The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-24

Some Or the Creditors whe Bother Mis-
with Their Queer Demands.

6WarminR about the capitol Tpen ConRrcSs ID
in session. while thousands are clamoring con-
, tinually by letter for payment Some OF them
are cranks and not few OF them are frauds.
but many are honest creditors, hopeful or de-
rpairing of n settlement Numerous arc the
bnd debts recorded against the Government.
which has been accused often OF never paying
anything unless It was compelled TO pay.
True stories OF lives ruined. fortunes wreck
cd. and homes destroyed in the prosecution OF
Just claims against this Government would
I'll volumes. Unpaid victims haunt tho legis-
latire Hobbies from Congress- to Congress. pur-
suing tho delinquent debtor with never-dying
hope. while scores Of others IRE relegatsd to
the poorhouses and the luuatic asylume. Some
OF tho claims aro handed down by the creditors
from generation to generation. lesacios usu-
ally productive OF misery and unhappiness.
Nothing Is moro difficult than to push through
Congress tho most just claim against Uncle
Sam. II recommended favorably oy commit
tee. the chances arc against Its ever reaching
consideration by tho House. Surprising that
Il passes the House. it must have tho approval
OF the Senate and the Presidents signature.
!. II the lattor DO lacking the claimant must be-
gin at the beginning again In the next Con-
eress rs II he had never taken o step before.
Much o: tho labor incidental to the settlement
Of claims under existing laws Is caused by
olnim agents. Mnny Of them are not very rep
utabls pcrsons. They sond circulars brond-
cast to the uninformed. suggesting that
Tho latter are entitled to money from
the ~ Treasury. BY way OF fee for look
ing into tho matter. they demand 81 or
81 in advance with tho assurance that moth
ing further will DO demanded unless the
claim il allowed. Having got tho fee. their
|! interest ceases in tho claim. which Is In duo
course disallowed. Meanwhile they send out
.,l.,s, ttntN tNfv tnks
quently. more than 90 per cent Of all claims
are devoid OF morit.
To this day suits nrc holm inst ituted for slaves
killed and stolen by tho Creek Indians during
hostlities with that nation in 1896. In Ala
bama. the value OF the human chattols
being estimated ut $1,000 each. There
arc numerous claims outstanding against
the Government for dogs taken by
Indians. their worth being rocNoned Mt
from 81 to $50. A woman in Nebraska applied
recently for repayment for property destroyed
by Indians. who. on Aug. I. 1884. burned her
house and cnrriel hcr into captivity for c'gh-
teen months. Not vrrv dissmilnr is tho case
turod IN is;5 in southern Kat,sas pnl held ior
dian trader Tor i.00O and returned 10 civii-
cation. Now she is SUM: for $4,000. which
WHO mad brought, tho money from EnalnnI in
the shape OF gold and ngtcs Of the Bank OF
a mnsaG n ~m am for arness s dsyfS 5Sp
yingirE n amount all tho wny from sl9.75 to
Co'. iohn NJ. ChivlnGton wants, the Govern
r"n"rty by a"n. h BIZ 81 ncGp IT
wa u Methodist rte4chnr in Nebraska. He
%:ns 70 Go;9I"1o 4n4 ras'1 re I'm which
tr'enhiy Indians Of Colorado. Dakota. Ne
hnr,Itu,i a th forts. Suynp that if "a
.irhh r" protect and take caro- OF than Lurin;,
81 T ths r MG, in yWHys
to ,thN invitation. encamre'l at sand Creek.
81, ana .'nyn NJ their n On Nov 90.
c oy. With ut tie the rnited i st.e.
flag and also wniteli.g. The records say that
racfc,. nearly ali of them. filing the women nj
cniltrcn. s.h'pin- the dead. cutting. off their
S aH mort; ahs sa bs rn ytW o hi infants sm 'rn
OF lalian aepretations to this amoEnt o!
s"2uJo. ana the record is TO be brought up
fAorp Mre many cranky claimants. One man
wants 800 for , Guttin; In sorns Of soldiers
w"rs ea:en OF " cIotNrs!iue in 1871; by a GOV.
who petitions Tor $500 in settlement for cali
kl:!nh by !. cattle insnector:: who put tin tag;
poisoning. Another applicant wants SO for
The stealing and taking away of one sky
Now and then persons G!c claims against the
United states for service il the Confederate
army, Az Old man nan,et Taylor. from Ont
900 y pnymen. for having suggested to Presi-
den; Lincoln the idea of ISSUING greenbacks
Tor sjo,OyO, WHEN no considers /. due him foI
showing Con. Grant how to capture tho town
TvS nzS Iw so I9'1 WHIT aF' t the cag
:Chrls.mas present to the soidiers.'' it was
II tns sS :, va. ersrGf "nnrn pa"s thu,
a Maoas' In T"F fhat ~ss
ask Ior thniT sharca Of tho sum. which had
been discovered 10 DO due them for extra
G 9n a
by the Second Auditor. thus giving rise to au
immens" amount Vi tr2nh!e Mr.; DaIzell has
now reduced his estimate of the claim &c
onion sa,Iicrs VINO ware never formally
AMI OBTAIN iEeir ,!!~chars, ut tho War Depart
nlent, a. t!,y san" time they ask for pay from
r"!ess" and arc srprs" and e r. az NJ"
Ec;tinE!'. othe." write that having been paid
no, now Want 'SS @ ts0p Esi%ssn the he
value %, the greenhncks they received
nn4 SSt s rH H asay haSnS Sns.
'Hr;Nsnr,. Undo: "xi7t,ns, laws. concerns; thu
many. Of tncn rad two each. Thus it is vors
"a 9 M MS enisteea had efx am'
i!!o,' abroad and families in this country also
Naturally thp widows on this side usually ap
plin! llrat for money due. and. after they wer,
paid. claims would come in from the real ant
rrcNiSuS widows &c. OSS tho ocean.
ono Oi the oldest Claims was presented no
long ago ny the SOLE survivor Of Il massacre or
the plains. Unity years ago u family of EN-
i,;titnts was travelling: through Idaho on 1t
Nay 10 Oregon. when il Was set upon b,
1.,.iarls. The lathor and mother. four SON
and threo daughters were Killed. but tn
youngest member Of tho expedition. NAL
grown to manhood he demanded from Unc
sam tho value of the wagon In which the EN-
iGiant party was travelling when attacked y
tao Savage. The vchiclp having boon Subse
uuently found by y lunrtermaster in tn
army, who ,iah applied it to his own uses
The amount. SlSo. WAS paid by the Treasur
and charged against tho Ouurtermaster.
TO illustrate the difficulties which attend
claim may be Mentioncr! tho ease OF Col. B.
VINO raj sed q reg .mont for tho Union army IL
Pennsylvania He was made Colonel OF it an,
was ordered to Washington. While there Il
was kidnapped and shut up for u long time Il
the old Capitol prison. The whole affair il
mystery which viii never DO solved probably
AT all events. tho unfortunate man having dis
appeared anot ner officer was appointed to hi
command and he led tho reg iment to the IL ID
Investigation made years later showed tina
Col b expended 10000 in raising an
equipping these troops. His petition for REIN
bursement has never been granted. and he
now pluper.