Ben denounced his accusers, and endeavored to show the Squire that what they asserted was a falsehood. The argument which ensued led to hot words on both sides, and these in turn resulted in blows. Ben whipped both of the men and turned them out of the office, along with the Squire for company. During the fracas, the man who entered the complaint, drew out the money which he claimed had been stolen from him, thus proving that his accusations were wholly false. Of course the case was never pressed in view of such developments. Petrolia by this time had become a borough, and the election of a burgess, as the office is called in Pennsylvania, was close at hand. A very strong and popular man, Dimmick by name, had been nominated for the position, and as his election was regarded a certainty, no opposition candidate was named. [Illustration: _MOCK RAID ON THE GAMBLING HOUSE IN LITTLE ROCK._] This gave Ben an opportunity to make his first entree into politics. He determined that Dimmick should not have a walk-over in the race, and so set himself up as an independent candidate. With very little experience in the wiles and ways of political life, his personal popularity was such that he was fairly elected to the office, receiving a majority of seven votes. So close a result prompted Dimmick's friends to resort to fraudulent measures for the sake of their candidate. Hogan was counted out of the office to which he was justly entitled, as other men in higher walks of life have been counted out of higher offices. The upright Mr. Campbell declared that, whatever the ballots might show, Ben Hogan must not be burgess. "Why," said he, "this man would have a drinking saloon or a gambling hell on every corner. And he would arrest all of us who didn't go into these places!" Ben really cared very little for the office. He had run simply to test his strength, and his success made him abundantly satisfied with the result. He permitted his opponent to assume the position without contention. Just after the election, and while on his way to Pittsburg, Ben picked up a copy of the _Oil City Derrick_, in which he read an announcement of his election. The train happened to be delayed by the breaking of a bridge, and our hero went into a neighboring farm house to obtain something to eat. This being furnished him, he fell into conversation with the farmer, and pointed out to him the paragraph in the _Derrick_. "Think of it!" said Ben, with assumed indignation. "Such a man as Hogan elected burgess of Petrolia! Why, it's a disgrace to the town--a libel upon the elective system!" "That's so," returned the farmer. "I've heered a good deal about this Ben Hogan, and I should calculate he ought to be in jail instead of in office." "Of course he ought," rejoined Ben. "Lynching would be too good for him!" This sort of talk was continued for some time, Ben joining with the farmer in the opinion that Hogan ought to be hung up to the nearest tree.