St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-20

| The resolution was referred to the military
affairs committee, and viii probably be re-
ported back to the house favorably within q
few DAYS Gen. Slocum has prepared list
OF forty cases occurring within the past ten
| years In which the executive has, upon direc-
: ton of congress, reinstated officers in the
, army, In four of which cases the reinstate-
ment was made by President Arthur. This
list Gen. Slocum will present to the house
when occasion offers.
PRESENTED FRAUDULENT CLAIMS.
The jury in the case of Bilman, of Chicago,
| and Edward Kirkwood, and Daniel Carrigan
Of this city, indicted for presenting frsudu-
i lent claims through the bureau of medicine
and surgery in the navy department, brought
in verdict of guilty against all parties. The
| jury had been locked up since Saturday after
noon. In the case Of F. B. Sanborn, Kirk
wood and Carrigan, indicted for similar Of
fence, given to another jury, verdict Of
guilty was returned within fifteen minutes
after the delivery of the charge. Motions for
new trials were filed at once.
PENSION JANGLR.
For a number of days the house com mittee
on the payment of pensions, county and
back pay has been investigating the cause OF
delay in the pension bureau in allowing PEN
sion claims. The meetings of the committee
heretofore have been held with closed doors,
but the com mittee has now made the inves-
tigation public. In the course of the inyes-
tigation of the working of that portion of the
pension appropriation bill passed last session,
which provided for the payment Of S25 fee
to claim agents upon making contract with
pensioner and filing it with the bureau, has
been considered. The legislation in oues-
ton was agreed upon in q congressional
conference committee, and adopted by both
houses upon the report of the committee as
originally agreed upon in the house
The S25 fee was limited to
claims filed subsequent to the passage
of the act. This was disagreed to by the senate
In conference a subornin ate was adopted,
which made the provisions apply also to
cases which had been filed prior 10 the pas
sage of this act, and after the enactment of
the law Of 1878. allowing $40 fee. George
E. Lemon, Washington claim agent, testi-
fed that, with his attorney, he went 10 the
interior. department and argued in favor OF
the substitute adopted BY che conference
commission; that substitute was prepared
by Secretary Teller, and that he(Lemon) saw
the individual members of the conference
| commission, and urged them to adopt the
| proposed substitute. y. ". Fitzgerald, also
Of Washington, who was last year disbarred
from practising before the pension bureau,
testified that the day prior to the adoption of
the substitute by the conference commission
| he was reinstated as an attor-
ney before the pension bureau, and
by adyice of Secretary Teller. sold
his pension business with his interest in
about $45, 900 Of pending claims to Lemon
| for 81, 600; that by the purchase and by the
adoption of the substitute Lemon was en-
abled TO make several hundred thousand dol
lars profit; that be erdeavored to buy the
| business back from Lemon Offering bonus,
| when he discovered the action OF the confer
euce com mittee; that Lemon refused and
said 1t had cost him more than SIS, 600 to get
the substitute through. To-day Joslyn, as
sistant secretary Of the Interior, was exam
ined BY the committee. He explained a
number of official orders that had been is
sued by himself 10 guide the commissioner
of pensions in the allowance of claims In
question. He testified that Fitzgerald was
reiustated by the interior dspartmeptin order
that he might transfer his business
to Lemon. The testimony 81 Jo@yn will be
| ontiDued Tomorrow. In reply TO inquiry
By reporter of the Associated Press, Joslyn
said the bill approved by the department was
not passed by congress, but another bill, of
which the department knew nothing, passed.
Fitzgerald was reinststed so that he might
sell out. He had papers in a large number
OF pension Gags which he refused to surren-
der, and the ckes were so tied up that moth
ing could be done In regard 10 them by the
bureau. Joslyn said he was personally re-
spor sible for bis reinstatement. The new
law In regard TO attorneys fee. was working
advantageously. Under the old law hundreds
Of thousands Uf fraudulent or invalid claims
were gotten up by attorneys whose fee of $40
was not contingent upon the result. The ad-
ju,iicstion Of this mass OF claims interfered
with aud delayed the settlement Of those
which we're M ritorlous. All this difficulty
had disappear, under the new law. The
pension Office had made mistake In con-
nection with the Fitzgersld-Lemon matter In
holding that claimants who bad paid Fitz-
gerald $40 should pay Lemon $25. They
should only psy Lemon s15.
AGAINST FmIBusTERING.
The treasury department has issued special
instructions 10 the collectors Of customs aud
It's other agents in the vicinity of the gulf
coast 10 be on the alert TO prevent any viola
ton Of international obligations In fitting
out hlibustering expeditions against Cuba.
The revenue steamers DiO and Forward are
now cruising in the gulf on the lookout for
suspicious vessels. The United States
steamer Gslena is at New Orleans and the
United States steamer Tennessee IS on her
way to Key West. The Ysntic, Sen.tara and
Alliance are cruising near the West Indies
MINOR MATTERS.
The president has decided on the appoint
ment Of Emory speer SIS United States dis
tric; judge for the southern district of
Georgia
The house committee on public buildings
has decided to report Represer tative Stocks
laher's bill providing for the establishment Of
board, consisting OF the secretary Of the
treasury, postm ster general, an attorney gen.
eral, supervising architect and architect, ap-
pointed by the president, who shall select
sites and superintend the erection Of public
buildings.
Delegate arzanaraes, Of New Mexico,
appeared to-day before the house
committee on appropriations to ask for
t25, COO for tie building of an Indian
school at Santa Fe. The appropriation viii
probably be made.
The bill introduced to-day By Representa-
tive Cox. provides for the retirement Of army
captains and lieuteusats upon 90 per cenLof
fun pay when they have reached the age VI
fifty.
The bin Introduced by Mr.. Blount, TO en-
force the coll, etion Of taxes on distilled
spirits, directs tie secretary Of the treasury,
Immediately on the expiration OF the three
years allowed for tire payment OF such taxes,
10 proceed TO collect the same, notvithsiand-
Ing any action which nay be begun after
said time FOR its expectation.
The grand lodge Of +. and A NJ, Of the
District of COlunb biz. has accepted sn invita-
ton to perform The MIsonic services at the
-. "a. yT.r,fuc-@or.