The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-02-27
THE .HARPlEs
WHO PICKED THE BONES OF OLD
SOLDIERS.
The Tricks of Robbers I'm the Disc
guise of Pensi III Agents.

The Tricks of Robbers I'm the Dis.
guise of Pensi III Agents.
WASHINGTON February 20.-The man.
ner in which The pension claimants
throughout the c"untry are swi died hy
the pension sttorneys is fully explained
in the following extracts rom a speech
delivered in the H,use o. Represents.
tives bj General Tom Bovine, OF la-
diana:
The pension agent or ,t.ornev sends a
circular into ,he various neighh,rhoois
OF the United States, and o' tains the
names Of all the solliers that he can find
thore. They give their names, compa
nies, regiments, places Of residence, 49,
uallv signing their names to putision.
asking Congress to pass an equalization
bounty hill or snme other messure In
the interest of the soldier The petl-
tions are returned to The claim agents In
this citv, undar thu pre'ense that they
are to he sent by him to Congress. H.
traHscribes on his books the list o.
names. DC and then he NAV send the
petition to Congress. He Immediately
issues circular to each Of shose sol
diRr., a-klng them to state the time ard
place OF their enlistment; how long they
served; when they were discharged; !;
whether during the time OF their ser.
vice they were sick, If so, what was tAe
matter; 10 what hospitals they we're
treated. and. finalls. their presen, condi
,ion OF hes 81. Now, almost every sol.
dier w6ssick at some iime,or disabled in
some wav. during his service The sol
d ers to whom these Circulars are sent
f.l up the blanks and return them.
Then the agent or attorney sends
them'a blank application for pension:
stating tha, upon the record which they
have given the attorney believes the SOL
.lier to be ent tie 10 pension A dec
laratinn Is filed out ami returned. That
declaration. when returned. is filed by the
attorney In the Pension Bureau, and he
gets an acknowse lgement tina, the pension
claim has been fled, ami that II any tes!i
mony Is wanted to support II the agent
will be notified. Tbs agent then sends
the soldier all The correspon .ience, and
asks him for e3 to S5 as part OF TIE fa.
allowed nv law After while. when the
Pension Office reaches the claim, It calls
for more evidence. and the pension agent
then sends out 'or the addt anal svi
deHce, aud asks the payment OF another
instal!ment OF the fee. which 10 paid.
From time to time they ask The payment
Of these fees in ins,allmenss, until they
GET $40, when having al tho fee tho law
authorizes them 10 receive they aud
denly lose all interest in turthsr prose-
cution OF the claim
But suppose the claim to be allo we'd
Their enti-e fee has been paid They
then organize within themselves another
agency or 6rm OF attorneys, called by
some other name. aad send out . circu
lar, saying TO tie pensioners: I'VE have
been at the Pension Bureau. and have
discovered that yon are allowed peu-
sion Of "a or IS q month We are
satisfied fran the evidence on file that IL
10 wholly inadequate, and il you will
send petition for the increase Of your
pension We will have it increased" Tue
petition ia sent, and they 60 10 work
until they get $40 more for prosecuting
the claim for an increase. Suppose tha,
claim 10 disallowed. Then another or
ganizatiop within the samc body OF st-
;orneys is made, by whom the applicant
is informed that they have examined the
papers ON fie in the Pension Office and
discovered that the claim has been re-
jected They krew it had beenrejected
They did not ascertain it in the Pension
Bureau at ALL They say: "Your claim
has been rejected We have seen the
testimony. The claim oughs to have
been allowed Send petition to have
the cass reopened. and we will have the
case reviewed" The peti,ion is sent
and these agents 60 on and get another
$40 from the ssme claimant. until thev
have COLLECTED from $50 to $50 la each
case. When these agents fail ia all
these wavs they then have a Dill intro
huced in Congress ami sent to COM
mit:ee. and they get their fee for that
Under the present Law they never stop
bleeding the claimant. The fact thai
this little fee of $40 has heen allowed IS
Q mex nun fee has invited. "a the re.
port shows. m ,st every body TO he
come claim agents-men, women am
children They a-e sending out theil
circulars, and undertaking to prosecute
! Claims.