The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-09
THE PENSION FRAUDS.
The Trial of George HI. Lewis of Clinton.

AL the coming IN OF the U. y. DlStrlct COurt
yesterday morning, District Attorney Webb
called up the matter of the testimony of Mrs.
Randall, which was excluded by the court
Monday, inasmuch as she was the wife of one
of thr parties named in the indictment. Mr..
Webb argued in behalf of the admission of
this testimony, as Mr.. Randall was not here on
trial, being in Jail. Mr.. Reed objected, and
the objection was again sustained by the COURT
r. W. Black was the first witness and re-
peated his testimony.
e. Fl. Sprague of Washington, D. c., an ex.
pert in the Pension Department, was next
called, and gave detailed description of the
manner of procuring and the allowance of a
pension, and fully identified the paper that
COL Kent had produced in this case as having
come from the Pension Department at Wash.
ington.
Charles Jewett, postmaster at Clinton, testi-
fed that George H. Lewis had, once or twice,
taken letters from the postofice which came
from the pension agent at Augusta, and ad-
dressed to his mother, Jane Lewis, in Mr..
Drew's handwriting. Mr.. Randall had previ-
ously called for one and the postmaster had de-
clined to delive- it without an order from Mrs.
Lewis.
H. W. Dodge, merchant at Clinton, testified
that he held note signed by G. H. Lewis in
favor of N w. Randall, for $35, from which
Mr.. Lewis had already paid 500. At the time
payment was demanded by Mr.. Dodge from
Mr.. Lewis, the latter refused, and said he did
not give the note, but, after hesitation, said he
would pay it, At the time Dodges partner
coi6 70 amic &, ~
er this is your note or not" and he replied, 'I
will pay the note.'
Homer Percival, cashier of savings bank at
Watervile, said check was presented to him
for 1856 and cashed He recognized his sigma
ture on the backssof the check. His impression
was the presenter said he was the son of Jane
Lewis. and that he asked him if he saw his
mother make her mark on the back. He said
he did, and he required him to witness the sig
nature as Randall had, which the man did,
signing George Fl. Lewis. Witness identified
Lewis Tin cour) as the man who signed,
A. NJ Billings identified signatures of G. H.
Lewis.
G. III. Clifford testified to G. II. Lewis's state
ments in a case Monday in which witness was
counsel. This went to show Lewis did not af-
firm or deny signatures as his shown him Mon
day.
COL Kent gave detailed conversation with
Lewis the night he arrested him, which went
to show that Lewis's object was to make him
believe that he was working under Randalrs
influence, as an innocent man, but acknowl-
edged getting the check for 1855 at Waterville
bank, and signing papers at Randalrs sugges.
ton, several times.
George F. Emery testified to the time when
Randall was convicted and sent to jail.
District Attorney Webb then said that mas
much as he considered the testimony of Mrs. E.
E. Randall as very important in this case, he
would mol pros the case against N. W. Ran
dali.
Mr.. Reed then objected again, even under
these circumstances to the admission of Mrs.
Randalps testimony, but it was admitted by
the Judge.
Mrs. E. e. Randall testified that she was at
Mrs. Jane Lewis house when Geo. FL. Lewis
asked her husband if he could not get her
mother pension and he said he would try
The next Sunday morning after the town meet
ing in March, Geo. "a. Lewis and his wife
came to their (Randalps) house, and her hus.
band said he was afraid there wonld be trouble
about that pension of Lewis mother. Mrs
Lewis spoke up and asked her husband if he
hadn't better send that money back? He re
piled "he'd be damned'if he would. A great
many did not get pensions honestly and he
might be one with Them
Mrs Eliza E. Randall, on cross-examination
said: know W. D. Grant. 1 think have
said to him something about pardon for my
husband, but not in reference to this case Mr.
Grant came to my house, but only stopped a
few minutes In answer 70 whether she had
been promised any favors for her husband, or
whether her husband had been promised any
thing by Col. Kent or any other q. S. officers
at the Auburn Jail, and if he did not so state
to her when she was at the Jail, she stated
that no promises had been made her, nor to her
husband to her knowledge.
j. Horace Kent stated that be had made no
promises, nor threats, nor held out any induce
ments to either Mrs. Randall or her husband,
N. w. Randall, and that the conversation
which he had with Randall in Auburn Jail was
twenty days subsequent to the time referred to
by Mr.. Reed in his examination of Mrs. Ran
dali.
At the coming in of the Court in the after
noon Hon. T. B. Reed opened for the defence.
He said that the, defence was that the sigma
lures to the papers asking for pension were
made under a false impression. He produced
land warrant which was given to Ebenezer
Lewis. grandfather of the respondent, for his
services in the war of 1912. This paper was
considered valuable and Geo. Fl. Lewis was
anxious to raise some money for bis mother on
it, Randall told him he could get something
out of it and for this purpose took the paper.
He returned soon after with document which
the respondent signed, thinking it something
relative to the land warrant. 1t was admitted
that the money was received as alleged, but
that Randall told them that it was all right :,
This confidence in him led them to think that
it was all right.
The first witness called was Elijah McNally.
He testified that the land warrant so called.
which was shown him. be had seen in the DOS
session of Ebenezer Lewis, by whom it was
given to his son Samuel. Defendants offered
to prove that this warrant had been always con-
sidered Of value in the family, but the court ex-
cluded the testimony.
sation with N. w. Randall. By this witness
defendant offered to prove that Randall about
the time of the allowance of the pension told
him that George III. Lewis had tried to get
something on the Land Warrant through Mr..
E. r. Drummond, but could not; that he
(RandalN had taken it on another tack, and
got them pension and would make a good
thing out of it himself; that the Lewises were
ignorant and signed the papers he gave them
to sign without knowing the contents, and he
could make them sign anything. But the
Court excluded the testimony. The de-
fence then called Messrs. Billings, Flood,
Dodge, Weymouth, Low and government wit
nesses to prove the good character of the de-
PENDANTS.
Mr.. Reed here stated that he desired a post
ponement until ten o'clock tomorrow, as he
had telegraphed E. r. Drummond of Water
vile, and expected to prove by him that he
Orummond) cashed the check of 1855; that
the testimony of Mr.. Percival was a.surprise to
him (Mr. Reed)
The Court granted Mr. Reed request.
The Court adjourned at half-past four as the