Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-05-21

had filled 10 the portlOn lelV oldhA III
each affidavit paper with statements re-
speetiug the fight and the wound re-
| ceived. The whole story was q pure In
yention. In truth, the applicant had
got his hurt by falling from the rool OF
a two-story house which was In process
| OF building. On being confronted with
the facts he confessed and begged Ike
8 whipped cur not to be prosecuted ana
exposed.
The crop Of fraudulent pensions mas
/ been large. This is not at all surprising
considering how easy such cheats nave
been made. For example, suppose the
| case OF n e~x-oounty jumper in Oshkosh,
much ran TO seed through drink ana
! other disslpated habits. lie reerlveS a
/ circular from an attorney, informing
him that he is perhaps entitled TO a
! pension and advising him to apply Tor
| one. The ~ex-bounty jumper finds this
suggestion most attractive. his WlIe
has grown tired of supporting him, and
the money he gets from her is hardly
! sufficient 10 pay for his rum aud other
vices. a regular annuity from Inc
/ Government would DO very useful. Ac-
/ cordingly he replies to the circular, stat
ing his services in the war and the ma
ture OF his disabilities. Respecting the
latter be can speak earnestly, his con-
stitution being thoroughly undermined
by alcohol. The attorney makes out
| A form OF application and sends II TO him
for execution before q notary or magls-
| trate. The statement thus sworn to is
forwarded through the attorney to the
| Pension Bureau. The case Is recorded
| ana given a place on the files and In dne
course the claimant is ordered up for
examination before the nearest Board OF
| Examining Physicians. Probably d sur
geon on that Board has attended some
member OF the applicants family at some
time and takes an interest 10 him. On
favorable report by the Board, he gets
the pension. Incidently, he has been
obliged 10 swear that his DISABILITIES are
not due 70 vicious habits. His w
affidavit 20 this effect Is sufficient, no
| other testimony being required.
Fifty thousand attorneys are now
regularly practicing before the Pension
Bureau. They are scattered all over
| the country. The fee which they are
| allowed 10 receive in each case is fixed
at $40. This sum is taken out OF the
first payment Of pension by the U. ).
! Pension Agent, and is forwarded to the
attorney by draft. The latter can in no
Instance exact more than $40 and the
claimant is so notified. Nevertheless,
illegal fees have frequently been ex-
torted from pensioners. Ii is a risky
business. Any attorney caught at 1t Is
| debarred from practice before the bu-
rean. The attorneys secure the names
/ OF possible pensioners from persons for
whom they have secured pensions In
the same neighborboods. 1t is hardly
possible for any one who has a reason
| able claim 10 escape knowledge OF the
/ fact. Sometimes q single eX-soldier will
| receive as many as a dozen circulars OF
the kind referred to inside Of a week.
The Pension Bureau now contem-
| plates several measures for wedding out
fraudulent pensioners. A circular has
already been sent for 10 special exam
liners 10 different parts OF he country,
directing them TO inquire In all locall-
ties which they visit as to the existence
of such cheats. II is q part Of their reg
uIar duty 70 examine witnesses for the
purpose OF obtaining testimony in re-
suect 10 all applications for pensions.
! They will ask every witness II he or she
! knows of anybody who is reported TO be
drawing a pension fraudulently. Cases
thus learned Of will DO fully inveSti-
gated.
In every important town there Is at
! least one Board Of Examining Surgeons
! employed by the Pension Bureau. Each
Board is composed Of three physicians.
These surgeons are all Republicans at
present. During Mr.. Cleveland's former
administration one Republican was Sc
lected for each Board, 10 serve with two
| Democrats, in order that politics should
have no control Over decisions. The
| Democrats claim that under Mr.. Har-
rison's regime they were allowed no rep
resentation whatever, every Board be-
log exclusively Republican. Many
changes in the personnel OF the Boards
are o to be made. The new men will
be instructed to make examinations
much more strict. They will inquire Of
| all applicants as TO reported fraudulent
! pensioners. Furthermore, by q new
rule of the Pension Bureau, every
claimant under the law OF 1890 must
| furnish the afidavits or two creditable
witnesses as 10 whether his disabilities
/ are due 10 vicious habits or not. These
| things have never been done hitherto.
To the same end the Pension Bureau
will utilize postmasters all over the
country, particularly In small places.
At the post-ofices in little W neigh
! borhood scandals of every sort are talked
| over, aud the local pensioners are well
1 t---. nNha nNafrnoafnrQ will hn pa
ouested to give information OF cases re-
ported to be fraudulent. In addition to
these measures thousands of cases
! where pensions at high rates have been
| allowed will be withdrawn from the
/ files In Washington for denomination.
According to the pension law of 1890,
which granted from So to S12 a month
| for disability, a claimant, in order 10 OBJ
/ tain the maximum allowance, must be
| seriously disabled. But 1t is asserted
| that thousands Of names now on the rolls
are those OF persons not entitled to this
high rate. OF 400, 900 such cases APP
proved during the last four years, more
than 800, 600 got the maximum Of S144 a
year. Before the law OF 1890 went into
effect there were only q few over AGO.
| 600 pensioners on the rolls, now there
are GAS, 600. This law cost the Govern
ment more than 500, 900, 900 last year.
I The Democrats claim that OF this vast
sun $50, OO0, 900 was expended illegally,
the object held In view being 20 grind
out as many pensioners as possible, with
q minimum of care In investigating
claims. Thus, IL is alleged, has come
I abouta condition OF affairs which obliges