Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-08
CONGRESSIONAL PENSION SLIPS
Commissioner Raum Tells How They Were
Used by Mr.. Cooper's Secretary.

eseo W toopefs Secrethiys
A FIRM on ATTORNEYS COULD SECURE PROMPT
AND COMPLETE INFORMATION OF THE STATUS
OF PENSION CLAIMs-REsULT OF CAREFUL
NvEsTIeATIoS By SPECIAL AGENTS
Aquestion asked BY Mr.. Enloe in the Raum
Investigation. as stated in yesterdays STAR,
led to the bringing out Of some information
from Mr.. Raum which was of decidedly sem
sational character. Mr.. Raum was being e1-
smined BY Mr.. EnlOe and in reply to ques-
tion the witness said that the pension office
refused to permit attorneys and claimants to
examine pension papers to ascertain what evil
dence was needed to make good their claims.
As courtesy to members of the House and
Senate. under a Icing standing practice Of the
Office. the private secretaries of Representa-
tives and Senators were given that privilege.
Mr.. Enloe-As the attorney himself cannot
obtain the information which might be very
valuable. could he not afford topay a member
clerk for il?
Mr. Psyson-On the face of it that is a mat
tor Of inference, and your judgment is as good
ss Mr.. Raum's-
Mr.. Enloe retorted that he proposed to show 1t
was more than inference and then asked: 10
you know about any clerk Of a member OF oon-
gress or an attorney getting such information
out the country and receiving pay for 1t!
REPRESENTATIVES, cooPER's PRIVATE SECRETARY.
This question to the surprise of the whole
committee, sprung q decided sensation Inc
commissioner evidently had been preparing for
lust such an inquiry, for he had on the table
near him huge bundle .. papers In the form
of afidavIts. letters and reports Replying to
Mr.. Enloe's question he said that he knew of
such a case and the man was samuel r. Hersey,
private secretary TO Representative Cooper of
Indiana, one of the prosecutors In the case
There were perhaps a thousand pension cases
ell over the northwest in which Hersey was in
volyed. Mr.. PaysOn said that 10 was on this
matter that Mr.. Lineaweaver, whose absence
has been frequently inquired about, had been
engaged
The papers relating to the affair were offered
In evidence by Mr.. Raum. but have not yet
been admitted In evidence, the committee de-
siring to examine them and pass upon the mat
ter. The substance OF them is covered in
Of the Interior, dated April 5, recommending
Hersey's disbsrment.
JOHN r. wHIrrISsHnL's CASE
In effect the letter shows that on February
Rb last a report was received from J. G.. Green
walt q supervising special examiner of the
pension Office, with reference to a complaint
received from John K. Whittinghill of Croth-
ersvile, Ind, and formerly in the ninth Ken
sucky volunteers In this complaint Whiting
hill said that he had received a letter from G..
l. Raglan & Co. of kenton. Ohio. saying that
for 50 he would furnish Whittinghiil the exact
status of his claim and the testimony necessary
in it. Whittinghill asked if 1t were a fraud
and If Raglan could furnish the information
why could not he (WhittinghilD get II from the
pension Office without expense The papers
show that on September 16 of last year
the commissioner wrote Whittinghill saving
that he was not advised upon what method
Raglan 4 Co. were working the pension Office
anu asked him TO forward 80 to the firm. for
which the pension Office would reimburse him
and request a status This done. and on
November 10 Whittinghill received a reply Civ
ing him as full and accurate a statement of his
claim as If the man had had the papers before
him Meanwhile the case had been put aside
10 ascertain what would come of 1t, and IT
turned out that on November IL the papers in
the case were called for by Hersey upon a con-
gressional slip of Representative Cooper of
indiana The commissioners letter said that
he could not know that this was any more than
a coincidence and could rot determine whether
there was any connection between Raglan and
the Cooper slip.
THE CLAIM OF HENRY BEHRENs.
So on November % Whittinghill was re-
quested to correspond with Raglan & Co. rela-
tive to the claim of Henry Behrens Of the ninth
Ohio infantry, the claim having been selected
at random On December % the claim was
called up by Hersey on a congressional slip of
Mr.. Cooper and was carefully examined Febru-
AIRY 8, 1872 Rsgan, writing from Chicago, for
varded q status of the claim.
In the meantime the commissioner had re-
ceived a letter, dated December %. 1891. from
ex-Representative Williams of Ohio calling at
tention to the fact that certain Ohio pension
attorneys were having their cases called up for
status and reported upon by Hersey on Mr..
Cooper's congressional slips. The matter was
placed in Greenwalts hands and he obtained
from the office In which Raglan had formerly
worked a letter-press book containing thirteen
copies OF letters relating to claims. One letter
gave q complete status of the claims of Mrs.
Elizabeth Moffatt of Elizabethtown. Ind,
called up October ., 1881, on Mr.. Cooper's con-
gressional slip.
HOW TIE MATTER WAS WORKED.
At Greenwslt's request Lineaweaver was as
signed TO assist him In Ohio he took the
dispositions of F. p. Cunningha ham. George C.
Garfield. John p. Armstrong and ID. F. Darst:
he also took those Of John +. Morgan of Bloom
ington, Ind These papers. the commission
er's letter said, showed that Hersey secured
information Oh pension claims through Peet
and that Peet and Hersey were brought to-
gether by Cooper, Peet having been a clerk
under Mr.. Cooper when the latter was post
master OF Columbus. Peet was related to
Cooper by marriage and was the confidential
man and chief clerk of MarriDg 4 Slusher,
pension attorneys. Pee. furnished Greenwalt
with several original letters received from
Hersey giving reports of the status Of cases.
The plan was, the commissioners letter said
that Raglan wrote to pension attorneys and
Claimants and secured the business and for
warded II TO Peet who. in turn, corresponded
with Hersey. who used the slips of Cooper and
other members Of Congress, whom he repre-
sented as their clerk Hersey drew the cases
and ascertained their status and the fees were
divided between Hersey, Peel and Raglan.
INTRODUCED By COOPER
The deposition Of Jas p. Morgan of Bloom