Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-11-02
A VETERAN In TROUBLE.

The Charges Against Col. Tom Reynolds OF
Madison, Accused of Forgery, and Draw
ing Pensions of Deceased Persons.
The Madison Democrat gives the following
additional details of the charges against Col
Tom Reynolds, who was arrested by a SPECIAL
agent of the pension bureau:
Col. Reynolds has lived in this city and
vicinity so long thai he is known by every one.
He was bravo soldier, went out as maj or in
the Sixteenth regiment, and returned lieuten-
ant colonel For many years he occupied the
position of pension agent IL this city, before
the consolidation of the two districts, and has
a large acquaintance not only IN this State, but
in army and other dircl35 all over the cOun-
try. For this reason his arrest excited as
constituent The agent of the pension bureau
who has worked up The case against Col Rey-
nolds, has been in the city for some ums, but
so quietly was his work done that no one was
apprised Of his presence or the obj ect OF his
mission. Mr. Richardson is from Indiana,
where he has been district attorney, and ap-
pears to think he has clear case The war
rant sets forth that Col Reynolds has regularly
every quarter for period OF ak years or more,
signed the papers necessary to draw the pen
sions of two dependent mothers OF deceased
soldiers; that the said woman have been
dead, IN one instance seven and
half and in the other six years: that
the vouchers and checks have all been
signed by the defendant IN full knowledge Of
the forgery being committed. etc. The war
rant states that Betsy Sanderson, the depend
ant mother of deceased soldier, died at Nc
Farland in March, 1875, and that Col. Rey-
nolds has ever since drawn her pension of S24
per quarter. The other case is that of Bridget
Pitts, another dependant, who died May IL,
1876. Her pension, it Is alleged, has also been
regularly paid to the defendant In each, and
all other cases which will be mentioned, the
names and sign-manual of the pensioners and
the names of witnesses have all been, it is
charged, systematically forged. In addition to
the specific charges in the warrant, the de-
tectiVe claims the defendant is both equally
and similarly
GUILTY IN FIVE oTHEE CASES,
| to-wit: Emile Krosher, Nancy Long. Cathar-
inc Nolan, Elizabeth Armstrong and Mary
Sanders-all dependents once entitled to PEN
sions, but all of whom are now dead The
amount claimed to have been fraudulently
drawn on false vouchers is estimated at So, 900
or thereabouts.
Some weeks ago Pension Agent Ferguson
was IN this city, and to the proper officials
contided his suspicion that there was some
thing crooked in the several cases mentioned.
1t is supposed that he came on TO examine the
matter with q view of beginning prosecution.
1t is claimed that in September, according to
his usual custom, Col Reynolds went to Wau-
nakee to get the pension papers, sent through
| the mails, addressed to Bridget Pitts and 9TH
| ers Postmaster Hudson, it is stated, had
| noticed these papers regularly every quarter,
| and not knowing any such parties IN that
| country, had marveled why they were always
called for by Col Reynolds. At the last quar-
| ter Col. Reynolds called for them, and then
stated, in answer to inquiries, it Is said, that
| Bridget Pitts was his housekeeper. and the
| other pensioners were women whom he knew
and wi bnliness ha did