Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-15
Tue BOnnell.Denham Cases.
CHARGES OF DKvIsING A SCHEME TO pKrRArp

Tue Reconsideration Cases
! CHARGES OF DSvIsING A SCHEME TO DKFRAUD
PENsIoNER.
To-day, before United States Commissioner
| Bundy, the cases OF G. W. Bonne!I and /. J. Dem
ham. charged with devisng scheme or artince
10 defraud pensoner-James Hands, OF Brook
| lyn, N. WAS called Mr.. Taggart appeared for
the government, and Mr.. R. K. Elliot for Mr. Bon.
nell and H. 7. Han'y for Mr.. Denham
TESTIMONY IN THE CASE OF BoNNF1I.
the case o. Mr.. Bonnell was first taken up
The government first called Mr.. Joseph Jacobs
who test!ned that he was a special examiner in
Jhe Pension office. He produced the papers in the
! case OF James Hands, and said that on June Goth
| last Hands was pensioner, at the rate OF &a per
| month. The case was submitted originally In Oc-
| tober, 1881. by Bonnel;. In April following the
medical n referee % reported that the rate was too
the claimant that the increase could not be al
lowed. Some letters came to the
to be from a MePum th hsquSss srsss
70 1 the claimant This proposed to Mr. Hands to
give gwen MN ~ In Information as to getting his claim al
| 30 per cent The letter enclosing this was under
the heading OF Post s27. G. A. R., Brooklyn, re-
| the man would be made uncomf fortabe. witness
| called on on Nickum and then prepared telegram
about 10 O'Clock, then he went to the shop, ana
RirHmn, ReInvm went ven to Nickum's paint shop; Mr:
the telegram Next he got Sheet @ Of y paper en and
envelope from Spauldings shop. witness
mere ne Identified letter sent him from New York
| ton. June 2Oth. 1883, addressed to Hands and
| signed .'s. c. Mickum." It reads: 'In reply to
formation would give you is about an increase Of
pension. don't ask you to give me anything be-
fore you get the increase. but viii depend on your
not employ any pension agent about this as the
INFORMATION that win give you Will enable you
wte to receipt 81 sf1 want
you to return both the letters that have written
you; also state & that you will not say ANYTHING
Bsnneli, Bon on September 5th, denied in
witness produced blank sheet Of PAPER and and
| envelope, which he had procured from Mr.. Spaul-
ding's shop. which 1t was claimed was the same
On cross-examination witness stated that he
did not hold out any inducements TO the accused
TO confess; that the accused stated to the chief
shown the letters written to Hands, that he knew
nothing Of them: subsequently he made depo-
onice without pass; saw him 60 to Mr. Spauld-
ing's and overhaul some papers in an upright
Capt A. ". Fisher, chief clerk Of the Pension
Office. testified that Bonnell had been clerk in
IN IN the Pension ONCE for about a year; that he
ness had a Conversation a''A with nha' Bonnell mel
as to the Hands case Witness having heard that
Hands had received proposition to assist him in
and the medical referee deciding that he was en-
Titled to an increase on another disability. A
week ago Wednesday witness questioned BonnelI,
who said he knew nothing OF the letters He ad,
mltted that the paper came from Spaudngs, but
that he did not know the writing or know MIR.
uent in writing. Subsequently Mr. BonneI came
In. saying he did not know how he got into the
he had given outside the two cases
spoken OF, that OF Hands and Jefferson Savage,
and he replied In the negative. He referred to
make q supplemental af1idavt. Witness advised
h him to bring his RESIGNATION. Mr.. Denhams
not know whether Denham or he had proposed
MI: Hanly objected to Mr. Denham's name being
brought In.
Mr. Elliot said he would protest against any
Iestimony as TO what Bonnel said OF Denham or
J., The commissioner said he did not feel Justified
In ruling this evidence out
.. Capt Fisher resumed, stating that Bonnell left
the room with the understanding that he would
appear the next morning and make full state
ment to Mr. Jacobs, but he did not appear. Had
the increase been allowed It would have probably
1864 00A W
Frederick Mack, chief OF division, testified that
" You know the trouble am In" and asked him
to do what he could with the commissioner Wit
matter and ADVISED e ioSa @ hS' to- So IN the
make clean breast OF everything.
Cross-examined.-Bonnel was an excellent
clerk, and thinks that he belonged to the G. A. r
Samuel c. Mickum testified that he knew Bon
nell by sight and knew L. J. Denham. witness
did not sign the letter produced; the address was
his place OF business. Witness gave Denham the
right to have letter addressed to his place OF
business In his name. A letter was received and
him he passed it over to Mr.. Denham. Witness
received telegram from New York signed James
Denham Witness did not receive letters, but did
receive letter. There is fraud in the name OF
d. X Lambert, and this party, Mr.. Jacobs, and
signature to 1T. This signature to 1T was a fraud
and he told them that he did not sign it
STORY OF THE CLAIMANT.
James Hands. the claimant, testified that he
lived at 46S Bergen street, Brooklyn, and being
shown letter signed s. c. Mickum recognized it,
saying he replied to 1t and received an answer.
Witness was in company F, roth New York, sec.
Ond brigade, second division, second CORPS Han.
cocks. Witness identified the original applica-
Ilon 1or pension. When he received the first let
yer ne showed 1t to friend ana then to Col
SquireS
Mr.. TAGGARF ASKS THAT THE DEPENDANT BIZ HELD
TO BAH.
Mr. Taggart asked that the defendant be held
for ball for the action OF the grand jury, stating
that by his own admissions there was
case against him. His position put him
out OF the category OF persons who
should aid the pensioner by Information, and he
argued that they had at least made out case for
Mr.. Elliott said that the confession showed that
ne told some one WHO used the information: that
there was no proof as to who wrote the letters
No man should be held on suspicion.
Mr. Tagsart insisted that Bonneu should be |
held.
BoNNELL GIVES BAIL IN $1,000
The commissioner said he would decide the case
principally on the confession OF Mr.. Bonelll and
reviewing the statements made by him to MIR |
Mack and Capt Fisher, he would hold him to bail |
for the action OF the grand jury in Sl,OOO which
was given by Mr. DearIng.
THE DENHAM CASE.
The case OF Mr.. Denham was fixed for 10 O'Clock |
Monday.
Growth Of the Patent Business.
A SURPLUS OF g 500, ,0O0-THE COMMISSIONERS RRcox.
AEEDs THAT FEES BE REDUCED, AND THAT TIE
SALARIES OF THE EXAMINERS Bs INCREASED |
The annual report Of the patent commissioner |
for the last fiscal year shows that the total app.
cations for patents designs, reissues, ETC.. were
5,73a against S0,062 for 1889: number OF patents |
granted. q, ,l8S; trade marks registered Ss3; labels
618; patents expired, 7,47l; receipts from all /
sources, 8, l,095,684; expenditures (not including
printing! s27:,Sss; surplus. ssls,s55; increase in