The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-02-21
4 DARING FRAun.
West Virginia Woman BIeeds Uncle


a member of the Second West vir-
ginia Cavalry, was aecidently killed
by The explosion of a she'll, after
battle. He left a widow and two
children living in Clay county,
About twenty years ago this woman
made an application to the pension
department for pension for herself
and children. This application was
lgrarted and shereceiyed So month
and her children 50 apiece. Shortly
after this she had child by man
named Flesher, who had served
four years in the penitentiary for
the Killing of old man White over
Elk just after the war. The mother
attempted to get a pension for the
IilIegitimate child, but failed. She
centipned however to draw the
other pensions until 1877, when
they were stopped because she mar
ried her brother.in law, G, w. Min
ner, who had lived with her for a
number of years after his wife, Mar
garet Moore's sister, died. They
were indicted by the Circuit Court
of Clay county for this and married
to get out of the indictment. A
short time afterwards they separa-
ted, Minner alleged, on account of
the general worthlessness of the
woman, who sank lower and lower
in shame as the years passed on.
A little less than three years ago
she left Clay county and went to
Point Pleasant, where she institu-
ted proceedings to have her mar
riage with Minner annulled, on the
grounds that he bad a legal wife at
the time he married her, which of
course was the case, as Mrs. Moore
was present when her sister died.
Nevertheless with daring effrontery
she filed her afidavits and gave no
tice through the papers which Min
ner, living in Clay county never
saw. Tho most prominent lawyer
in the city was engaged on the
case. The woman procured two
witnesses, a man and wife, who
swore and put it in writing, that in
1873, one year after Minner had
married the Moore woman, he was
at their house in Clay county in
company, with his first wife, be it
known, had been in her grave for
years In February of 1892 de-
cree of divorce was granted by the
Circuit Court of Mason county. The
woman then made an application to
the pension office for restoration on
the rolls and sent a certified copy
of the decree of divorce. She was
restored to the rolls and received
nearly $4,000 back pay, and s12 a
month. The first check she cashed
in Point Pleasant late in 1892.
About this time Special Pensioner
Examiner John w. Moore was no.
tilted by Charleston parties of the
condition of things, and he notified
the government, which instructed
him to go ahead and institute pro-
ceedings against the woman. He
went to Clay county, and after a
full investigation, found the facts as
stated above. He came back aud
swore out a warrant before U. S.
Commissioners j. 81. Hunt for the
arrest of the woman. But in the
meantime she had gone to Ohio, it
is thought; at any rate she disap-
peared and has not been heard of
since. She took the Doodle with
her.
Mr.. Moore then went before the
Federal grand jury at Parkersburg,
sitting at the January term of this
year. Here he had the woman in
dicted for obtaining money from,
Uncle Sam under false pretenses.
She is still abroad, as sharp citi-
zen as ever swindled the Govern
ment. Nothing has been done with
the witnesses who swore to seeing
the dead alive, but they will proba-
bly, have justice meted out to them
in due time.
This is one of the most daring
and successful attempts ever made
to defraud the government, al
though it is not a question but
what there are many names upon
the pension roll which are not COW
cred with SO much of glory as peo-
pie might believe. This case could
perhaps be duplicated on investiga-
ton, and thorough separation of
the wheat from the chaff would re-
veal many strange stories which
are now locked up and practically
unquestioned by a credulous Gov
ernmet.-Maneston Evening Mail.