The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-08
Shady Transactions in Which the Private Sec
Rotary of the Spiteful Indiana Congress
man Managed to Rake in the Dollars.
Fac-Simile of Cooper's Signature At
tached to Counterfeit Pension Slips.
Evidence that While He Was Defeming Raum
He Was Aiding Scheme for Worming So
from Each Veteran that Fell in the Trap.
WAS COOPER A PARTNER?

eted in a Scheme for Robbing Veterans.
Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, ID. c., April IA startling
revelation and n tremendous sensation
were made by Pension Commissioner Raum
In his testimony to-day before the House
committee investigating his Office. 1t con-
sisted of statement by General Raum.
which was fully substantiated by reports
of special examiners and af6davits by q
number of reputable citizens of Indiana. to
the effect that the official name and Office
of Congressman George William Cooper. of
Indiana, has been for many months and is
now being used by agents for the purpose
of making money out of pension claimants.
1t appears that when Congressman
Cooper. q year or two ago. instituted an
investigation of the Pension Office and
made serious charges against Commissioner
Raum he cast drag net to catch all sorts
of characters who were presumably in pos
session of any information which he could
use against the Commissioner of Pensions.
He secured the services of and made his
private secretary Samuel X. Hersey, who
was dismissed from the Pension Office with
the rerating gang that Opersted under
Commissioner Tanner. Very soon after
entering the employment of Representative
Cooper the private secretary concluded he
could use the Office and personal
assistance of his Congressman to
do pension business, and he
Immediately began to call to his assistance
pension attorneys. first in Ohio and then in
Indiana. 1t is possible that the name of
to squeeze SO head ont of pension claim
ants without his knowledge. but tho re-
ports made to Assistant Secretary Bussey by
special agents detailed to investigate the
use of Mr.. Coopers name and his connec-
ton with outside pension transactions do
not exculpate the Hoosier statesmen.
WHAT THE INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED.
The Journal correspondent this afternoon
at the Interior Department made q careful
examination of the report of Special Super
vising Examiner J. G. Greenwalt. of South
Bend, who was detailed to investigate the
transactions involving Mr.. Cooper, and
from them 1T appears that the first intima-
tiOn the department had that the office of
Congressman Cooper was beng used as an
instrument to assist pension agents. and
possibly directly OF indirectly turn to tho
Congressman himself few sheckels, came
from John r. Whittinghill. OF Crothers-
vile, Ind. IN September last. Whittinghill
sent to Commissioner Raum q letter from
ID. l.. Ragan 81 Co., Kenton o., proposing
for SO to furnish the status of w hittinghilps
pension case, show what was necessary to
make it complete. and to get copy of the
- A. &C h.
fore whom no was examined at North Yer
non. Ind. July 10. 1889.
Commissioners Raum, having suspected
irregularities were being practiced, wrote
TO Whittinghill and told him that if he
would answer the Ohio letter and secure
the information offered, the fee charge
would be paid by the Commissioner of
Pensions. This was done. and when the
information came it revealed the fact that
the Ohio firm was cooperating with Con-
gresham Cooper's private secretary, Her
sey. This clew was placed in the hands of
Mr.. Greenwalt, one of the shrewdest special
agents, who went to Kenton. but found
that the agents acting with Hersey had
flown. Copies of their letters were found.
however, and, together with the lnforma-
ton received from WhIttinghill. an alli-
ance was found to exist between Hersey
and II. Clay Poet. of Columbus, Ind.
whereby the name and official position of
Congressman Cooper, within the knowl-
edge of that gentleman. evidently. were
being used to secure information at.the
Pension Office. for which fee wes exaoted
and collected from pension claimants.
COOPER WAS NOT In IGNORANCE.
Peet is relative of Cooper. and when
the latter was postmaster at Columbus
just before his advent in Congress. was
Coopers princIual clerk. The special ex-
aminer capt ured Peet. and, unde, pressure
OF oath. secured the original letters which
passed between him and private secretary
Hersey. from which il appears that Mr..
Cooper knew full well OF the pension bust
ness being conducted upon the strength of
his official name.
From Special Examiner Greenwalt's re-
port TO the department. 1t Is shOwn upon
the oath of a number of well-khown and
reputable citizens of Indiana that Mr..
Cooper had printed fac-simile, but
bogus. copies to the number of twenty
thousand or more OF the slips
prepared by the Pension Office for use of
member OF Congress in calling MP claims.
and upon the face of these was printed the
autograph of Congressman Cooper. These
slips were all delivered for the use of
pension agent Peet and others. Thus
carte blanche and full recourse upon Con-
gresham Cooper's Office and official intiu-
ence was given to agents for the
purpose of securing fees from pen
sion claimants for information which
could only be secured upon the request of a
Congressman or United States Senator.
and which il Is we'll known, the laws and
the rules of the Interior Department con-
template shall be for the free use of the
claimants themselves. If Cooper did not
intend that his Office should be used by
mercenary men for meTcenary purposes In
Wrestling from soldiers. their widowe and
orphans s. apiece for information which
the rules of the Interior Derartr ent
contemplate shall not be given ouI except
free gratis TO Congressman. he placed
himself in very bad light when he had an
enormous bogus edition OF Pension Office
slips for calling up cases printed at home
for the use of his relative Peet and others
THOSE BOGUS SLIPS.
Here is an extract from Special Examiner
Greenwalt's report upon that point. dated
April 4.
II have made an investigation in rela.
ton TO the preparation AMI use OF mum
Der of spurious congressional slips IN im
tation of the genuine slirs prepared by the
bureau for the use of members OF Congress,
in calling mp claims, a copy of which genu
inc slip, rs published at the Government
Printing Office, is alta ched hereto, and be-
To submit the following report:
81 submit the dispositions of henry Holt
nj Ip6i m %n.c n