The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-23
PENSION swINDLES.
ShoemaIerS and Rag-Pickers as Attorneys
-Robbing Confederate Soldiers.

ShOemakers ana kag-Pickers as Attorneys
-Robbing Confederate Soldiers.
Washington Special. sir.
General Dudley testified before the grand
jury that he was not aware that certain at
torney whose flaming circulars were shown
him now practiced before his office. A refer
euce to the city directory showed that the
only man of his name was shoemaker. A
visit to the place revealed a store with an ex
cellent stock of ladies' shoes. An inquiry
for the proprietor brought answer that he
was in the back room. He was found in his
shirt-sleeves, with an apron and knife, with
several workmen around him, busily en-
gagged in making shoes In reply to ques-
ton he said he was the person referred to-
and to further inquiry whether he was a
pension attorney he said he was He said
that any friend could safely be referred to
him to prosecute his claim; that he bad
blanks, and that he would furnish those
necessary TO the case Thereupon he took
off his apron, laid down his shoes and knife,
and, going up stairs, soon returned
with the pension blanks. There was
no attorneys sign about the place, and
nothing about the inner arrangements to in
dictate that he had any other profession than
that Of a shoemaker. 1t is also discovered
that among those engaged in this business is
a colored man, who, when asked by the Com
ness occupation other than that of pension
attorney said, Nothing more than a rag
gatherer." Among others practicing as PEN
sion agents who answered this question were
one minister two editors, one publisher (all
four unknown to the public) two farmers,
one photographer, one dealer in hardware,
two grocers, one pressman, one banker, one
bank cashier, one tailoress, one copyist and
one inventor.
One of the most remarkable of all the scan
dalous cases against dishonest pension agents
was made known to-day by the Pension Office,
with view to criminal prosecution. Several
firms have been reported for filing the claims
of rebel soldiers for variety of wounds and
diseases resulting from military service as
confederates. In all cases the declara-
tons made on the blanks required for Union
soldiers plainly disclose that the
The barefaced character of this work
will better appear from the salient point of
statement in the regular form of declaration.
The only possible object in filing such cases
is TO get the fee of these ignorant confeder-
ates. The declaration of N. E. Hood. of
South Carolina troops, states that he was
honorably discharged ct Appomattox April
8, 1866, received gun-shot wound at the
battle of the Wilderness was treated in the
hospitals of Lynchburg and Columbia, S. c.,
has resided since the war in Virginia, and
ends with the statement required from all
Union soldiers: Il have never been en-
ployed in the military or naval service of
The United States otherwise than as set forth
above" Other cases are those of Robert
Hanna. Fifteenth South Carolina, c. S. A.
Samuel A. Gotham, Fourteenth South Carroll
na infantry David Ogletree, Fourteenth
Alabama; James n. Knox who strained
himself as member of the Virginia en-
gineer corps in lifting timbers to build
breast-works and got the rheumatism in
wading the rivers with Lees army. Some
of these persons have been subpoenaed and
are on their way to appear before the grand
iurY