The evening call. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1891-1893, 1893-07-07
QUEER PENSION FRAUDS.
Ways People Have Tried to SwindIe Uncle
Sam

= lnventlveness and care which, if ex
d nlDlted IN other directions, would
surely enrich the pOsSeSSOrS One OF
:, the most remarkable frauds was con
Quoted recently in Washington by q
man who secured for himself and a
e confederate the proceeds OF "A bogus
pensions. Ihls person was a clerk in
the pension office. He rendered him
= self conspicuous by attention tOduty,
! staying long after hours every day.
Ihls extra time he devoted to search
Ing the files for widows claims which
mad been abandoned. He was in col
fusion with an individual outside.
Inc latter would hire a woman for 81
TO personate widow in the category
mentioned. To earn this small sum,
the woman would bring two other
persons to swear that she had never
remarked. 1t was a great deal of
perjury for very little money. In each
case the confederate would draw
the pension of So a month. retaining
the certificate. This highly original
game was worked until he held "a
certificates good for Sl44 each per
annum which represented to himself
and his friend in the pension office an
annual income of SO, 466. When the
conspiracy was discovered, the clerk
disappeared and was not captured.
Inc other man got three years in the |
penitentiary.
Two years ago supposed widow in |
Michigan applied for a pension. |
claiming that her husband had died
IN d Confederate prison. She was
entirely honest Nevertheless. it
was found on searching the records
Ihat Uhe man was not dead. On the
contrary he was living near Asheville
and was himself drawing a pension
Tor disability. He had been confined
IN Southern prison and during his
incarceration he and other captive
Union soldiers were visited by charita-
ole ladies in the nelghborhood. !
Among the latter was a susceptible
young woman who fell in love with I
him. After his release, instead of {
going home, he decided to begin life '
again on a new plan. He STAYED ]
Where he was and married the girl. a
On looking the matter up it was S
1ound that the delinquent was one of Z
the most highly respected people in Il
his vicinity. He had hat store, did b
a good business and was looked I'D to
Oy everybody. The pension bureau
could not stop his money allowance.
1t simply notified the former wife b
mat her husband was alive and told o.
Ter where he was living. leaving the d
1rama to work itself out So
NOt long ago widow of a Union az
Older applied for a pension. The CT
ecords showed that her husband had bl
)een Killed in an early battle of the fl
ebelliOn. AfterWard along came tt
n application from the soldier him it
elf for an allowance for disability.
lie declared that instead of being dc
lIled he had been captured and con. sh
ned Tor long period in Southern m
rlsons AS a result he had become sn
roken mentally and physically. The su
apers IN both cases being before the tn
enslon office simultaneously. a ph
oeclaE examiner was sent to look Sc;
1em up. He took. the man to Ili- tn
OILS, where he was supposed to have tic
we'd when young, but the testimony bu
neighbOrs proved that he was a tn
aud. In fact, he was trying to ner- We
mate the dead soldier, whom he SIN
ust have been acquainted with. ap
eanWhile he had actually persuaded his
Re WIDOW that he was her long lost to
ls0and. Finally he confessed. At a 4
eSent he is in prison awaiting trial. fac
In another case the claimant was hal
old soldier, living in Somerset sol
'unty, Pa. He stated that he had the
Cured disabling injury of the ma ice.
re OF rupture while in the sery- {
:. The records showed that he bee
as honorably discharged on account :
Uhls trouble. Nevertheless sus- nus
clon was aroused, though everything icle
emed as straight as possible. D.
Murphy the present acting COM
of pensions, went to see I
e man. He was a big, hearty chill
'klng fellow. Though Unanswered dist
questions satisfactorily lingering ingC
ubt was still felt On investIpa. was
m 1t was discovered that the whole was
air was fraud. The witness who wit
q Endorsed the application had job
IN bullied and terrorized into do was
: it. and
The truth was that the applicant useC
proved himself an arrant coward con-
llle In the service One night no afra
q TO his tent mates that he womb 4"
stand up and be shot at. He chic
IN boosted TO them of the scheme bed
lch he proceeded to put into prac- the
e BY an ingenious article. which are
st have cost him indescribable Jo
my, he produced temporarily the and
1earance Of a frightful injury 81
len he exhibited himself to the reaS'
geons they were Mortified. and on To q
III recommendation he obtained the
discharge at once. When he an thin
"a for pension, before going b. / Bost
the Examining Board of Physi
rs, he repeated the operation re-
ed to, again bringing about the Al
cking condition described They come
were deceived and Endorsed hi~ pFea'
.ement. II the swindle had been deiig
lily carried through he would have was
several thousand dollars in ar tne