Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-01
4 AGENCIES.
Report of Condition of Claim
Agencies Gf Memphis.

The Second Auditor Of the Treasury,
on Friday OF last week, sent the Chair
man of the Senate COMMITTEES on Pen
sions a report of one Of the former clerks
detailed by him TO investigate the fraud
ule1t practices OF claim agents il
the collection Of claims for pay and
bounty in csses Of cO!Ored troops. tins
Auditor says he has used ali means
within his power to cheek these frauds,
but owing to want OF authority to or
gsnizs any detective system, he has not
succeeded TO the extent he otherwise
might. So many fraudulent claims hav-
ing lately been filed, be has suspended
action upon q large number Of them, and
has withheld Treasury certificates,
amounting to over $3.50 eco in anticipa-
ton OF further legislation by Congress
affordiDg greater protection to the Gov
eminent the Commissioned Of Pensions
c0ncUrs entirely in the views expressed
by the Auditor. and says the report
shows the most systematic and startling
frauds upon the Government, and unless
something be lone at oDcs to arrest the
growing evil, the Government must be
the suff, rer. Like the Auditor, he regards
the bill, as introduced by Senator Will
son, as OF vital Importance, and hopes
sincerely it will meet the approval OF
Congress. 1t appears from the report
and evidence, that q complete system OF
~defrauding and chsating the cOlored
claimants prevails in sld around Mem
phis, and that the system Of preparing
and prosecuting claims by the CAIN
agents, is L Of utter reckiessness and
frsUd. The author Of the report carried
with him over one hundred claims for
bounty ia behalf Of widows, IS q test, and
from the investigation, be fOuad nearly
every claim to be fraudulent. In twenty
claims, where the names Of the same
Witnesses appeared, in every case, as
having ssen all Of the twenty claimants
married, he found, upon examination,
that the Witnesssss cid not know s0me
OF the soldiers, and did not know any of
the widows, never saw them married,
and were never 81 the same places where
the marriages were alleged to have &C.
Cured. It appears that neither the
claim agent nor the officers before whom
the eialAs are executed, read and are
Iuily explained to the witnesses, the pa
pers they sre rsq9irea to ago, aud from
the KGct that these claim agents have
used the amer as witnesses to several
hundred marriages, at places widely
apart, in the same year, and sometimes
10 the same month, he concludes that
OuS aSSHb 10 tAO piAACiPSA parry " TUG
frauds, and runners generally bat dupes
and fools, The eoloEsd men known IS
runners or claim hunters, are bired By
the agents to bring them claimsots. and
paying from 81 to % Tor ordinary claim
ants, tesher or mother, but 81 for widows.
These premiums are offered on widows
elaims, because a pension is involved in
all such cases. And doubtless from the
/ fact that the agent seeureS NOT Onlv q
large fee, but q continuous one, go long
as the pension may be granted, and, by
the way, claims are now being prepared,
and evidence OF marriage OF cohabita-
ton manufactured, or widows claim
for pension will be presented in
the case Of every deceased soldier,
and By ths anne msans the agent proves
the fact Of marriage, he will prove the
existence OF minor children Issue OF the
soldier, and have the pension cores
pOndiDg'y increased. Two of the princi-
pal agents in Memphis, had aEoa for q
time n OF their ewn clerks appointed
Deputy County Clerk, for no other pur-
pose than TO administer oaths on their
claims. These deputies did not have &C.
cess to the seal OF the Court, but would
simply administer the oath, then send
the papers to the principal clerk for him
to sign and atfix his seal, and even after
the authority Of these deputies was re-
voked, and the witnesses were sent to the
County Clerk to be qlslifisd, he would
ask it the pspers had been II tad to them
st the ageDtis office, and If they said yesf
he would administer the oath, sign and
affix his sesl. The author Of the report
details at lepgth the means by which
agents conduct their dishonest business.