National Republican., 1883-08-14
LEGAL MATTERS.
Interesting Testimony in tho Pension
Fraud Cnse-Other Items,

!
gart appeared for the government and Mr.. w
A. Cook for Alpha B. Beall and Mr. r. ]
Beall for himself.
The cases were taken up separately, and
that Of Mr.. A. b. Beall was first heard.
Mr. Taggart opened, saying that defendants
demanded one half of the amount allowed,
which they retained.
A. b. Newcombe was sworn and testified
that he was n SPECIAL examiner of the pension
office, and produced tho papers in tho case,
viz, Application of Mrs. Bremen, made Nav
20, 1879 witnessed by l.. p. Williams assis-
tant clerk, and r. ]. Beall; voucher on which
pension was paid dated August H. 1880,
Mrs. Bremer's signature being attested by the
two Beals; check of John Witcher, drawn on
the United States treasurer in favor of Mrs.
Bremen for $1,45S13, Endorsed by Christina
Bremen and witnessed by the Bealls. Mr..
| Newcombe produced a card slip, signed o. p.
G.. O., directing that the status of the case be
sent to claimant to care of II. j. Beall, 9i2
Rhode Island avenue, which was sent to ID.
| j. Atwood, examiner. He also produced let
ter of June % of the commissioner; case
cards; letter of Sept %, &c. Witness testi-
fed to having had long conversation at the
government printing Office with A. b. Beall,
on August 9, as to the claim.
| Mr.. Cook objected, and reading the re.
quirementsof law as to attorneys in such cases
| (section 1856, noted that the papers showed
that there was no attorney in the case, and
the government could not treat a man, as an
attorney who was not an attorney.
Mr.. Taggart said twas conceded that there
was no attorney, but while Mr.. Beall did no /
appear as an attorney he was engaged in the
prosecution of this claim.
Mr.. Cook said that the charge was that
contract was made.
Commissioner Bundy overruled the objec-
tion.
I I. 4 L.
two conversations with A. b. Beall on the
sixth and seventh instants, one at the govern
ment printing office. Bcall said he knew
Mrs. Bromer; that he had not furnished any
| evidence in the case whatever; that he had
never appeared as n witness, and to the best
of his remembrance had never certified to
her mark nor did lie remember going with
her to the pension agency in the LIE Droit
building; nor being with her when the PEN
sion was paid nor did he see or know any
| thing about the draft issued nor did he re-
member being at the Central National bank
when it was paid but he believed that he
signed his name once as witness to her cross
mark could not tell that he had done so
more than once. Witness then showed him
the check with the name of A. B. Beal on
the back, and asked ii It was his signature.
He said that he did not think IL wa.
lut It te,plnbled it. Witness showed him
the vouchers, aud he said he thought he sig
nature, a. B. Beali were written by him. but
that he could not swear to the genuineness of
the signature r. }. Beall that he went with
claimant to the Central National bank once
could not say that he wrote his name as u
witness; that he had never received any
money since the pension was paid. The sec
ond conversation was on Aug. in the build
ing or near by, when Mr.. A. b. Beall asked
what he could do in this matter, and witness
said it was beyond his power to do anything.
Beall said, :" want to tell you we got that
money, | and my brother and gave her notes
for what we could, and had not paid them !;
for no demand had been made that he was
willing to pay back what he had received in
installments Of $50, or possibly S25, monthly.
Witness said the matter was in the hands of
the district attorney, and he asked If he
would not see the district attorney in his be.
half, and he said that he would, but did not
think that it would avail much.
1t was admitted that Mr.. j. l.. Jacobs would
testify substantially as Mr.. Newcombe.
| Mrs. Christina Bremen testified that John
Bremen was her son she lived next door to
| A. B. Beall her grandson went to Arlington
and found the name of John Bremen on
headboard. After this she was in Mr.. Bealps
house, and he agreed to take the case, ,sshe
saying that she would give him half of it.
She could not read nor write, aud the Bealls
| made out the papers.
John A. Spusser was here sworn as interpre-
the witness.
She then testified that A. B. Beall took
charge of her case and promised to procure
her pension; that when she went to the city
hal to swear to her papers the Beali brothers
went with her. she never received any let
ters from the pension office; she never heard
| anything of the case until she got the money,
nor did any of the Bealls speak to her about
the case until Mr. A. b. Beall informed her
that he had got the cl aim through. He had
papers in his hand at the time. Mr.. A. b.
Beall went with her when she got the money.
At this point recess was taken till 2
| o'clock.
At o'clock the hearing was resumed, and
Mrs. Bremen continued her testimony saying
that the money was drawn-Sl, ,45S-and 500
was given her. She took $i00, and left $500
there. The money was placed in her hands,
and she gave him half of it. The money was
paid back to her last week.
Mrs. Mary Il. Spusser, the daughter of Mrs.
Bremen, testified that she knew the Bealls,
and that they got the pension for her mother.
Chas. Schneider testified that Mrs. Bremen
visited his house. She stated on several oc-
easions that she had received the pension
money, and named the amount. Witness
told her to tell him the name of the parties
who had transacted the business for her. She
did not know. Witness took the name from
the pension papers, and there he got his in
formation. Mrs. Bremer told witness that
one of the Bealls wanted to borrow some
money, but she would not loan him any
Last Thursday the Beall's, Mrs. Bremen, and
witness met at the office of Col
w. A. Cook, and the Bealls said that
they had given their note and was willing to
pay it, Witness advised Mrs. Bremen to take
the money. Il. j. Beall paid $137 and interest
for three years. A. b. Beall paid $545.47
One of the witnesses to the claim paid back
$22, another paid $22, another $i, another So
and another $40, making the total $75S.13
the amount charged to have been taken
When Mr.. Schneider finished testifyng the
case was continued until IL o'clock this
morning.
Mr. II. Christy as attorney for John @
Thompson, editor of the Sunday Chronicle
yesterday filed his pleas in the case of NJ. A.
Dauphin, against the Chronicle The first il
tho formal one of not guilty, and the other
that, as the publication consisted entirely ol
an order by the postmaster general in re-
spect to matter that might be excluded from
the mails, and without comment or malice
on the part of defendant, it was matter oi
public news, to which the patrons of his
paper was entitled; il was a privileged publi
cation and not libelous, and that no cause
of action could arise thereon in favor ol
Dauphin.
An app cal has been taken to the court in
banc of the case of Woodruff against the Ma
tional Shelf and File company, in which
Judge James granted an injunction against
the latter for infringement of patent for {