The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-09-01
Questions Answered.

G.. NJ, LowELL.-You ought to en-
ploy an attorney with experience in the
pension practice. 1t would cost you
less and you would reach decision in
your case sooner. Good lawyers, if not
familiar with the rules so as to view
the case from the pension office stand
point, will cause claimants unneces-
sary trouble and expense in procuring
unimportant testimony and emitting the
material which is indispensable for the
granting of the pension. The testi
mony of two reliable disinterested wit
nesses who have personal knowledge
of what they state is sufficient to prove
any point in pension case.
T. G.. K, EAST MoNTPELIER.-If
the pensioner died and left no widow
or child under sixteen years of age, sur
viving, and left sufficient property to
defray the expenses of his last sickness
and burial, no part of the accrued pen
sion can be drawn. The following is
section AIS of the Revised Statutes
containing the law: " If any pensioner
has died or shall hereafter die, or if
any person entitled to a pension, hay
ing an application therefor pending,
has died or shall hereafter die, his
widow, or if there is no widow, the
child or children of such person under
the age of sixteen years, shall be en-
titled to receive the accrued pension to
the date of the death of such person
Such accrued pension shall not be con-
sidered as part of the assets of the es-
tate of deceased, nor liable to be APP
piled to the payment of the debts of
said estate in any case whatever, but
shall inure to the sole and exclusive
benefit of the widow or children: and
if no widow or child survive, no pay
ment whatsoever of the accrued pen
sion shall be made or allowed, except
so much as may be necessary to REIN.
burse the person who bore the expenses
Of the last sickness and burial of the
decedent, in cases where he did not
leave sufficient assets to meet such eX
penses."
II. R., JOHNsON.-It is not buying {
witness to pay him for giving testimony
in a pension case any more than it is
court. The fee of a witness for testify
ing in case in court is fixed by law
The witness fee in pension case is tn,
amount agreed upon by the witness ant
the claimant. If surgeon takes ad
vantage of your necessity by chargin!
an unreasonable sum for his affidavit
his testimony even then would not b.
excluded from your case. The specia
examiner who informed you that if yo1
paid witnesses their testimony woul
be excluded from the consideration O
your case was mistaken. If you di
not pay the surgeon more than so yo
need not fear of being charged wit
buying him. What reasonable fe
for witness is varies according to Gil
cumstances. In the list of regiments
surgeons kept at the pension office tn
names of few are marked as charging
regular fee of $40 for each affidavit
and one surgeon residing in Chicag
charges an advance fee of S25 for a
affidavit in a pension case. The test
mony of paid surgeons is regarded a
ranking with the most reliable. Com
rades, and physicians who have bee
paid for treating the claimant, seldom
make any charge for testimony beyon
what they may be required to pay 70
having the testimony written and swor
to. One and two dollars are the mos
common prices paid surgeons for aft
davits in pension cases. There ar
cases where a surgeons affidavit
I worth 81 900 to the claimant. Sue
cases are those where he could not &c
the pension without it.