The Easley messenger. (Easley, S.C.) 1883-1891, 1883-11-16
THE GREAT PENSION FRAUDS.
Determination Of the Government to
Bring the Rascally Agents to JUS
tice.

following letter from the Attorney
General explains itself. Under prcvi-
Gus Instructions from him, Col. Cork
hill, United States District Attorney at
this point, has nearly completed u num-
Der Of eases Of frauds upon pension
claimants for the action Of the grand
jury. He has received large num-
ber Of fraudulent circulars and letters
explaining the use made OF them. He
is desirOuS that soldiers or that their
friends having copies Of such circulars
or knowledge of such attempted frauds
willat once send him full information,
and be particular to send the number
by which the claim in each case is
known at the pension office
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WASH
lNGTON, November 7, lSS3.--To the
Secretary of the Interior: "Referring
to your letter Of the 2nd inst, respect
ing the appointment by the Commits
siOncr Of pensions Ola person to aid the
United States district attorney for this
district in the investigation Of all claims
for pensions and bOllnties, in conncc-I
ton with which charges are made
against the attorney, and to examine
such cases as said district attorney shall
desire to represent to the grand jury.
| agree with you that such an appoint
ment cannot be made to examine eases
where the offences charged are not Of
fences against the United States; but
the district attorney in his letter to you
OF the 23u ult. includes eases where
these pension agents make formal APP
plicatiOnS to the pension Office we'll
knowing that the claims they represent
arc fraudulent. This is an UtftnccI
against the United States. SO far as
The diSt.lict attorney makes charges of
crimes against the United States heI
should be aided in the examination of
such cases by an officer of pension bu-!
reau specially detailed for that purpose
by the commissioner. The evil set
forth by the district attorney is a grow
ing one, and all means that can legally
be employed to suppress it ought in my
opinion, t0>be put in motion for that
end. Permit me with this TO send You
advance proof sheets Of the auditors
report which discloScs a frightful con-
dition Of organization fraud against the
poor and helpless who have either
served their country themselves and
live MANNED and broken down in health
or who have left destitute widows and
children, all Of whom are now victims
OF these designing, bad men. who rob
them Of their little savings and earn
lngs under the color Of gains they are
never to have, and overload Il public
department. with work that binders the
necessary progress Of their proper BUS
mess. If this can be put an end to by
intervention Of officers Of the United
states, if this can be punished. it ought
to be. Very respectfully,
BENZ. Ii. BREWSTER
Acknowledgement.
The Auditors language is as follows:
''1'he great increase in the number of
applications for arrears OF pensions
and bounty is something anomalous,
and when it is stated that not one in
ten Of the applications now being filed
possesses any merit. the inquiry is nat
nrally suggested, why at this late pc
riod, nearly twenty years after the war,
so many claims are filed and the num-
Der increasingly" AS an answer to the
suggested inquiry the Auditor states
that not one in twenty Of lG,57S claims
received in his office during the last tis.
cal wear wac filed lpou SurrnStio, ~.