The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-05-19

NORFOLK, Va, May 1S.-The grand
jury in the United States court yester-
day found eleven indictments against
w. R. Drewry, the expansion agent,
for obtaining pensions by forgery and
other fraudulent means, and to.day's
work OF the grand jury was only the
beginning of the investigation of this
now celebrated pension steal. 1t is, of
course, impossible to learn the secrets
OF the grand jury room, but enough in
f.rmation could be obtained around the
court this morning to make one Of the
most interesting stories of fraud and
trickery which has ever come from a
hall OF justice.
William R. Drewry, lawyer, has lived
In this city for number Of years, but
only within the past three years has he
been running his rapid fire pension ma.
chine. 1t was only necessary to say to
the attorney that pension was desired
and 1t was forthcoming. But the various
means USED in obtaining these pensions
by the rapid-transit process are GER
tainly novel, il not in accord with
Uncle Sans written law.
Evidence was introduced before the
grand jury to day showing that people
whose names were signed to the papers
as witnesses had never teen, not only
the papers, but did not even know the
pension attorney when they met him
on the street Nor was this all. Other
names were signed by "his mark" in
cases where the owner OF the name
could sign it better than Attorney
Drewry.
AS to the part the notary public played
in the case not half has been told Ben.
iamin A. Richardson, q well-to do
painter in this city, is half brother to
Drewry, and when business came in
with such rush on the latter he in
duced the painters son, B. A.. Richard
son, Jr who was just of age, to apply
for commission as notary. Richardson
did SO and was ccessful. A desk was
given him at Drewry's office, but there
was lull in the business, and Richard
son accepted position as travelling
salesman.
He carried his seal to his fathers
paint store and went to Florida. 1t was
while Richardson was in the far South
that -DrowrJ womb TO t,.o- paint otoro md
asked for the seal, giving as an excuse
that $ me OF the papers had been re.
turned from Washington Tor correction
and he had to afflx the seal. 1t was
delivered to him, and from that day
Drewry has been atfixing the seal and
signing Richardson's name to every-
thing which presented itself.
But the most novel method used by
Drewry was in ubstituting an invalid
for robust man. There arc living in
Norfolk county two colored men of the
same name, but their homes are widely
separate. Both served in the late war,
but there is vast difference in their
physical condition. One is an invalid,
the other very robust. The latter APP.
piled for pension, and when the time
came to be examined by a physician,
the invalid was hunted up and sub.
stituted.
Every question was answered truth
fully by the old negro, but he did not
receive the pension. 1t went to the man
whose physical condition was almost
perfect. These are only few of the
methods used by the attorney to secure
pensions. There are some witnesses
whose names are on the pension rolls,
but who have never received one cent
of pension money.
The grand jury this afternoon also
brought in six indictments against
young Rich. rdson, the ex notary public
for engaging in the frauds It is said
"hop ehooo were DaS0Q on
evidence that Richardson had signed
the blanks attesting that the applicant
for the pension had signed the papers
In his presence, when the fact was that
the notory was several hundred miles
away when they were signed by the ap
plicant, and that after these papers
were signed by Richardson they were
left with Drewry for future use.
1t will be almost impossible for the
present grand jury to do anything moro
at this session OF court, as the exam.
liners have furnished but few cases as
yet.
OTHER ENORMOUS PENSION FRAUDS.
SANTA FE. N. NJ, May Is.-P. A.
Marcellino, 3 we'll known resident of
Socorro, has been sentenced to seven
years imprisonment On Monday he
entered plea of guilty to twenty seven
indictments for violation of the United
States pension laws. Nine of these were
forging Endorsements on pension certi-
ticates. nine for illegally taking letters
from the postoffice and opening them,
and nine for receiving from pensioners
more money in fees than he was entitled
to under the law.
For year Marcellino has carried
things with bold hand. he was
pension agent and had n largo acnua;nt