Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-13

~ Ill L
" u cured for himself and a
confederate the pro-
ceeds of twenty-four bogus pensions. This
person was a clerk in the pension Office He
rendered himself conspicuous by attention to
duty, staying long after hours every day.
This extra time he devoted to searching the
files for widows claims which had been aban-
doned. He was in coiiusion with an individual
outside. The latter would hire 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 the had never
remarked. 1t was great deal of perjury for
very little money. In each case the confederate
would draw the pension Of sl2 month. re-
tanning the certificate This highly original
game was worked until be held twenty-four GER
tificates. good for S144 each per annum. viii CHI
represented to himself and his friend in the
pension office an annual income of IS. 456. When
the conspiracy was discovered. the clerk disap-
peared and was not captured. The other man
got three years in the penitentiary.
FOUND HER HUSBAND.
Two years ago q supposed widow in Michigan
applied for a pension, claiming that her hus-
band had died in a confederate prison. She
was entirely honest. Nevertheless, it was found
on searching.the records that the man was not
dead. On the contrary, he was living near
for disability. He had been confined in a
southern prison, and during his incarceration
he and other captive Union soldiers were visited
by charitable ladies in the neighborhood
Among the latter a susceptible young
woman who fell in love with 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. On look
ing the matter up it was found that the delin-
quent was one Of the most highly respected
people in his vicinity. He had a hat store did
q good business and was looked up to by every
body. The pension bureau could not stop his
money allowance. 1t simply notified the former
wife that her husband was alive and told her
where he was living, leaving the drama 10 work
itself out
In another case the claimant was an old SOL
der, living in Somerset county. Pa. He stated
that he had incurred disabling injury of the
nature Of rupture while in the service The
records showed that he was honorably dis
charged on account of this trouble. Neverthe-
less suspicion was aroused, though everything
seemed as straight as possible Mr.. ID. i. MUIR
ply. the present acting commissioner of pen
sions, went TO the man. He was big
hearty-looking fellow. Though he answered all
questions satisfactorily lingering doubt was
still felt On investigation it discovered
that the whole affair was a fraud. The wit
nesses who had Endorsed the application had
been bullied and terroriZed into doing so.
The truth was that the applicant had proved
himself an arrant coward while in the service.
One night he said to his tent mates that he
would not stand up and be shot at He even
boosted to them Of the scheme which he pro-
ceeded to put into practice. BY an ingenious
| artifice. which must have cost him indescrib-
able agony. he produced temporarily the APP
pearance Of q frightful injury. When he ex-
hiblted himself TO the surgeons they were hor-
rified, and on their Recommendation he obtained
his discharge at once. When he applied for a
hafnx xl<ofN r.. "a. -
Of physicians, he repeated the operation re-
ferred to, again bringing about the shocking
condition described. They also were deceived
and Endorsed his statement. n the swindle
had been finally carried through he would have
got several thousand dollars In arrears, besides
an allowance monthly for lie.
PERSUADED THE WIDOW.
Not long ago a widow Of a Union soldier ap-
piled for pension. The records showed that
her husband had been killed in an early battle
OF the rebellion. Afterward along came an ap-
plication from the soldier himself for an allow
ance for disability. He declared that, instead
of being killed, he had been captured and con-
fined for long period in southern prisons. As
a result, he had become broken, mentally and
physically. The papers in both cases being be-
fore the pension office simultaneously, a special
examiner was sent to look them up. He took
the man to Illinois, where he was supposed 10
neighbors proved that he was a fraud. In fact.
he was trying to personate the dead soldier
whom he must have been acquainted with.
Meanwhile he had actually persuaded the widow
that he was her long-lost husband Finally he
confessed. At present he is in prison awaiting
trial.
One of the queerest frauds Of the thousands
which have come under the notice Of the pen
zion bureau was the case of O very old man who
claimed to have served in the war Of 1912. In
three or four dispositions made at different
times he did not give the same name in any
two instances. This did not excite suspicion,
because he was very feeble and it was supposed
that his memory bad. However, il was
found at length that he was trying to personate
an elder brother, who really had fought in the
conflict referred to. The special examiner APP
pointed to look into the matter was still much
mystiied when on a certain evening he was
discussing the subject with the supposed vet
eran at the home Of the latter. During the
conversation the government official had a no.
ton that somebody was listening on the out
side Of the sitting room door. In the midst OF
it pretty young girl burst in sobbing and,
throwing herself upon the old mans neck,
said:
"Grandpa, tell the truth. II was your
brother and not yourself who served in the
war"
this was the fact and confessed that an attorney
in his neighborhood had induced him to make
the misrepresentation.
On another occasion q claimant residing at
Cannonsburg, Penn, applied for pension for
disability incurred during the rebellion. He
represented that, in a hand-to-hand conflict, he
had been struck by a dubbed musket on the
shoulder. As a result his left arm was with
cred. This person was prominent man in his
neighborhood. special examiner went to his
home and took his deposition. There was no
suspicion that anything was wrong However
nm cd fnr fhe np,as Of xhxA
had witnessed the infliction of the injury, he
could not give one, though he had tiled