In the course of his tours about town, he discovered in a house then well known his former mistress, Kitty. It was on a Saturday night, and while Ben was in the place, the house was "pulled," and all the occupants, including Ben and Kitty, were locked up. They were obliged to remain in the station-house until Monday morning, when they were arraigned. Each of the others was fined either five or ten dollars, but Ben and Kitty, toward whom the Mayor entertained special feelings of friendship, were each given the privilege of paying one hundred dollars, or spending sixty days in jail. Ben had money enough only to pay his own fine at the time, but he succeeded in raising enough afterward to pay Kitty's also, and thus released her from imprisonment. Ben instituted proceedings against the city for unjust punishment, and left the case in the hands of his lawyer, ----. If that gentleman ever succeeded in getting any damages, Ben has not been informed of the fact up to the present writing.
Before leaving Pittsburg at this time, Ben repeated the Mexican dollar dodge, of which mention has already been made, among a number of the leading shoe merchants of the place; and, by this and other means, he raised enough to carry him to the West in good style.
Striking Cleveland, he put up with his friend Charley Moore, and remained for six weeks, at the end of which time his capital was again exhausted. At about the same time he learned through El. Rumsey that there was to be a glove fight at Birmingham, O., and thither he made his way.
For five weeks he remained with Rumsey, at the latter's hotel, and had altogether a jolly time of it. He gave a number of sparring exhibitions at this time, the last of which was held in Sandusky. Ben fell in love with so many girls during his sojourn in Birmingham, and took unto himself so many wives, after the Brigham Young fashion, that it finally became necessary for him to get out of town.
He proceeded at once to Detroit, and there fell in with McLaughlin, who was stopping at Martindale's Hotel, preparing for his match with the Butcher Boy of Ypsilanti. Ben became McLaughlin's trainer, and remained with him six weeks. Of all the men whom he had ever had under his charge, he found McLaughlin the most perfect specimen of muscular development. He could bear training better than anybody Hogan had ever met, and his powers of endurance were simply marvelous. Up to that time, McLaughlin had never been trained under two hundred and forty pounds. Ben brought him down to two hundred and fifteen, and there was not a muscle in his entire body which did not show. A number of physicians called to examine him, and they united in pronouncing him a model of physical strength. It maybe added that Ben found McLaughlin a thorough gentleman, as well as an ideal athlete.