Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-10-30
OUTRAGEOUS.
Very Poor People SWindIea Out of
Millions
Through the Tricks and Schemes Of Villain
GUS Pension Agents-lnStances
of HeartIess Fraud
and Deception.

WASHINGTON, October 9.-District-Attor-
ney Corkhill will begin the prosecution of
the swindling pension claim agents by lay
ing before the Grand Jury the evidence
given him by the Secretary OF the Interior
and the Commissioner of Pensions. Mr..
COrkhill said to-day:
II should say, from the information I
have, that the soldiers and their widows,
orphans and dependent relatives had been
defrauded of 81, 100000"
How long have these frauds been in
progress
"For several years, but it is not until
lately that they have
Assumed Enormous Proportions.
By covering the country with these circu-
lars fraudulent in their misrepresentation,
pension attorneys have induced the filing
OF claims which they knew at the time Of
taking them were utterly baseleSS, and
which they filed only for the purpose of
extorung the $40 fee. In most cases the
applicants are poor. In one instance
have on the table now, the father of de-
ceased soldier borrowed dollar at a time
until he had sent the whole $40 asked. His
claim was absolutely worthless and the
pension attorney must have known it, or
alsa no
before the Department!
There was a Pennsylvania widow, con-
timed the District Attorney, VINO got one
nj these circulars. The agent obtained her
name I suppose, by q letter through the
n0sInaster, which | will show you. lou
can see what the effect of one OF these CIR,
cmIers would be when sent to an Ignorant
persop, man or woman. The circular says
You are entitled to pension. Please M
ND the enclosed blank. Immediately IL
raises expectations. Then the pension at
torneys commence milking for money, one
dollar for postage, etc. One OF these tnIuss
"SS Addressed to This widow.
She thought that that the pension attor-
torpays. Of course, knew whether she was
emitted TO a pension or not and so she
s.cpea the papers and sent them on
"SO,re time afterward the express agent
tnld her that there was a package Tor d! T
rTsrsrd Collect on delivery $40 What in
| the world could it be? The expressman
| brought up one of those large envelopes
| viiha a Union flag with the words i "a
Sta'es Pension Agent. she had only 9IV 70
| the worlt-some money sent her oy l0rIie5 y..!.'
| friends Of her husband, who are now living
| IN Nebraska. This
| she Intended 20 Use
in buy ing her winter flour or coal. The eX
rressran went with her to the Justice O
| the mace, wh0 said the package undouot
edIv came from the pension agent, ana ina Una
| The 40 wes his fee allowed by law
They went also to lawyer, Wh(
said. Certainly, it was the pensloI
certificate She went home, got the 81
which was more TO her than $1,000 t
some people, and went to the express othc
iovfuiiy with the money. She told tn
eXpress agent that it was Gods doings tina
brought her pension just at the time ina
she .,
She gave the $40. The expressman openet
the package and read the contents. 1t wa
| simply paper from pen
sion sgent in this city with the inscription
received our fees The expressman said
This is such an outrageous case, Madam
| will retain the envelope and write Il
them He wrote, but got no further salts
faction, l believe, than that was the te
| allowed by law.