The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-01
From The Nslp York Times.


HEAVY FRAUDS UPON THE GovEsNMENT.--Falss,
Pension Certificates Land Wayraslfs &c "A series;
|of the extensive frauds that have been perpe
ltrated in this country within period of number
lof years past against the Government of the Uni
tied States has recently been brought light. III
|appears that about two months since Justice st
became OF the fact that certain parties werel
lin the constant practice Of forging land warrants
applications for back pay for service rendered inI
the Mexican war, applications for bounty lands,
land for pension certificates; and, after much exer
|tion his part in order TO ascertain the names OF
|the parties, he wrote to Richard w. Heath, esq
agent for the Department of the Interior and De-
|pnty United States Commissioner OF Pensions at
Washington. This gentleman then commenced
ian investigation relative TO the truth or ial5ity oil
la large number OF applications for PENSIONS back
|pay, land warrants, &c, and which have within al
period of eighteen months past been made toI
THE Department, and found, 10 his astonish
lment, that the Government had been defrauded!
nut of lands and money to IN immense amount
While these Investigations were going at}
Washington, Justice Stuart was engaged in prob
ling tho matter in this city; aud, in connexion With
Assistant Captain Taft, OF the Ninth Ward police,
discovered other gross frauds besides those pro
,viously found out by him; and Captain TAFT wasE
labout ten days since dispatched to Washin gtonf
with further Information to the Government autho-
lritcs. While in that city, through informationk
Rendered by him. Ii was discovered that in one sin
lyle instance fraud involving loss to the Govern
ment Of 900 acres of land had been perpetrated
IA few days since the Commissioner of Pensions,
Mr. Heath, having prepared himself with what he5
considered the necessary proof Of the guilt of Ger
I,ain parties, to this city and preferred COM
lplants against about eighteen individuals cbarg
ng them with forging the names of different parties
Ito applications for back pay, PENSIONS land war
rants, &c, with intent to defraud the Government{
gof the United States. Warrants were then issued
sby Justice Stuart and United States Commissioned
BRIGHAM for the arrest of the parties. These
rants were placed in the hands of Capt. Lovett, i
Assistant Capt. Taft, of the Ninth Ward police,
land officers Clark, Van Buskirk, and Hanifen, of
hes I'd IN Sat laU m
sSunday morning, arrested Thomas Lawson, land
broker, OF No. IL Murray street; Horace b. Pike,
land broker, doing business at the corner of WALL
and William streets; VIM. Merrihue, of Brookyn;y
Hamilton X. Boone, doing business in Broadway;
VIM. A. Grswold, lawyer, of No lis Nassau
street, and Edward F. Nexson, broker, of No. CO.
Wall street, all of whom were taken before JustceS
stuart and, with the exception OF Mr.. Nexson wereS
committed to prison for examination. The latter
was placed in custody of Capt. Taft. Against hmy
the only charge appears to be that OF sending Ak
false application for pension for widow, which hes
states had been handed to him by of the parties
above named for the purpose of having it sent on
to Washington, he at the time believing it to be as
genuine document, and having no idea of its bengE
fraudulent
Pike is the person who arrested be
tween three and four months ago, charged With
presenting forged check for s 5000 at the coun-
Ter of the Bank Of the State of New York, and isl
now under indictment and awaiting trial on thes
charge. When arrested and taken before usticeS
Stuart. number of land warrants were found onE
his person, but the justice having no proof to show
that they were not genuine, returned them to him 4
He soon afterward, however, heard that he was
engaged in getting up false applications for land 4
warrants to Government, and this led him to make +
further inquiries, and the result has been the dis
coyery that frauds of this nature have been perpe
trated upon the Government by land brokers and 3
others throughout the country, to the amount of 1
hundreds of thousands of dollars. The rest of the
pa rites implicated have not been arrested. though
the officers out in every direction after them. I
Most of hem reside out of the city, and some inf
other States. MIR. Heath ia in the city, and hasA
with him at least bushe of the false papers; heb
will be present at the examination. Much credit Z
is due TO Justice Stuart and Assistant Captain Taft Il
for their indefatigabe exertions for weeks past in
erreting out this matter. Z
Yesterday morning Justice Stuart received in
formation that one of these fraudulent land war
rants was recently purchased OF an exchange
broker, at No. So Wall street. named Rufus Clag Z
!gert. by Charles p. Rowan, for the sum of S l25
IA warrant was Immediately iseued for his arrest i
and Assistant Captain Taft, of the Ninth Ward !
brought the accused before the magistrate tn await
Ia further hearing in the case From the attidavitsS
filed at the police court, in this case, it appearsE
that the warrant in question was drawn in favor OF
argaret Carlin and her only surviving child Il
Michael Carlin, for hundred and sixty OF
Government land, which the accused sold to Mr. I
Rowan, with the following bill of sale:
"NEw YoRK, September TO- lS49 5
&C P. Rowan bought of r. CLAoaERr on Q land
warrant No. 81 ,022, 1875, guaranteed genuine andp
correct
''Recelyed payment, H. CLAGoERT.
1t is ascertaned that the claim set forth byE
Mrs Carlin and Michael q fictitious one \
The certificate discovered to be fraudulene
soon after being purchased by Mr.. Rowan, whoE
5despatched the same to Messrs, Lyman, Cook, & E
lCo of Broadway, during the month of january
following the purchase. Mr.. George II. SealeyE
lalso makes affidavit that he present whenb
this land warrant was purchased and heard Clag Z
CERT distinctly say it was genuine. In connection
with the affair, Assistan Captain Seabrng, of the{
ninth district police has effected the arrest of ano
Fiber party charged with being concerned in theseE
Operations Dr. James Elliott, OF No. % New street
Newark, New Jersey. This individual wac ex-
3tensvely engaged in getting up these spurious!
i land warrants, by means of fictitious names, nst
Switnesses, to make the claims. Captain Seabring I'll
was assisted by Deputy United States Marshall
iSouthard Of Newark, and Mr.. John w Latson,
3of this city and after watching the residence of the
Iaccused during the whole of Saturday night they
him before Mr.. Tuthili, United States Commits /
Ssioner, where he waived any examination, hndi
1gave bonds to answer in the of 10 00J. II i'll
THE opinion of the authorities that many of theE
leases will come within the State laws, while thei
othcrs only within the jurisdiction of the Uni
tied States courts. A thorough investigation will
flake place. In the meantime the police officersi
are in search of other persons who stand charged
with being accomplices with those who now!
Scontned In the Jefferson Market prison.
DISTANCES ON THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAIL
4RoAp.-The following is a table of distances on thes
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as far as FairmoDt: