The morning times., 1895-10-19

the temporary nome Ior eA-UnloH SOiuieio
and sailors, at No 800 Missouri avenue
northwest.
The need of a .home" or Some other
establishment of a s.n.iiar character had
been long felt. Prior to its permanent
establishment, es in 1888, under the au-
spices ana management OF the Grand Army
OF the Republic, Department of the 70
tomac, the care of the ''old veteran
soldiers and sailors, unable TO provide
for themselves, devolved upon the reile1
committee of the department, and KIND
hearted Chaplain Samuel A. Kramer,
through whose kind offices many an old
comradc W as made comfortable during his
stay in the city.
Those hu are familiar with the relief
work of the Department of the Potomac
know that the question or providing Tor
the relief of the comrades, who visit this
city, have alw ays been one of great anxiety
and responsibility, one which increases IN
its magnitude as the years roll on.
OBJECT OF THE HON f.
The object of the Temporary Home is
10 provide a comfortable lodging place
for the large number of old soldiers and
sailors, who come here on business, and
those merely passing through the city en-
route for one OF the national or State homes.
The prime object, however, Is the care
of those who come in search or aid and
Information in reference to pension claims,
and have no means TO defray their ex-
penses while here.
Since its establishment, nearly seven
thousand veterans have been cared for
at the home on Missouri avenue. or
this number, many were 'transierts' en-
route for other ''honles," east and west
but the ma aiority were old soldiers who
came 10 search the records in the War
Department for documentary evidence To
prove their claims to place ON Uncle
SANS pension roll. Most of those who
come are looking after pension claims,
bounty money or back pay, while many
are seeking admission 10 some one OF the
many State or National homes What
ever their business, they are MADE as
comfortable a. possible during their short
stay.
Among the great number who apply for
admission,a majority of whom have IN
view the same object, il is not suTpris-
Ing that there should be some attempts to
practice fraud, but it is a subject OF
congrauiation TO the management, the
Department of the Potomac. and the G. A.
r. in general, that instances of this kind
are very rare.
Attempts to perpetrate fraud. no matter
how deeply planned OF sklfuny executed,
are sooner or later, discovered, and the
perpetrator invariably landed in prison.
AI1EMf - AL L RAUL.
One of the most remarkable, and for
long time successful, attempts at fraud
which has come to the notice uf the Off
cials of the Home, was that practiced by
VIM Fox of Ohio. Fox had Travelled un-
der many aliases. For ten years OF more
he had been on the pension roll. and no
one for an instant ever dreamed that he was
not what he represented himself. Success
had made him bold. and in the year 1889
he came here TO have his pension increased.
He applied for admission to the Tempo
rary Home and was taken in.
To ]. R. Brown, of Kit Carson Post. No.
2, one of the board of managers. Fox
told his business. He said that in moving
some time before he had lost his discharge
papers, and was here to have them dupli-
Gated. He was a good talker, but he
talked too much for his own good. He ar
rived at the Home on Friday night. and
after supper in the smoking room, while
talking to the .'old boys" he made cum
'flicting statements. These contradictory
tales were reported to Comrade Brown, who
next morning called the willy Fox 20 task.
Fox became terribly indignant and said
he could easily prove his identity by Gen.
Anson McCook, who, at that time. was
Secretary of the United States Senate.
Comrade Brown accompanied him 10 the
Capitol, and there, with all the brazen
effrontery that man could assume, he
confronted Gen. McCook, who, he claimed,
was his colonel during the war. Gen. Me-
Cook denounced him at once as an i'm
poster. William Fox, of his command,
Gen McCook said, he knew well and would
recognize anywhere. He had promoted
him on the battlefield of Chickamaueua for
callantry and could not mistake him for
anyone else.
PLAYED CLEVER GAME.
Fox persisted and said he would prove
himself the man he represented himself TO
be by the records of the War Department.
He was given the chance and to the sur
prise of all when he returned from the War
Department he showed u duplicate dis
charge paper, which TO all appearances was
genuine Attached vas the signature of
Major AiDsw ortb, then in charge OF that
Department, and to those about the home
who were familiar with Major Ainsworth's
chirography, there was no longer any
doubt that the signature was genuine.
Comrade Brown still doubted. To him
there was something about the papers
which was very suspicious They were
made out in the forms used twenty-five
years before. Subsequent investigation
proved he was correct, aud aow "Comrade"
Fox is serving term of ten years in the
Albany penitentary.
Another disgraceful attempt at fraud
was a case in which a son, for the sake
of few paltry dollars, tried to lmper-
senate his father, a grand old soldier,
who was too old and feeble to attend to
the drawing of his pension. Tie fraud
was detected, but at the request of the
old father his unnatural son was not prose
cuted. Such instances, however, are rare.
SWAPPING eEXPERIENCES.
Among the regulars" who stop for a
short rest at the Home are many battle
SCARED veterans, who spent the best years
of their lven in the front in defense of the
Union. AT night, around the campfire
in the smoking room of the Home or, in
fine weather, in the park just opposite,
when these old war horses gather around,
many a thrilling tale of the war is told.
On such occasions the war is fought
over again and for the time the ''old
vets" are at the front once more, skirmish-
charge which put the ''Johnnies" to flight
in complete rout. Though aged and worn,
the old soldier never loses his keen sense
of humor and at these sittings many
are the amusing anecdotes told. Nor are
the stories all one-sided, for in their re-
cital the enemy is always given credit for
his bravery and shrewdness.
An old warrior with deep furrow
plowed across his head over his left eye,
when asked how it happened, said:
st got that at Vicksburg, Miss, from a
We were all down there with Grant and
were at close quarters with the enemy
One morning while my comrade ana
were doing picket duty I saw a Johnnie's
head pop up from behind an embankment
about two hundred yards off / ducked
and says to my partner I'm going to get
that fellow IL he shows up again.