The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-14
Direct Evidence That Cooper Knew What
His Private Secretary Was Doing.
Testimony Of James Morgan. of Bloomington,
Ind.-Big Batch of Bills Passed BY the SEN
ate-A Young Texas Director Rebuked.
COOPER TURNS INTERROGATION,

But Discovers Nothing That Will Help Him
Out of His Trouble.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON April 13.-The House com.
mlttee continued the Pension Office investi-
CATION to-day. and. incidentally, investI-
gated Mr.. Cooper. The latter called as
witness David l.. GIFT. real estate agent.
formerly chief of division in the Pension
Office, who had made an affidavit that the
slips of Maring, Slusher 81 Co., bearing Mr..
C0opers signature. had been thrown In tho
waste basket by order of General Black.
Mr.. Gitt said the affidavit should be modi-
fed to apply TO Commissioner Tanner. in
1880. aud General Black. Witness said that
tho office was overrun with congressional
calI-slips. and General Black was opposed
to the system. and issued general order
to prevent the abuse which was fast grow
ing and retarding the work of the office.
The Pension Office regarded the firm of
Marlng. Slusher IL Co. as absolutely irre-
sponsible and their slips came in with the
name of different members OF Congress. 1t
seemed as though this firm dumped their
entire docket in the Office. In answer to
Chairman Wheeler witness said the con-
evil. and system which appeared to him
as imperative to eradicate.
John Raum, an attorney and q son of the
Commissioner of Pensions. was also called
as q witness. Mr.. Cooper, before question
ing the witness. cited the case of q man
named Ingram. who wrote to tho Pension
Office that he had employed an attorney
named Tierney to prosecute his claim. hut
after three years the attorney had
failed to secure the pension and
now the claimant wanted TO look
after the matter himself. The case was
then reviewed by Mr.. Cooper and Mr..
Raun. Mr.. Cooper wanted to show that
the Pension Office had sent the claim
ant Ingram one of its blanks. and in doing
so had stamped John Raum's Dame on the
blank in order tn give Raum the claim.
The papers in the case were then produced.
Among them was tho paper reputed to be
the Pension Office blank, wbich had Raum's
name stamped upon it. The papers in the
case did not show that any power of attor-
ney had been given. Mr.. Raum did not re-
member the individual case. hut said ho
would look il mp in his office records. He
further said that he had never gone TO the
Pension Office to get blanks or stationery,
nor. to his knowledge. had he used any.
f. NJ. Hopkins testified that he had been
dismissed from the Pension Office because
he Lad been seen In company with CORE
spoDdent Fleming.
James Morgan. of Bloomington. Ind, n
lawyer and pension attorney, testified that
he never. directly or indirectly, paid MI.
Cooper any money for information regard
ing pension cases, except the S25 sent
through MIR. Cooper in January last for
Hersey. for work the latter had done. The
witness testified that when Mr.. Cooper in
trOduced him to Hersey In the latters Of
tice in this city. Mr. Cooper did say that if
be witness had anything worth paying
for Hersey would do il for him.
This statement il n contradiction of Mr..
Cooper in his explanation to the Commits
sioner. in this connection. however, the
witness said that the remark was made
only as q recommendation of Hersey as the
lawyer. In the course of questioning an
important point was brought out. The
witness testified that the letter containing
the e25 which he sent to Mr.. Cooper for
work done by Hersey was decoy. sent at
the instance of Special Examiner Green
walt, who took witnesses deposition in La.
diana Greenwalt said the department
wanted to connect Mr.. Cooper with the
actions of Hersey. The letter was sent
registered IN order TO get Mr. CooDer's
signature and clinch the matter. 1t has
been previously shown that Mr.. Cooper re-
turned the S25 to Mr.. Morgan. saying that
he could not accept the money for Hersey.