The union Democrat., 1869-04-24
The Bounty swindlers.


practices Of claim agents in the collection of
bounty and pensions due the colored volun-
teers. The report is to this effect:
The headquarters of the fraudulent claim
agents appear to be in and about Memphis,
Tennessee. The system pursued by the swim
dlers is one of utter recklessness. The officer
who conducted the Investigations took with
him to Memphis more than one hundred wild
ows' claims which had been forwarded for
collection, and found that nearly every one
was fraudulent. Witnesses whose names
were appended to the certificates knew moth
ing Of the widows, had never seen any of
them married. and in many cases had never
been at the places where the marriages we're
said to have been solennized Runners had
been employed as witnesses and as claim hun
tiers, and had been paid from one to three
dollars for each parent, and four dollars for
each widow claimant they produced. 1t was
discovered that two of the principal agents at
Memphis had each one clerk acting as Depu-
ty County Clerk, for the purpose of admins
tering oaths in their claims, and that in vari-
ons other ways. either by the aid of county
officers or in defiance Of them, they had man
aged to carry on monstrous system of swim
ding. Owing to want of authority to organ
iZe any detective system, the Auditor was not
able to check these frauds, but bv dispatch
ihg trusty agents TO the principal scene of
action. be succeeded in discovering the tricks
which had been played, and at once suspend
ed action on II large number of claims, amount
ing to more than Sl500O0. In the views ex-
pressed bv the Second Auditor, the Commits
sioner of Pensions concurred, and at once
took steps to prevent further frauds upon his
department"
Yesterday afternoon a representative of the
Irttane had an interview with n gentleman
lately an ofhce-hoder at Washington, who
made TIE following statement, provoked by
the report above alluded to
Before the bill was pass allowing pensions
and bounty to colored volunteers in the
late war, our informant. u, was ap-
preached by an exMajor General. who invit-
ed him to enter into a money making scheme,
which he said, required an Investment of
SOC, 900 on the part of X. On being ask
ed for full explanation of the scheme, the
General told Y that it consisted in pur-
chasing the claims of colored soldiers for
bounty.
X.- Bnt there is no law granting eth er
pension or bounty to colored troops.
Major General. True. But such law will
soon be passed. and unless we take time by
the forelock the field will be occupied by a
thousand agents, and our opportunities lost
forever.
u What better opportunity have we than
ANYBODY else?
Major General.-I have already heen prom
isad by - - the monopoly of the busi-
ness. He is to receive one-ifth of the profits
in consideration of his services.
u What becomes of the balance?
Major General.-I receive one fifth, and
you, if you invest SIC, 900, will come in for a
like share.
" That's three-ffths. How about the
other two-ffths?
Major General.-Thev are divided equally
between - (jnst appointed Gov
ernor OF one of the Territories,) and -
-, United States official at Covington,
Kentucky.
X.-And what do you expect to make?
Major General.-Somewher in the neg-
borhood of 100000.
X.-IIow?
Major General-The ignorant blacks who
have served in the army especially those Tho
enlisted in Kentucky and Tennessee, are not
aware that their claims are worth anything.
10 fact they do not know that they have any
claims against the Government. We propose
to send out agents and buy up their discharge
papers at an expense of from five to ten dol
lars each, procure the necessary documents
to accompany them, and send them all to the
proper officer at Washington, who will not
delay in liquidating the claims and pocketing
his share of the profit
X. listened with patience to an elaborate
explanation of the plan, learned the name
and position of each of the gentlemen who
were expected to take part in the fraud and
its proceeds. and then, according to his state
ment. refused, to have anything whatever to
do with the business.
1t is not deemed advisable at this time to
make public the names of the parties to this
projected fraud, for reasons which are suffi-
ciently obvious. When the proper time comes,
that is, when publication OF all that has been
omitted of this affair shall not in any way
tend to defeat the ends of justice, the names
of the interested parties will be given. Wheth-
er the statement made by ", who is a busi-
ness man of repute, is true or false, we have
no means of knowing. If true, it inculp pates
gentleman who has held an honorable posi-
ton in the army, another who has occupied
places of trust and responsibility for many
years, and third who has, until very recent
ly been the recipient of valuable favors from
the Goyernment.-N 7. Tribune.