Bennington

CHENEY, William

Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, p 178

About the beginning of the present century there resided in Bennington one 
William CHENEY, who had a very extensive notoriety as a cheat and swindler. 
He lived with his family for several years in the northwest part of the town, 
in different tenant houses, possessed of but little visible property, but 
seldom appearing wholly destitute of money. He was known as a horse jockey 
and idler, and was suspected of almost every kind of iniquity and crime. One 
of his devices was to apply to some close-fisted avaricious man for the loan 
of a small amount of money, informing him he had an opportunity of secretly 
making a large sum by the use of it for a few days, so much that he could 
well afford to return him double the sum for it by a certain short day which 
he named. Having obtained the loan he was prompt to repay the double amount 
at the day appointed.

After a while he would apply for and obtain from the same man a rather larger 
sum for which double the amount would be refunded as before. Having thus 
acquired the confidence of the greedy lender, he would go to him again in 
great want of a much larger sum on the same terms, from which he said he was 
sure to obtain an immense profit in a few days. This larger sum thus 
obtained, CHENEY would be assure to forget to return as he had been to 
remember the others. This mode of operation which was believed to have been 
practiced on many individuals acquired for him the name of "Two for one 
Cheney," by which he was extensively known.

He was supposed to be the ring leader of a gang of thieves and 
counterfeiters, but the mystery in which his shrewdness enabled him to 
involve his transactions for a long time prevented his detection and 
punishment. He was generally bold and defiant towards his accusers, daring 
them to do their worst. On one occasion he was brought before Esquire S., a 
dignified magistrate who calling upon him to stand up, said to him with great 
solemnity and emphasis, "William CHENEY, you are brought before me on the 
suspicion of having tools in your possession for counterfeiting money," to 
which CHENEY promptly replied, "I don't give a d--n for your suspicions; if 
you have any proof, bring it on." The proof failed and CHENEY was 
subsequently discharged. Justice, however, overtook him at last. He was 
arrested for crime in the state of New York, tried and convicted at Troy 
[Rensselaer County, New York] in the spring of 1802, and sentenced to ten 
years imprisonment in the state prison, but lived to serve only a portion of 
his time.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly