Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1886-07-02
PENSION CLAIMS.
Something About the Work
OF Special Examiners.
How tho Investigation of Claims to Pen
sions Is Constructed.

A special examiner of the United States
pension Office says i'll letter to tho De-
troit Tribune: Tho duty of these 165
special examiners is tho preparation of
cases sent to them from tho pension Of
flee for final adjudication, by tho person.
nj examination of witnesses, examination
of records, etc. This is Mt times n very
delicate and important work, and it often
requires not n littlo detective skill, nl-
though it is not at nll distinctivcly do
detective branch of tho government ser
vice. Probably no moro perfect system
Of checks and guards has ever been do
viscd in the transaction Of tho business
of vast government bureau than that in
force in the United States pension Office.
Every claim passes through many hands
i'll many different branches Of the cstab-
lishmcnt and in force so large it is al.
most nh imposslbility for collusion in tho
office to exist and it is next to impossible
to pass claim through the office by tho
fraud Of tho Office. Still the number Of
fraudulent claims passed through every
year is simply astounding. This condi-
tion of things arises from tho fact TINT
the most experienced aud most honest
clerk may be duped by false testimony
submitted in tho support OF false and
fraudulent claims. This is comparatively
easy where the testimony il cr. parte.
These aili lavits nrc ingeniously manufnc-
turcd by the persons interested, oiby un-
, scrupulous attorneys whose income de-
pcnds upon tho number OF cases which
they nrc able to get through during tho
year. AS nn illustration of this may re-
call the fact that in tho eleven months OF
1881 forty-scvcn persona were convicted
and sent to prison by tho United States
court in Detroit, from the city of Detroit
nlonc, for fraudulent practices in conncc-
tion with pension cases, and ono man act
Cd ns the attorney in nearly NIL Of thcsc
cases, although it was impossible to
prove that he had any personal conncc-
ton with these frauds. At this time
nearly, il not all, of tho dishonest claim
agencies have been rooted out, and tho
busiHcs' has OF lltc years become aystem-
ntizcd nnd is so thoroughly thorGS, regulated
that no claim agent may now ovcn send
out n circular to the soldiers without
first submitting 20 the commissioner of
pensions copy of the circular or circular
letter for his approval.
AS an illustration of tho absolute hon
csty of some Of the old timers I may be
pnrdoncd for referring to case which
came under my official observation. I
was ordered to investigate case in
southern New York where tho similarity
in the signatures in n cnsc had attracted
tho attention OF tho department. Reach
ing tho little town called upon the
agent, who with great JUNCTION assured
me that he was rs straight rs string, t"
and was inclined to believe him until /
discovered that OF thirteen witnesses
eleven rcposcd quietly in the village GEM
ctcry; that OF tho other two one had
never read the affidavit but had simply
signed It Mt the request Of tho agent, aud
the other was his wife. Under suCli cir
cumstanccs Wits futccd to change my
mind. This conviction Wits somewhat
strengthened when called on the nppll.
cant, who OF course had no ilca what my
business was, and who assured mo TINT
he was "quitc well, thank, you," and
nblc to "li0c his row" with the best man
Oh his magnificent farm Of 200 acres.
an awarc that there is natural feeling
Of resentment dgdinst tho special agents
OH account Of their peculiarly inquiring
turn Of mind but think can speak Of
the matter dispassionatcly from the fact
that I have not been connected with the
pension btircati in scvcral years, and
believe them to be useful, III fnct almost
Indispensable under the existing laws.
There is one grave error popularly enter
taincd rclativc to them, and that is to
the effect that they are the enemies of
! the soldier Tnis is not true. Many oi
them nrc cid eultliers, and in NIL cascs
whcr; an agent or examiner finds case
which he believes to be all right his busi'
ness is to complete the claim. Let ui
suppose case: John Smith has applied
for p nsion; hc has exhausted his resour-
ccs both rs to finances and witnesses; he
, can produce no more proofs ms to his
rlaim; the case is too good to be rejected,
and not good enough TO be allowed; a
special examiner is in his immediate
/ neighborhood; all papers are referred tc
him, and with IN cduca'c cd and keen
mind he sees at glance the weak points,
! initiates inquiries, finds clew, follows
it, and probably forever establishes the
case. Another case in point: A soldiers
widow is pcnsioncr; it is asserted that
she has remarked, bit there is no record
, evidence of il and she continues to draV