Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16
Some Famous Clnimnnfa.

The figures of famous claimants which have
been familiar here for more than a quarter of
a century are also fast disappearing and their
mantles are falling upon shoulders that are new
and uninteresting. l think Billy McGarrahan
will probably outlive all the others, for in spite
of his long years of disappointment, often with
success almost within his grasp, apparently, he
remains fat and sleek and rosy, and is always in
the best of humors so modest and un-
obtrusive that no one to whom he urges his
case can be offended. He lives on the
contributions of those to whom he has disposed
of an interest in his claim, and seems to be
pretty sure of an easy life to the end of his
days whether he gains his case or not Ocea-
sionally one of these old claims goes through
and that encourages all the claimants, and Of
ten forms precedent which results in the
success of lot of others. One which went
through the Court of Claims last fall and for
which Congress appropriated the money at the
last session, brought close to S100, 900 to a man
who had almost abandoned his case. He had
offered big fee for the attorney who would
get his claim allowed, but when he found the
money actually appropriated, turned piggish,
and Is fighting in the courts the payment of the
modest sum of $25, ,OOO, which was all the attor-
neys charged for making good claim that had
been lying about loose for nearly quarter Of
a century, and which had failed in the hands of
half dozen other firms of attorneys. really
think that in this case the lawyers earned their
fee for it required not only consummate legal
cunning to worm the case through the Court of
Claims, but a vast deal of influence and hard
work to secure the appropriation by Congress.
In the place of these fast disappearing feat
ures of the curbsrone landscape of Washing
ton we have the advent Of any number Of
cranks with the coming of the new administra-
ton. Somehow the cranks, especially those
who are after imaginative claims, are always
more numerous under a Republican admins
tration. There are several here now almost as
interesting and persistent as the late lamented
Colonel Pinchover, who fancied that Colonel
Thomas Scott, late President of the Pennsyl-
Vania Railroad Company, owed him a round
million of dollars One of these visits tho
White House frequently, and insists that the
sum of $4,000 is deposited there for his order.
He does not seem to be dangerous, and is
therefore merely driven away by the door
keepers. One Of these days an attempt to mur-
der some high official will teach the authorities
that such imaginative gentlemen should be put
where they can do no harm.
An Interesting Crank.
The most interesting of the late corners is the
man who imagines he is the President, and
who resembles the President so remarkably
that have several times mistaken one for the
other when they were not close at hand. In
close quarters one could detect that uncertain
movement of the eye which is found in every
crank, and was curious to know what he was.
"Can you direct me to the insane asylum" 1
said to him one day as met him in the street.
mo, SIR" he replied. Il am somewhat of a
stranger in the city, and have not learned the
location of that institution"
"After an Office I supposeT
mo. sir" drawing himself up proudly. II am
not after an office; am the real incumbent of
the highest office in the land"
"Ah, what is that?'
Hush" he said in whisper, ''you must not
say word about it, but 1 assure you am the
President of the United States"
"But / thought Mr.. Harrison was elected
President L ventured.
"Hushl am Mr.. Harrison-Benjamin L.
Harrison, sir, but you must not tell anyone. l
am simply biding my time. 1t will all come
out after little, the impostIire will be exposed
without any effort of mine. but merely by the
imbecility of the impostor; then will come
into my own and the country will have the real
President"
''What will be your policy when you become
PRESIDENT"
"Ah. that is my secret; but may say to you.
sir, that will fight. will raise an army of
100000 soldiers and drive every foreign power
off from American soil, and then will march
against the monarchies of the Old World and
assist the struggling Republicans there to es-
tablish the rule OF the people. oh, I'll do 1t,
I'll do it."
"But how long are you going to allow the
lmpostor to usurp your placer
may be several @ years@it % may be 1000 100 years.
but I'll get there, never fear. l am the most
patient man ever born, and peaceful, too;
wouldn't make any trouble about the matter.
You see, the impostor looks so much like me
that people will believe he is the rightful Pres
ident, and 80 shall just wait for time to de-
velop the fact that he Is so unfit for the place
that he cannot be the true mrn."
The old man utterly refused to divulge his
real name, and he remains mystery, arousing
much comment as he appears rarely ON the
streets. E. NJ L.