Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-25
A DEMENTED soLDrERs STORY
Extraordinary Efforts of the Pension
Bureau TO Trace His Career.

From the N1,o York World.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.-The Pension
Bureau has furnished lately an int est
ing Illustration of the paternal interest
the government takes in the welfare OF It's
soldiers. About six weeks ago Commits
sioner Black made tour OF Inspection
through the West, and when In Dayton,
o., had a case of strange and pathetic In
serest brought TO his attention. One oil
the inmates OF the Soldiers Home there
was demented man, about 40 years old,
and having the letters &C. c." on his arm
In India ink. Bis story was that
his name was Col. Livingstone Ora
hsme; that he was born May 1, lS45,
at Saline, Mich; that his former name
was Charles COlan, which the legislature
changed to Grahame May 3, 1878; that
the same Legislature granted him an
annuity OF $1,000; that he had sister
named Belle, and that he had served In
the Union army four years. sometimes
| he represented that it was the Legislature
of New York which changed his name,
and sometimes that it vas the Legislature
OF Pennsylvania. Sometimes he said he
served in the Fourth New York Cavalry
and az other times that be served in the
Twenty -frst New York Infantry.
He had been sent TO the Home by Mrs.
L. E. Fisher, OF Yellow Springs, o., who
said he WAS her cousin; that he had other
relatives, but che didn't know where they
were. She said he came to her house
thirteen years ago from Central America
| suffering from nervous prostration, which
was soon followed by paralysis and in
sanity. She knew nothing OF his history
! during the war.
To all appearances the poor fellow was
the wreck of highly cultivated man as
I oil n Of I1s.. Ii Il ~
| case was laid before Gen. Back by Gov.
| Patrick, OF the Home. From that mo-
ment, without any formal application, the
Fenslon ONCE, through its special exam
| liners, began one of the most d tticult ana
persistent searches it ever made, with a
view of ascertaining who this unhappy
man IS and whether he has any claims on
| the government which might afford MIN
relief IN his pitiable plight. The whole
| continent, from ocean to ocean and from
| Canada to Guatemala, has been searched
| for Information, the investigation being
Kept alive alternately by the most eXas-
| perating contradictions. The following
| Is an examples:
The first corrected story came from
| Bunting Bros, 1l6 William street, New
| York. Last June they informed the New
York Chiet OF Police that they employed
| man named Livin gstOne Grahame about
year previous TO 20 to Colorado 10 in
! spect mines Tor them, but they had re-
| ceiVed letter from him within two
months. Que of the firm had made his
| acquaintance in Gautemaula eleven wears
| ago, and had understood that he had been
| In the United States secret Service during
the war, and that he had been once SEN
| fenced to death as spy by the Confeder-
| ates, but that be made his escape from
| Libby Prison, and had served under Gen
| Butler.
The investigation was also pushed
| through official channels in every direc-
| ton. The New York and PENNSYLVANIA
| governments were sure they had never
| changed his name or granted him an an
nuity. The Treasury Department dis
| covered abundant records showing that
III 1858 and 1869 Charles Colan was en-
ployed in the Secret Service of the Inter-
| nal Revenue Bureau in the South and
that his testimonials were very flatter-
| ing, but the War Department was abso-
| lutely silent as to his connection with the
| army. Meanwhile the Special Exam
| lners hunted up his relatives. His sister
| Belle, or Isabel, was found to be a clerk
| in the Treasury Department, and finally
| MIS- brother, George b. Colan, was located
IN the office Of the Cumberland Railroad
| Company at CrossUile, Tenn.
A lung letter from the brother to Gen.
| Black seems at last to clear up the mys-
terry. he says ne had brother named
| Charles COlan, who was caught at the
| South by the war and made two efforts to
escape - the North. The first was un-
| successful and led to his being sentenced
TO death as spy. The second was sue
cessiul after he had passed two weeks in
| the Dismal swamp to the permanent ruin
OF his nealth. He got into the Union
| li1es at Sutf Tx and was welcomed by Gen.
| Grant, 10 wa0m he gave Invaluable infOr-
| mason. After that he was in the employ
/ OF the government as A detective, and
at one time discoN cred plot
to ASA 3sinate President IincOln, which,
| however, SECRETARIES seward aud Stanton
| refused 10 consider. The writer said
| ne mad lost all trace ct his brother, and
was evidently filled with anguish TO think
that he was an insane pauper. He said
| that his brother Charles was brilliant
| literary lDan and had written several
| plays which had been very successful in
| Baldwin's Theatre, san Francisco. He
would Immediately visit Col. Grahame,
! and il he was really his long lost brother,
| would take hin home and make him COM
! Portable FOR lie.
THIS is tue story III brief. The investl-
| cation was Of value only in restoring the
! poor fellow to his brother, for it demo
! srrated that he was never & soldier and
that be had no claims whatever on the
| Pension Office.