Frostburg Mining Journal

WHIPPED A PRINCE.
How Poor "Tom" Benton Fell Foul of England's Future King.

Tom Benton occupied for many years—in fact, until his death—a responsible position in the household of Queen Victoria. Benton, who was of humble birth, was but a lad at Brighton when his parents died within a few months of each other. It was shortly after these events when the queen's attention was called to the young boy under rather peculiar circumstances.

One day, while Benton was gathering shells on the beach at Brighton to make pincushions, which he sold to the summer visitors, a young boy, nicely dressed and about his own age, appeared upon the scene and scattered, with a vigorous kick, the accumulated shells.

Benton gathered up his treasures, and placing them again in a pile warned the intruder that if he repeated the trick he would give him a "good licking."

The kick was repeated with even more vigor than before, and the shells were sent flying in every direction. True to his word, the "poor boy" soundly thrashed the stranger. It was a close contest at first, as the lads were quite evenly matched, but the more fully developed strength of Benton finally brought him off victorious.

Just as the melee was over a gentleman and lady approached, and the former said: "You did quite right, young man. We have seen the whole transaction. This boy is our son, but he was the aggressor and received the thrashing he well merited." A number of questions were asked the lad as to himself and his family. The replies told the boy's life, how the death of his parents had brought poverty to himself and his brothers and sisters.

"This is the queen," said the gentleman, who was none other than Prince Albert, "and the young man to whom you administered such a merited whipping is the Prince of Wales." Turning to the prince, he continued: "You must send this young man to school and pay for his tuition out of your own pocket money. That cannot add to your punishment, but can benefit this poor lad with whom you picked such an uncalled for quarrel."

Thus it was that Tom Benton met the queen of England. He was sent to a school about midway between Portland and Dover. After completing his studies there he was taken into her majesty's service and remained there his entire life. Between Benton and the Prince of Wales there was a strong bond of friendship, such as could exist between true manly men.—New York Herald.