Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-08-02
LOOKING FOR BOGUS WIDOWS.
rrauau,ou. ren.ioners on the Rosi.

There is reason to believe, from
the immense number Of widows
borne on the pension rolls compared
with the number Of invalids, that
persohsnre drawing pensions as widows
of dead soldiers who are not their
widows. To this point special at
tention y being devoted and soma
interesting developments may be
looked for.
The class Of women who are sup
posed to be engaged in these frauds
are relatives Of the dead widows Ct
soldiers, whose pension papers fell
into their hands in the ordinary course
of events, and widowed women who
remarked and have husbands now
living. gt a.. I'm 49, -.
According to Statistical fuznished by.
the Commissioner Of Pensions there
were on the rolls at the close of
the last fiscal year, 2,942 survivors of
the war OF 1872 and II, 2l2 widows Of
those who served In the War-a pro-
portion OF six living widows to one
invalid veteran. The war In which
the disabilities arose which form the
basis, OF these pensions was closed
over seventy years ago.
J, On the roll Of pensioners which the
civil war created, Che widows are
again In the ascendant, but in few
districts Is the proportion greater than
five widows to three veterans. The
figures in the New York district show
that the widows are in minority, the
list containing in round figures IL, 900
invalid soldiers, 5000 widows and 300
invalid sailors.
"Do you see anything remarkable
the large number of widows who
re pensioned?" was asked Of General
,igel. who has charge Of the Pension
Bureau, New York.
Unless fraud were practiced on
The government" he said, !" do not
understand how there could be SIX
widows to one surviving soldier, az
he pension list Of the war of 49,
shows" ftt# sal I'll
What proportion, in your judg.
ment, should the number of widows
bear 70 the number OF Invalid
ioldicrs?" .s..
"That is very difficult question
TO answer, because we have few
authentic facts to guide us, and i
+ should offer an opinion it yould
be little better than surmise.S IT j.
pretty safe to say, however, that O.
the men who fought In the civil war
one half were single and could not hav'
widows. b
LET MS presume that Of every 1O'
mon who entered the service, 20 fcl
n battle or died from sickness brough
IN by wounds or exposure. We shall
hen have !. left 60 veterans and y
Widows. 81
Admitting that very large pro
,ortion Of these veterans escaped un
ujured and, never applied for pensions
TIL, I cannot comprehend how tn
ist Of widowed pensioners could be Il
4xcees Of the list Of invalids."
"What proportion of soldiers in til
late war were marriedP"
"In my regiment, the Third Mif
-ouri Infantry, which was compose
.lmost entirely ofo iermans, fully on
Aalf were married. / In the warrior
home guard organisations II 10 safe TO say
| that one-half were married, and amont
the volunteers for general service
who went out early in the war, tn,
| cdLuU Au1O AOAucs A@atCk oA tA'
married men show q disposition t,
stay at home, so, taking the entir'
roll, l should say that less than hal
the soldiers were married"
do you believe that many OF tn
women who are drawing pensions ar,
defrauding the government"
~ have no deubt that frauds ar
being practiced, but that women SHOULD
survive their husbands in the natura
order OF things is not wonderful
Women marry from seven to ten year
younger than men, and they are no
generally called upon to risk thei
health by exposure as men do.
In the rush Of pension bushes
which followed the close OF the wa
numerous frauds must have bsel
perpetrsted, and scarcely day passe
that we do not receive orders from
Washington to drop names from tn
roll. A person cannot draw . pension
illegally unless perjury is committed
and still the prosecutions for thi
ofense are very rare" '.. ..