Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-11-19
TRIAL OF GEN. ). c. VAUGHN.
Interesting Developments In the Great
Pension Frauds.
Testimony OF Important witnesses Intro
duced by the Government
wEDNBsDAY-MoBNINd SESSION

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sentence in the penitentiary, commenced
this week in the United States Circuit
Court, and is now exciting as much inter-
est as was manifested during the trial last
winter. Vaughn was indicted with a
batch of others last year. among whom
were T. G. Boyd, A. A. Boyd, Jno w.
Anderson, A. T. w. Payne, ]. w. Robert
son, p. t. Britton and J. II. Kelso, but
was granted severance on the ground
that his cause would be prejudiced
if tried with the others, several of whom
had admitted ..
The case upon which Gen. Vaughn is
now being tried is for obtaining pension
for Mamie E. Mumblehead, purporting to
be the widow of Darius L. Mumblehead,
Cherokee Indian, the check, which was
for SSS6.17, being paid TO him, and bearing
date July %, 1870. Another check for
S947.60 of the same date, was paid to T. G..
Boyd for the claim of Sarah Mumblehead,
alleged widow of Marcus H. Mumblehead,
also an Indian, both of whom were ficti-
tious persons.
There were two Indians of that name,
but they belonged to the 10th Regiment of
Tennesse cavalry, commanded by Col.
Bridges, one of whom, David humble
head was killed by Lieut.. Gilbert Harvey,
his company officer in Dickson county,
Tennessee, in 1864, while Moses Mumble-
head was killed by man named Cox, to
prevent HIM avenging the death of his
brother. The widow of Moses is on the
pension rolls legitimately, but her name is
Nancy, and so far the defense have not at
tempted to show that she and Mamie E.
Mumblehead are intended for the same
80, A..
blehead was made known in evidence
yesterday, but as she is now represented as
only thirteen years of age, it is impossible
that she could have been the person meant.
A. Il. w. Payne, cd Lieutenant of Bry-
sons company, and several other witnesses
testified yesterday, among whom were NJ.
L. Johnson, a. Il. Hicks, 3. G.. Maynard,
Naughn's Adjutant General during the
war, and Mr.. Montgomery Payne was the
last witness called on Tuesday, and the
ffrst to take the stand this morning. He
ueposed as follows;
r,d bad q conversation with Vaughn and
sign my nanse to so 6aHRs.f ftY Isd 99lI ell to
in Sweetwater. / refused to sign It, They
asked me togo to j. w. Payne, my broth-
er, and get him to sign it, / refused this,
My brother resigned and Larkin Brannon
was appointed in his stead. They wanted
me to go to Brannon, but L was more fear
full of him than any of the rest, and also
refused to approach him on the subject.
They then said that as Brannon was a
drinking man, they would sign his name
to it. and he wouldn't know but what he
had signed them sometime when lie was
intoxicated.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
don't know exactly when I first saw
Gen. Vaughn after the war 1t was at
Madisonville, but do not remember
what year. 1 met him first at the resi-.
dence of Joseph johnson. 1 think he came
TO the county for the purpose of remaining
citizen Of Sweetwater, and did remain,
Vaughn sent small boy. L did not know
the boy. He said gentleman wished to
see me at the house. / found Vaughn i'm
the parlor, and q lady with him took to
be Mrs. Johnson, but no one else. Vaughn !
said he wanted to see me and Lieut.. Nor /
row. / brought Morrow to the house. He |
proposed to me to get upclainls, and to add |
names that had never been on the roll be- |
fore. l had sworn to the roll before this !
conversation took place. l don't remcm- !
Der now long before. ! don't remember |
whether it was in the same year. | swore !
10 elghty-three names on the roll. |
Other names were added afterwards did :
not swear to It afterwards. | signed |
the roll asan officer and suppose Morrow did |
also, but don't remember At least he /
didn't refuse TO sign it. Mr.. Boyd took |
tAO ASiA aAn ag lJOL. huDh VINO Kept II, |
L saw IT no more until two weeks after |
wards in Boyd's Office at Sweetwater. |
There were present a, A. Boyd, r. G., |
Boyd, Lieut. Morrow, and myself. Some
four or five names had been interlined. |
Saw it again at Sweetwater with some ten |
or fifteen new names added. 1t was I'm the |
possession Of Boyd. Don't know lust |
how many names were on it when / saw
1t last, but the rise Of hundred. They |
showed me where they had added new |
names. l swore only to eighty-three |
names. l don't know whose handwriting |
the names were in. Can't read writing, |
l can write my own name or anything |
else want to, but don't think |
any body but myself can read |
1t. can't read ordinary writing. |
counted the names Oh the roll before I |
swore TO il there were SO. Darias Mum
blehead and many others were added after
wards. There WIS no Mumblehead on the
original roll Darius Il. Mumblehead was
added to 1t after 4 swore to it. They told |
me all the names they had added, but | ,
don't remember but a few. Besides Num-
blehead, l remember one Rose and Sam
uel Elliott. Witness here acknowledged
to signature as being his own, when the
paper was read, and proved TO be an affida-
Wit from Payne that Mumblehead was a
enlisted soldier ia Bryson's com
pany, OF which he was Lieutenant / was
At Boyd's Office frequently. When / saw
the roll Vaughn was not present. / had
many conversations with Vaughn on the
subject. He was always cautiouing me not
lan 4 10 BnfI III