New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-14
THE PENSION INVESTIGATION.
DECoY LETTER SENT TO MR. COOPER WHICH
FAILED OF ITS OBJECT.

FAILED OF ITS OBJECT
Washington. April 13.-when the Pension oN.ce in
vesttgation was resumed today NJ En'oc ohered III
evidence afTdavs flied with Secretary Noble by HOW
ard and EHgle, Pension Office clerks. charging tlAt
Young Green D. Raum after ne ont OF Office. asked
berl for loan OF $50 as consideration OF using his
influence for tier promotion and that Theodore smith,
another discharged cmplove had secured money from
an examiner for getting him an assignment MI Pay
son objected 10 their admission. on the Grolld mat
Young Raum and smith not in the Office at the
time aod that The matter lad no connection with Com
missioner Iaum Mr. Enoc said he wi shed to slow
that IT was because OF The fling Of these charges that
the Commissioner euGeavored 10 have Howarl ard
Enclc kept ont OF Office Chairman Wheeler ruled that
the aniduvits weTc inadmSsihe. unl"Si the Commits
sloner was connected VII them. J. Z. Enclc was cX
autned ard testified that he had been dismissed on the
ground that he was not proper person Tor the place.
bur was subsequently Ieinstated AZ a lower salary
The afHtavits were subsequently admitted IN cOlncc
ton with Secretary Mobiles testimony relative I"
Engles dismissal. The witDoss denied eTnphailc1lly
the truth of the charges upon which he had been di
missed.
David L. GIFT q reaestate agent bat formerly n
chief Of division in thc Pension ONCE who had made
on affidavit that in 1888 under General Black. Inc call
slips of Nahne and Sushcr with Representative
Coopers signature attached. became 50 numerous that
they were Grown into the waste basket. testified that
the affidavit should be modified as t. apply 10 Com
Black. NJ. Git gave IL a. his opinion that the Con
grcssional privilege had grown into great abuse.
discussion among members Of the committee at THIS
point showed that they inclined 10 favor action
By Congress to limit interference by Co1gHSsmen With
pension applications.
John Raum, Of the Commissioner, and prac-
Using attorney and claims agent in this city, testified
that he used his blanks and never got any sta
tiOIery from The Pension Office Mr.. Cooper showed
him two declarations in pension cases mnde out on
what appeared to be Government blanks. in which
Raun was attorney. Mr. Ram said The handw;ith ne
was that OF his clark bat he dill not know whether
tho papers were Government papers, and could not
tell how he got them without boxing ri his records
r. l. BUCKLEY testified that ne associated With
Commissioner Raum IN the American Gypsu" Mining
Company, capitalized at s2,coo,ooo NJ. Raum t>h
him he had hypCtAecated 100000 Of the stock u
George f. Lemon as security Dr loan OF $4,000
V. II. Hodglins. discharged Pension Ofc; c'erE'
testified that Commissioner Raum IL him his record
was good, but he was irmical 20 lis Ohc (onmis
sloncr'sl administration.
James Morgan. OF bloomington Ind. who was uie
Indiana pension attorney Introduced TO uesey " "r
Cooper took the stand, and In answer 70 Mt cooper
questions said that ever ance Mr. Coo.c"s election
TO Congress he had written 70 Cooper on departmental
matters, and Cooper had attended 70 tiem for him
without compensation.
Mr. Lind Rcpubnc2n) said fanhly that he 1id not
believe Mr.. Cooper guilty Of any wronr. bat III any
event Mr. Cope. was not under investigation, ana he
objected TO consuming more time u'elcssly.
An important admission was obtained from witness
BY Mr.. EalOc, the witness acknowledging that he "h
WRITTEN the letter inccsing TIE 80 to M Cooper al
tbs suggestion Of special Examiner Greenwat. Of the
Pen,icn O..cc, whom Commissioner Raum had sent
out 10 investigate the matter. Mr. Grcenwht Ead
practically framed the letter, and Lad himself sent
the money in cstered letter. instead Of By Draft
or cLccl AID Mr.. Cooper instead Of 10 lleTsey' III
order that the matter might DC fastened on Af'
Cooper and he BE- cntrarpcd. GTcenwat said inc
Office suspected Hcr+ey was calling mp cases undef
Mr. CocpeI's name and With III, knowledge and sell
ing the Information. and that Mr. Cooper was party
TO It. 1t Gccoy letter, the witness admitted
hut IL failed because MIR Cooper had returned the
money I'm a letter, stating that lersey could ste 10
money for work done for him cooper. Witness
denied havinc written the letter lDr GrccnWalt De-
cause bo feared dlsoarmcDt. He was a Kepdbllean.
Chairman Wheeler-Af:cr yOu kncw this matter was
Der Of Congress for the purpose Of seeing II Rep,
rcssntative IN Congress would accept money for Illicit
Information.
NJ. Mcacan-Mr. Grccnvalt had come there and
Gguraiiveiy taken chorge Of me- did it because be
commanded requested Il Of me. Grccnwalt told
ne u condition Of thing, that surprised me very
much. He spoke OF having Information that uer5ey
had got valuable information rom the Pension ono:
and had ucl the Official capacity Of Cooper 10 gel u
and had ben selling it broadcast and was making
MOnoy OF. 4 It.
TO Mr. Lind he said this statement Of Mr.. Green
wal: aroused O suspicion with reference 10 what
witness alleged Mr.. Cooper had said in introducing
him 10 licrsey. Until three months ego. when new
rule adopted all attorneys b. coming here conld
get such Information rs liersey furnished.