The Portland daily press., 1883-04-30
Twenty Thousand Dollars Taken from
Soldiers.

rlor had It's ATTENTION called TO circumstance
which led the Department TO believe that a
claim agent located at Etna, in this State, was
acting in a crooked manuer. Upon investiga.
tion, 1t is alleged, the Pension Bureau disooy-
cred that the claim agent, named John @.
Friend, and physician named John B. Ben
Jamin' residing in the adjoining town of Car
mel, were making contracts with ex-soldiers,
by which they--the agent and physician-w
receiving exorbitant sums for their services In
securing pensions. A contract made by man
named Howard Grant with Friend, by which
The former agreed to pay 500 to the latter il
he secured him pension, accidentally got into
package of papers Grant showed another
lawyer In Bangor whom he visited ON other bust
ness. The Bangor lawyer told Grant the con-
tract was Illegal, and sent the contract to the
Department. At the same time the Bureau
received news that DR. Benjamin needed look
ing after.
According to the investigations OF detectives
1t is alleged that Friend made the contracts
and secured the necessary vouchers while
Benjamin gave the certificates Of disability
IL is said that these two men carried the bust.
ness to such an extent that the Government
as some twenty cases fully made against them
a nd Can prove that they have secured about
$4,000 from their victims. The United States
statutes does not permit any claim agent to re-
ceiye over $40 for his services in securing
pension, and, it is alleged, these fellows took
at least 500 on case. There is said to be one
well authenticated case where man named
Marshall Grant hoped to get pension Of $780,
DR.. Benjamin kept cooling him off with the
idea the supervening difficulties were too great
until the man was almost disheartened, aud
then he told him If he would agree to pay
Friend and himself one half the pension
money the pension should DO secured. Grant
agreed, In due course of time received his
check, and paid the extortionisss the $3.50.
In order to make sure of their pay from
their victims, il is alleged that Friends SOU
who has been State Senator aud was post
master at Etna-permitsed his father to take
from the Etna post office the letters from the
Y. ). Pension Agent containing the checks for
their pensions. 1t is possible that the postmas.
ter, from his relationship to Friend, supposed
his father was all right and that the latter was
merely taking the letters TO the men as a mat
ter OF business accommodation. 1t is said to
be in evidence that one Of the victims waited
and waited a long time for his check, and
nnaliy, In some wag, learned that Friend had
1t IN his possession, and had held it for several
weeks When he asked Friend IL this was so
Friend admitted it and said il was safer with
him.
There was another client who, it happened,
lived in Dixmont, so that his post Office ad-
dress was the latter place When his check
came, for some $500, he sslit OUT for New
pert. Friend and Benjamin got wind of the
TACT that the man had got the money. They
procured conveyance and went to Newport as
fast as they could where they found their man.
A long and angry alteration ensued. which
ended in the two harpies agreeing to accept
500 apiece, instead of making the poor soldier
disgorge $500 apiece. or half his pension.
Ii IS alleged that the reason why the pen
sioners failed to make complaint against
Friend and Benjamin was because they were
under the thumbs Of the claim-agent, and ply
stefan. DR.. Benjamin, it is alleged, had said,
time and time again, openly. no d-n soldier
could have certificate, and obtain pension
unless he saw fit TO let him get it. What is
more il is alleged both Friend and Benjamin
said that the Department OF the Interior had
FcctcG III tucm tAS pOBeIs after EfAultE< tue
pensions, 20 revoke them IL they saw good
reason for so doing. OF course such supposed
authority was cInb in their hands 10 keep
their victims in subsection.
II must be borne in mind that the investiga-
lions thus far carried on, extend back only
three years, and how much longer Friend and
Benjamin have been beating these poor sol
diers no body knows. Il is all ged the further
the affair is looked into the greater develop
ments are made, aud it Is thought that the
money the two men have accumulated must
amount to treble the sums the government has
evidences they hare received. The frauds are
said to fully equal, if not surpass, those OF
Captain Prince whose trial created such live
ly sensation in this part of the State q short
time ago.
Il is reported that several indictments have
been found by the United States grand jury
against Friend and Benjamin, not only on the
ground of committing frauds against the PEN
sion bureau, but also for conspiracy Friday
last Deputy . S. Marshal Smith went to Etna
and Carmel to arrest the two men. He return
ed Saturday morning bringing DIR. Benjamin
with him. Friend had evidently taken the
alarm and escaped But, unless he has gained
English ground, he will probably fad he is
not yet safe. Benjamin is about So years of
age apparently, with hard lined face, sandy
hair and whiskers. As he sat in the United
States court room ne was apparently quite
nervous and sat chewing his fingers.
In regard to the case Ct Howard Grant
whose contract with Friend was ssnt to WASH
ington, it is reported that when the contract
was made Friend kept one copy and gave tia
other to Grant. When Friends attention was
called to the matter he claimed there was only
one contract made--tbe one In Grants posses
sion-and that after it was made he remember
ed the law forbidding an agent to accept but
| $40, and he therefore told Grant the contract
was worthless and to tear it up. But, accord
| ing to Friends story, Grant kept the contract
and thus the whole affair came out.
DR.. Benjamin has secured as his coansel Fl
d. Hadlock of this city and John Benson Of
Newport, and the case has been assigned Tor
morrow for trial. The doctor, tits understood,
claims that he is an innocent man and wrong
fully accused.