Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-01-18

Tho Methods of Dishonest httOr.
neys TO 5winule Soldiers.
Commissioner Dudley has written the
following letter to q gentleman who wrote
asking whether there was any real neces-
sity for employing pension attorneys, and
for a brief statement Of the methods used
by dishonest attorneys to swindle soldiers
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 1882.
DEAR SIR: Your communication of the
14th inst. is at hand. You ask me two
questions. First, 'Is it absolutely neces-
sary that an honest claimant for a pension
should be represented by an agent" and
second, "What are the principal devices
by which dishonest agents fleece soldiers"
In response to the first question I should
say that Section 4,74S Of the Revised
Statutes provides that the COMMISSIONS
Of Pensions, on application being made to
him, in person or by letter, by any claim
ant or applicant for pension, bounty land,
or any other allowance required by law to
be adjusted or paid by the Pension Office,
shall furnish to such person, free Of all
expense, all such printed instructions and
forms as may be necessary in estab-
fishing and obtaining said claim. I
hand you herewith a copy Of the pamphlet
of laws and instructions issued in CON
formity with said law, and sent out on APP
plication or freely distributed on call.
When the claim, properly filed up and ex-
ecuted, is filed, the receipt is acknowl-
edged, the number of the claim given, and
claimant notified that the same will be
taken up in its order. At the same time
an extract of said pamphlet is forwarded
containing full and complete instruction.
Necessarily considerable delay occurs be-
tween the time of filing the claim and its
being taken up in its order, which delay
the claimant is advised to employ in pro-
curing the necessary evidence. When the
case is reached and it is taken up, if the
evidence is all in and sufficient the claim
is settled at once. Otherwise the claimant
is called upon for the particular kind of
evidence required, and the circular calls
are SO worded that they cannot be misin-
terpreted or misunderstood by any one.
The evidence Of record is obtained by the
office direct, as is also the medical exam
nation by the medical boards in different
parts of the country. l will only add that
the services OF an agent are most useful
to the claimant when he devotes himself
to the preparation of the required evil
toHoc ituHlcuiately upOH tue hiluS u
the claim or before. An agent well posted
in the law and the requirements
Of this office can thus anticipate the call
of the office and greatly shorten tho time
consumed in the adjudication Of the claim,
as well as save the Office much labor. AS
to the absolute necessity of the interven-
ton of an agent, each must judge for him
self.
In response to your second question, 1
would say that the criminal files of this
office show so many and various prosecu-
tons against dishonest agents that l should
be unable to classify and enumerate the
different violations Of law and the devices
used in defrauding pensioners within the
limits of such a communication as this,
but the principal violations consist in the
collection, under such guise or upon some
pretext or another, of more than the fee
allowed by law, the enforced collection of
expense fees" or postage fees"
in advance, addressing the calls OF this
office for medical examination or other
evidence by &C. o. D." packages, the col
lection Of fees in advance and tho aban-
document Of the claims as soon as the fee
is received, advertisements holding out in
ducements not warranted by law, by which
honest soldiers are led to prefer baseless
claims, the only advantage in such cases
being that which accrues to the agent, who
gets a fee.
Such facts are principally predatory upon
the claimant rather than upon the Govern
ment, but are just as meretricious and
b~lameworthy. Very respectfully,
w. w. DUDLEY, Commissioner, |