The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-01

hundred made by me in their behalf months
ago remain unanswered to-day. If the APP
plicants knew what is required to complete
their claims they could obtain the necessary
evidence now probably much more easily
than they could at some indefinite time IN
the future, when il might be required of
them in case they should yet be living
The Tribune correspondent has heard the
same complaint frequently within the last
few months from Representatives in Con-
gress, Democrats as we'll as Republicans.
Respecting pension Frauds IL seems TO
make a good deal of difference under this
beneficent administration whose OK is
gored. Attention was recently called to a
case which. if correctly described. illus
trates this fact. IL appears that a minis
ter of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, who resided in Tennessee during the
war, was the owner OF a number OF slaves
who received the benefits of the emanclpa-
ton thder mis- advice one
cook. After several years he died, leav-
ing a widow, who was found TO be entitled
to receive a pension, and the former master
advised her to file an application. She did
SO. and after several years it was granted
and a certificate was issued and sent TO her
in care of her former master. 1t carried
arrearages amounting TO several hundred
dollars. of which she received the munifi-
cent sum of $50, which was all she ever
did receive. The pension. however, was
regularly paid. The actual pensioner died
some time afterward, but the pension sur
vived, and was regularly collected in her
name by the fraudulent beneficiary. About
two years ago the suspicious of an official
of the Pension Bureau became aroused and
an Investigation was instituted, which re-
suited in showing that the ex-slaveholding
minister, VINO had in the meantime re-
moved to Texas, had been guilty during a
long series of years, not only of fraud upon
the government, but of forgery. He was
arrested, tried and convicted. The only
plea that his counsel could offer was that
he was justified in using any means in his
power to "get even with the government
which had ''unconstitutionally" deprived
him of his slave property in 1863. The case
was too plain, however. and even a Texas
jury felt obliged to convict the reverend
criminal. The sentence imposed was i'm
p%risonment for eighteen months and a
fraud was never known, and the penalty
imposed was so light as to amount almost
to a verdict of acquittal.
The facts brought out on the trial were
published in the Texas newspapers. Did
the editors set up a howl about pension
frauds?" No, indeed. On the contrary.
they remained discreetly silent. Whether
or not they did so out Of sympathy for an
ex-slayeholder who was only trying to get
even'' with the government which had de-
prived MIN of his human chattels thirty
years before is immateriaL But just think
how the changes on pension frauds
would nave been rung in the Democratic
newspapers if a case only a 1.-THE as flag
rant had been discovered in the North 1t
may be as well to add that while the in
vestigation of the case was begun under
President Harrison'S administration. the
prosecution was had under the present one.