was denounced as rebel conspiracy
against u Union veteran. and when the jury
brought In verdict Of conviction its members
who looked up .Bcnton's career had 10 take
refuge In tho Judges room as n protection
against tho mob Tho Judge, however, ex'
pressed his satisfaction with tho verdict. En-
forts were made 10 secure new trial. and tho
case was twic" taken TO the United States Su-
prone Court. but the convicted man lad TO
He still maIntatns that he Is Newhy, and de.
clarss that he vi renew his application for a
pay as a soldier Tor tho whole period since the
battle of shiloh, on the ground thu, he has
never been mustered out OF the service. He
hopes 10 get the assistance OF tho Grand Army
men who made the light in his behalf before,
but he will probably ind that the ardor which
that his friends of that time have by this be-
come convinced that they were hasty, and that
he is a fraud OF the most pronounced type.