The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-07-21
A GREEDY Ex-soLpIER.
The Remarkable History of an Ital-
Ian tnnposter.
brooklyn Eagle.l

brooklyn Eagle.l
Talking about pension swindleIs, u
said Maj. Harry Phillips recently, "the
most remarkable case that ever came
under my observation was that of an
Italian by the name of Giusetto. He
was as keen as q razor, well educated,
but with a nerve and audacity which
few men possess. A year after the close
Of the war claim for pension was filed
for a man named Jacques Rollinger, Of
Springfield, o. He had enlisted as
private in one of the Ohio regiments in
1862, and had worked his way up until
he had obtained a commission, as lieu
tenant. His claim was on account of
rheumatism contracted in the service.
After proving that it was contracted in
the service, and that it continued from
the date of his discharge up to the date
of the application, the question was
asked if he had been in the service pre-
vious to his enlistment in the Ohio regi-
ment.
To this he answered that in 1861 he
had enlisted in the First New York In
dependent battalion. Upon searching
the roll of the First New York Inde-
pendent battalion his name was found.
The records showed that Rollinger. ON
Jan. 80, 1854, had been transferred to
Company B of the Forty-seventh regi-
ment, N. Y. S. volunteers, and that at
the battle of Olustee, on Feb. 80, 1864,
he was reported wounded and taken
prisoner by the Confederates. They
further showed that his name appeared
on the roll of the AndersonviIle prison,
and that he was reported as having died
there on Aug. 81, 1864.
HE IMPOSED ON SECRETARY STANTON.
Upon further search of the war de-
partment records it was found that in
1855 man claiming to be Jacques Roll
niger, accompanied by little boy, had
presented himself to Secretary Stanton,
the then war minister, with very plaus-
ible story, stating that he had been in the
Andersonville prison, was sick there and
feigned death in order to escape; that he
was carried out Of the prison Enclosure
with a lot of dead men, all being dumped
to the ground together early in the morn
ing. Watching his opportunity when
the coast was clear of the guards he
crawled unobserved toward neighbor-
ing wood and finally escaped, reaching
the Union lines about the time of the
general surrender.
Secretary Stanton was impressed with
the apparent sincerity of the man, who
readily answered the questions concern
ing the prison and its surroundings sat-
isfactorily. He believed the story, had
the death record Cancelled and caused all
the back pay and allowances to be paid
to the supposed Rollinger. Shortly after
ward the man filed q claim for pension
on account of disability resulting from
gunshot wound incurred while in the
service, which was subsequently allow
ed. A few years after this pension was
secured another claim for bounty, re-
muster and allowances was fled in the
secord auditors Office at Washington as
being due Jacques Rollinger, of Com
pany B, Forty-seventh New York volun-
teers, by party claiming to be the
father Of Jacques Rollinger. Evidence
was filed proving Jacques Rollinger's
death and burial while prisoner Of war
at Andersonville, Ga.
About this time pension and claim
agent who did business at the New York
city hall happened to cali at the Office of
another claim agent in that vicinity.
Upon entering the office Of the second
agent the first agent recognized a man
present and called him by the name of
Giusetto.
THE DISCOVERY.
While conversing together the second
agent told the first that the man he had
accosted was not named Giusetto, but
Rollinger, and that evidently it was
case of mistaken identity. He was posi-
tive of that, because he was then engaged
in prosecuting a claim before the govern
ment for back pay and bounty due on
account of his son, who had died in the
unreasonable prison. The first agent
answered that he could not be mistaken,
for the reason that he had already secured
pension for the same man on account
Of gunshot wounds under the name of
Giusetto The two agents, on compar-
ing notes, made up their minds that there
was something crooked somewhere, and
reported all the facts in their possession
to the authorities at Washington.
The secret service officers of tho pen
sion bureau, upon searching the records
ut Washington, found that Giusetto had
been member of Company A, Forty
seventh regiment, New York volunteers;
that Rollinger was born in France, near
the Italian border, close to Giusetto's
birthplace, and that while both had been
mustered in the Forty regiment
OF New York volunteers, though in diff
ferent companies, they had become
warm friends, understanding each others
native language. They were both taken
prisoners at Olustee and sent to Ander-
sonville, where Giusetto, during their
long and weary prison days, learned all
about the family story of Rollinger.
The secret service officers also ascer-
tanned that Giusetto was the man who
personated Rollinger Immediately after
the war and imposed on the secretary
OF war. 1t was also ascertained that
through another claim agent Giusetto
had secured pension for himself, in his
own name, for wounds received when
he was taken prisoner at the battle at
which Rollinger was captured. Had he
been contented with the double pension
he was receiving he might have escaped
detection. He was tried, convicted and
sent to the Sing Sing State prison for q
term Of seven years some time in the
early seventies After Giusetto served
out his time he returned to Rome, Italy,
where few years ago he was occupy
ing a responsible position in large bust
ness firm.-