The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-02
PENSION FRAUDS IN IOWA.
Two Prominent Professional
Men Arrested Yesterday.
Attorney Van Leuven. Who Is Accused,
charges That Examiner Waite Took
His Papers by Force, and He Begins
~ 100000 Damage Suit-A Doctor TO
be Placed on Trial

LINE SPRINGS, June IA sensation
mas been created here by the unearth-
Ing OF continued and stupendous PEN
sion frauis in Northern Iowa and
Southern Minnesota. The work of in
vestigalion has been carried on bv
| Special Pension Examiner Waite. who
has headquarters in this city and who
has been at work on the case for sew
eral months.
On May IS George M. Van Leuven.
Jr., pension attorney, who has been
In the business in this city since 1865,
and who has secured pensions during
that time for persons all through the
territory mentioned aggregatlng, it is
said, over a million dollars and
| Or. George kessel, mayor of Cresco,
Iowa, were arrested on warrants sworn
out by Waite before the United States
commissioner in Dubuque. Each gave
bonds for his appearance and was re-.
leased. Van Leuven and his son and
| other adherentS controlled the news
correspondents in the two towns. so
they were able to prevent any account
OF the affair from being made public.
The hearing OF Van Leuven began to.
DAY at Lime Springs and that OF Kessel
begins to morrow atCresco Waite and
Van Leuven had almost a personal en-
counter at the latter's office, when the
| examiner got hold of certain impo-tant
lies by force.
Van Leuven retained State Senator
John Day Smith, Of this city, ex.State
commander OF the q. a. R, to defend
him.
In the hearing this afternoon J. X
| Hickman. foreman of hA
| shops In Minneapolis, testified before
United States Commissioner Hobbs that
he had been solicited by Van Leuven to
try and secure larger pension than he
had; that he entered into contract
with Van Leuven to work the case
through, and paid him for it, but he
never received the advanced pension.
Postmaster McNally testified to the
authenticity OF the n oney order advice
conveying the fee from Hickman to
van Leuven No attempt was made by
Van l1euven's attorneys to show that
van Leuven had the right to solicit
business ana to accept payment without
having secured the pension, but the
commissioner held that the laws had
been passed to prevent just sucn things
as this, and that under the law he had
no business right to accept any money
under the contract until the pension
was actually secured. Van Leuyen was
rearrested this afternoon on the Hic,
man case, and it was on this case he
was held for the United States grand
jury in Dubuque.
van Leuven sprung q sensation to-
night. He has all along claimed the
papers-some four or five hundred of
those captured by Waite last week.
were Illegally taken. To, night he began
snits for 100000 against Examiner
Waite and Deputy United States Mar.
shall Goodner. $4,000 in each case. for
maliciously seizing and secreting private
papers, for locking up his vault and
carrying the key away, preventing him
from carrying on business and for
malicious trespass
Waite and Goodner are summoned to
appear at Cresco on June 12 to answer
TO the damage suits. 1t is claimed
that the paper seized will have most
| important bearing on the case when i'm
vvestigated by the grand jury in Dubuque.
van Leuven maintains his innocence,
ana the light promises to be hot one.
Investigations are under way in vari-
Gus localities in this section. 1t appears
TO day that prominent physician in
another town was charged by the Gov.
eminent authorities yesterday with
CONF licity in the securing of illegal
pensions. He broke down com pletely,
but under the advice of his pastor.
deacon in his church, and member of
the Iowa State legislature, and all his
irlen1s, he would not talk to any extent.