He wanted three thousand cash immediately, and would leave the other five thousand on deposit. There was little cash available
HISTORY < >F WESTERN NEBRASKA
and the bank did not accept the proffer. Henry St. Rayner and Mr. Donaldson, were at Cheyenne at the time, and when they returned to Sidney, told the local bankers of "the preacher with the eight thousand dollar draft." As expected, Benton came to Sidney, this time willing to take two thousand dollars in cash.
L. W. Bickel, banker at Kimball, had loaned Benton twenty-five dollars, and said he guessed he had "kissed it good by," when he learned that Benton was peddling a big draft. He told Officer Trognitz to get the twenty-five if he could.
Benton was stopping with a Methodist brother named Whitney, although leaving his bag at a hotel. Trognitz got a warrant and searched the bag, finding it contained old clothes, a characteristic tramp's outfit. Then he arrested Benton at the Whitney home. The good people could hardly believe Benton was really a bad character. However, Trognitz found four of the Bickel five dollar bills in the end of his spectacle case, and some silver in his pockets.
The papers headlined a story of "cowboy Sheriff arrests a preacher." Two days later Cashier Stone of Sioux City Savings Bank, arrived and identified Benton, as a swindler named Simpson. His method was to get part cash on a large draft, drop his c!ergyman"s attire, and don the garb of a tramp until well out of the community. He was also wanted at Central City. Sheriff Trognitz received one thousand dollars reward.