The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-01-03
A SOUTHERN

The Fruit OF Odd Social Conditions In the
south.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
For several years ! was employed in the
investigation Of claims against the United
States pending before the Southern Claims
Commission T get before that body the
claimant had tai swear he had remained
loyal in Thought and action from the be-
ginning to the close of the war. IL will he
presumed that this was n hard thing for
any resident of the seeded states tn do,
but the alleged claimants of over S50O,OOO.-
600 worth of property-commissary and
quartcrmastcr storcs-testifled that they
were and attempted to prove the same. A
vast amount of improbable testimony was
offered, and much that was impossible of
belief. The law provided for but three
special agents to cover the immense terri
tory occupied by these several thousand
claimants, and these three had to be up
doing carly and late.
Very early i'm my Investigations I was
impressed with the belief that men cared
very little what they swore to IL il would
help themselves ar n ~neighbor to get
money from the treasury. I examined
under oath probably 10000 men. scattered
firm Texas to Virginia, and I undertake to
say that full rs per cent. of these testified
falsely. And during my service ! proba-
lily examined half rs many females, of all
ages AMI conditions. ] do not remember
btt two instances wherein females testi-
fled tn anything but the truth, as they be-
iieved IL To be. and i'm these two instances
] had my doubts. The men supported the
Bible assertion that ''all men are liars"
The women proved that an oath to them
wa sacred. This is my experience COW
ering many thousand cases. Explain il
who can.
am reminded of the pcculiaritics OF
one case 10y n dispatch i'm Sundays papers
detailing the loss of one David Dillon I'm
IA boat of New York harbor. I had con-
siderable To do with Claimant David Il.
Dillon. of Savannah, Ca, who filed
claims numbered 5.2i5 and 7,45l, axgre-
eating Ssis,015!67. After years of invcsti-
CATION and the recording of volumes of
perjured testimony, the claim was re-
jcctcd because OF proved disloyalty and
the fraudulent character of the clam. cx-
cepting possibly 5000 or $4,000.
The investigation brought to- ight one
of the most romantic aud tragical histor-
les imaginable. Mr.. Dillon resided at
said had resided there all his life, having
been born there. He was reputed rich,
styled n banker. di-counting notes. but
not doing am exchange or deposit bust
ness. He was "a bold and enterprising
Speculation. dealing in all kinds of prop.
erty. He was a ''hale fellow. well met"
character, off-h md and and
was very popular throughout lower Geor-
gia about the beginning of the war. He
was of Irish descent. aud at one time laid
claim to an Irish barouctcy. but had to
abandon II. because the records OF his Ia
Tiers birth had been burned, solacing
himself with the declaration that he
would rather d an American king than
in Irish lord"
Very many years before tho war, when
Dillon WAS young, he commenced busi-
ness, in n small way, OF the river bank at
the corner of River and Broad streets, in
Savannah. His stock consisted of such
articles as the slaves up the river would
he likely % want in exchange for poultry
and garden truck, which they brought
down in canoes or skiffs between days.
The liquor traffic was then almost entirely
uncircimsTribed verywhe in the south.
and poor whiskcy and bad rum formed mo-
nnimportant part OF his stock. Young
Dillon was ambitious of wealth and not
over-scrupulous of the means of obtaining
IL. He gave the slaves what seemed To them
extra ~rccoupinG himself. as IL L.
said. in u way not less honest than that al
this day pursued 10y many of the employ
ers of freedm nm throughout the south,
After the exchange had taken place to the
entire satisfaction OF his customers. and
the goods had been unpacked in the little
boats preparatory TO the trip up the river
Dillon would declare il was his tire II and
get the colored fellows back into the store
for a parting drink. Once there he would
volunteer several drinks, heightened on
by stories suitable to the capacity OF thu
negroes. While this was going on billions
strikers would remove every article pur
chased from tho boats and conve,
them TO n place of safe hiding
When this was accomplished the neRroe,
would be dismissed with earnest request