Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-11-29
BAD PENSION AGENTS.
\ Motley crowd of Sharpers Engaged
In the Pension A gent Business.
A Washington account saws.

A Washington account says:
Gen. Dudley testified that he was
not aware that a certain attorney
whose flaming circulars were shown
him now practiced before this office.
A reference to the city directory show
ed that the only man of this name
was a shoemaker. A visit to the
place disclosed a store with an excel
lent stock of ladies' SHOES. An in
quiry for the proprietor brought an
swer that he was in the back room.
He was found in his slirt-sleeyeS, with
an apron aud knife, and was bus;ly
engaged in making shoes. In reply
to a question he said that he was the
person referred to, and to further in
quiry whether he was a pension at
torney he said he was. He said that
any friend could be safely referred to
him to prosecute his claim shat he had
the blanks, and that he would furnish
those necessary to the case. There
upon he took off his apron, laid down
his shoes and knife, and going up
stairs soon returned with the blanks
There was no attorneys sign about
the place, and nothing about the inner
arrangements to indicate 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 Commissioners Efor his profession
or business other than that of a pen
sion attorney, said, Nothing more
than rag-gatherer. Among others
practicing as pension agents who an
swered this question We're one minis
ter, two editors, one publisher (all
four known TO the public, two far
mers, one photographer, one dealer in
hardware, two grocers, one pressman,
one banker, one bank cashier, one
tailoress one copyist, and one inven-
tee.
ROBBING EX-REBEL SOLDIERS.
One of the most remarkable of all
the scandalous cases against dishonest
pensions 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 declarations made on the
blanks required for Union soldiers,
plainly disclose that the applicant was
a Rebel soldier. The barefaced charac-
ter of this work will better appear
from the silent 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
Confederates. The declaration of n
E. Hood, of South Carolina troops,
states that he was honorably discharg-
ed at APPROXIMATION April 9, 1865, re
ceiving gunshot wound at the Bat
tie of the Wilderness, was treated in
the hospitals of Lynchburg and Col
umbia S. c., has resided since the
War in Virginia, and ends with the
statement required from all Union
soldiers; 81 have never been employ
ed 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, G. S. A.. Samuel A. Col
han, Fourteenth South Carolina in
fantry; David Ogletree, Fourteenth
South Alabama; James n. Knox who
strained himself as a member of a
Virginia engineer corps in lifting
timbers to build breastwork and got
the rheumatism in wading the river
with Lees army. Some of these per-
sons have been subppnaed and are
on their way to appear before the
grand jury.