The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-22
PENSIONERS THEIR PREY.
DESIGNING WOMEN WHO ENTRAP
VETERANS INTO MATRIMONY.


Old Soldiers at TOgus Asylum victim
lied by ExiIed New York City De-
bauchees = Money Blunted Con-
sciences-Distributi of Govern
ment Gratuities shuts the PubIie's
Eyes 10 Open Crime.
From the New York Herald.
Augusta, Me-, Dec. 5, 1s95.-There are one
thousand soldiers widows in Maine to-
day who are drawing pensions on account
Of men whom they married not over ten
years ago; another thousand young wo-
men are married to veterans in the expec-
tation of getting pensions when their hus-
bands die; there are nearly one thousand
soldiers widows who are living with men
mostly young men, too-whom they
would wed if it were not for losing the
pensions; and finally, there are more than
one thousand women of not over blame
less reputation who are making frantic
efforts to unite themselves in wedlock with
old soldiers so that they may draw pen
sions when their feeble helpmeets shall
have passed TO the great beyond.
This pension hunting practice is a
shameful and serious fact known to near
~ everybody, and in many cases paraded
in open defiance of public opinion. II is a
reproach TO the heroism of brave men,
who risked their lives to defend the ma
ton and then surrendered their honor to
females who have lost all womanly charms
in the haunts of vice in the great cities.
What makes the practice more dangerous
70 the morals of the young is that neither
the law nor public condemnation seems
able to stop it, everybody claiming that
while a veteran is free citizen he has
the legal right to marry as he chooses.
The headquarters for all deceit in this
line IS on the kennebee river, in the vi
entity of the Togus military asylum,
where from 5000 TO 5000 veterans lodge
and board at the expense of the govern
ment. The inmates of this worthy home
are naturally the poorer and more unfor-
tunate veterans, who, either from loss
of kindred or property, have gone there
10 spend their remaining days among
comrades.
Though many are worthy citizens of
course, a large proportion are of that
restless and wandering class who sure
OF an honorable support spend a great
deal of their time either in finding fault
with their board, or away on larks among
barrooms and Haunting women who haunt
such places. The asylum is under strict
military discipline, but furloughs and
passes are easy TO obtain, and when they
are once granted the soldier who has pen
sion money can be relied upon to make
things lively while the cash holds out
Until DIR. Parkhurst and Senator Lexow
began their crusade against the social
evil IN New York city the veterans gen
crafty IttuENSu 10 the asylum When their
money was gone, with nothing worse
than an extra large head; but after the
New York houses were closed the in
mates drifted elsewhere. and many who
came to Maine become suddenly and ar
IDENTIFY attached 10 the bibulous old war
riors, whom they bewildered with the
latest city Establishments.
Day after day, and night after night.
they met and caroused in the dens Of
Gardiner and nearby cities, and the songs
they sang and the capers they cut We're
such as were never heard or seen in camn
or camp meeting. Gradually the AGED
troopers yielded to the combined infiu-
ence of wine and women-they would not
have been human If they had held out
cry, they woke up some morning married
men, with the fact terribly IN evidence in
the shape OF heSOtted sirens who had a
legal right 10 their names and incomes
The honeymoon lasted as long as the
money-nO longer-and then the wives
We're away again looking for fresh VIC
| Tins and waiting for husbands 10 die
/ pensioners have gained wives who never
| visit them except when the pensions are
| due, and who are TOO dissOlute IA ~
welded by decent men except when liauor
| has dethroned common sense
Men who indulge ia such debauches 40
] not live long, particularly SO when thew
are ln advanced years, but ben Thorn ale
/ the FIRST 40 hear Of it will be their ,ylves
who VIII shed a few hypoCrltleal tears IA
the graves ana then take extra nalns III
secure the pensions, tAc prizes FOR which
| they have struggled AN along
when the deceased had living children
| by H former wife. ns 10 often the raee.
ne SCENES ~ lhe funeral have frequently