The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-02-24
A DARING FRAUD.
A West Virginia Woman
BleedS Uncle Sam.
A STRANGE STORY OF CRIME
AND SHAME BROUGHT
TO LIGHT.
A Dead Sister Resurrected to Further
the Fraudulent Seheme-The Swim
der Gets 50, 900 and Skips
The Country.

member of the Second West Vir-
ginia Cavalry, was accidentally kill
ed by the explosion of shell, after
battle, He left 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
granted and she received IS 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 kill
ing ola man just after the war. The
mother attempted to get a pension
for the illegitimate child, but failed.
She continued, however, to draw the
other pensions until 1877, when they
were stopped because she married
her brother.in law, G. w. Minner,
who had lived with her tor a number
of years after his wife, Margaret
Moore's sister, died. They were in
dicted by the circuit court of Clay
county for this and married to get
out of the indictment. A short time
afterwards they separated, 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 instituted proceedings to
have her marriage with Minner an
nulled, on the grounds that he had
legal wife at the time he married
her, which of course was not the
case, as Mrs. Moore was present
when her sister died. Nevertheless
with daring efrontery she filed her
aflidavits and gave notice through
the papers, which Minner, living in
Clay county never saw. The most
prominent lawyer in the city was en-
gagged on the case. The woman pro-
cured two witnesses, a man and wife
who swore and put it in writing, that
in 1878, one year after Minner had
married the Moore woman, he was
at their house in Clay county in
company with his first wife, who be
it known, had been in her grave for
years In February of 1892 decree
of divorce was granted by the circuit
court of Mason county. The woman
then made an application to the pen
sion office for restoration on the
rolls and sent certified copy of the
decree of divorce. She was restored
to the rolls and received nearly 3d.
900 back pay, and $l2 a month. The
first check she cashed in Point Pleas
ant late in 1892. About this time
Special Pensioner Examiner John
W. Moore, was notified by Charles
ton parties of the condition of things
and he notified the government,
which instructed him to go ahead
and institute proceedings against
the woman. He went to Clay county
and after full investigation, found
the facts as stated above. He came
back and swore out a warrant before
U. S. Commissioner J. H. 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 ut Parkersburg,
sitting at the January term of this
year. Here he had the woman in
dieted for obtaining money from I'm
Gle Sam under false pretenses. She
is still abroad, as sharp citizen as
ever swindled the Government. Moth.
ing has been done with the witnesses
who swore to seeing the dead alive,
but they will probably have justice
melted to them in due time
This is one of the most daring and
successful attempts eyer made to de-
fraud the Government, although il
is not a question but what there are
many names upon the pension roll
which are not covered with so much
of glory as people might believe.
This case could perhaps be duplicat-
ed on investigation, and thorough
separation Of the wheat from the
chat would reveal many strange
stories which are now locked up and
practically unquestioned by a cred
ulous Government.