The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1892-10-25

NC TcCclNcu IrOm WQen ne
applied for that which belonged to
the child:
WEBSTER, W. VA.
Sept. I'd, 1892.
DEAB SIR.-I wish to call your
attention to the condition of the
pension of my niece, Bertha Davis,
a child of eleven years.
Her father died some years ago
and her mother, about the last of
October, 1889, leaving her without
support.
On the next day after her moth
er's funeral, 1 took her home with
me, and she has been with me, or
under my care nearly three years.
In fact she was given over into
my care by the older children, who
were dependent upon their own
exertions for their support.
After about n year, feeling a
deep interest in the welfare of the
child, and thinking it my duty to
take care of what little property
she might have, / gave bond in this
CTaylor) county, and became her
legal guardian.
In the mean time her older sis
ter, for what reason / can not say,
placed the younger children under
the guardianship of G. T. Caldwell,
of Parkersburg, w. Va, including
this little girl, who was under my
care and living 100 miles away.
In November, 1890, a pension was
granted these younger children,
with some back pay up to their
mothers death. This pension came
into the hands of c. T. Caldwell, of
Parkersburg. l had my guardian
ship certified TO in the Wood county
clerks office, and recorded there.
1 wrote to Mr.. w. G.. Wells re.
questing him to ask Mr.. Caldwell to
forward the amount due Bertha to
me that / might invest it for her
benefit. He, Caldwell, promised to
do so, but failed in the performance,
and l wrote to him with the same
result.
Again Mr.. Wells called his atten-
ton TO it. Fair promises were all
he could got.
l then drew on him through a
Grafton bank for s2c0, about two,
thirds of the amount due Bertha.
The draft came back unhonored.
Mr.. Brent Bartlett, a mutual friend
of this little girls parents, and of
Caldwell tried his hand at influence
ing Caldwell, but got only fair
words and promises.
| do not feel that it is right to
spend on law suits, what little is
coming to the child which was grant
cd her by the pension department
for her support.
All told it would not pay more
than 50 per week board for the time
which she has been with me, and
had she been dependent on the
pension granted her, she would
likely have suffered, or gone to the
poor house.
1t is nov % months since the
pension payment began and not one
cent has been received by me fsr
the benefit of Bertha Davis.
If the Pension Department. has
paid this money into the hands of a
person who will not pay it over for
the benefit of the child who is to be
benefited, then / think it is the
duty of the department to see that
it is paid over
Respectfully.
J. NJ. BARTLETT.
Subscribed and sworn to by J.
NJ. Bartlett before me in my county
on this 18th day of September, 1892.
SEAL CHAs. I'll. RECTOR, Clerk,
County Court, Taylor Co., w. Va.
There is a popularity connected
with the mails in this connection.
The affidavit was made on Septem-
Der 10, was mailed and postmarked
Webster, September Is, and was
not delivered here to the person to
whom it was addressed until Oct.
3, after Caldwell paid the money
into court. The address on the
envelope was very plain, including
the street and number. Who held
back that letter, and why was it
held back? Webster is one hundred
miles from Parkersburg on the rail-
road with three mails a day between
the places.
What caused Caldwell to settle?
The matter was placed in the hands
of government officers, and Capt.
Roome had charge of it, but if any
proceedings were taken no one ever
heard of it. Another interested
party, however, notified a leading
hepubiican unless something was
done to relieve the bondsmen the
law would be applied, and the law