Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-04
SOLDIERS PENSIONS SACRED
Federal Government Will Arrest Officers Of
an Iowa Veterans Home,
INVOLVES AN IMPORTANT QUESTION
Practice of RcGuiring Inmates 10 Fay
Part Of Their Income to the
Institution Which sup
ports Them thc Cause.

DIES MONIES. Dec. Especial Telegram)
Federal officers Of the southern district
of Iowa will next week arrest the officers
and trustees of the Iowa soldiers home at
Marshalltown for committing a misdemeanor
against the federal government by interfer-
ing with the pensions of soldiers who are in
mates of the home. They will be taken
at once before Judge Woolson for trial
The hearing will be sensational.
The arrests will be made on Information
furnished by Special Agent Gray of the fed
eral service, who has been at Marshalltown
for some time working on the matter. Dis
trict Attorney c. d. Fuller of the south
ern district first worked up the case, which
has grown out of the policy of the home
in requiring inmates to pay over to the
management all their pension money in eN-
cess of So per month
About two years ago the management of
the home determined that inmates who had
comfortable pensions ought to contribute
part of them to the support of the inst-
tuition. Accordingly the rule was made that
when inmates drew pensions they should de-
post their certificates with the command
ant and when pension vouchers came should
pay all the money drawn, in excess of S6
per month to the commandant who should
the institution Pensioners unwilling to ac-
cept these terms had the alternative of de-
dining to enter the home. The rule FUR
ther is that no pensioner receiving $24 or
more shall be admitted.
TESTED IN THE COURTS.
As soon as the rule was made 1t caused
opposition and the matter went into the
courts. The inmates started case and in
the Marshall county court it was decided
that they could not be compelled to turn
over their pensions The officers OF the nome
appealed to the state supreme court, when
held that the rule of the home could
be enforced; then the inmates started
an agitation to secure a ruling in contra
vention of the rule and at the last seeSion
of the legislature a bill was presented but
finally defeated, to this end. Since then the
home has been collecting regularly the eX-
cess over Sc.
The officers who will be arrested are j. Il.
Ratckin, commandant S. b. Evans of OF
tumwa r. J. Jefferson OF Jefferson, A. T.
Barchard of Marshalltown, c. l.. Davidson OF
Hull l.. b. Raymond of Hampton, and j. w.
Morton of Washington, trustees of the in
stitution They will be arrested on the charge
of Violating sections 4,745, TAG and 4,741 of
the revised statutes, which provides that
no assignment, lien, sale or other incum-
brance against a pension can be enforced
and which make 1t misdemeanor to accept
such enCumbrance against pension. The
statute makes one exception In the case
OF United States soldiers ana sailors nome
the commandant, in the interest of dis
ciplne may require pensioners to turn over
to him their pensions in excess of So a
| month, to be held by him in trust and
| turned over to the pensioner or his heirs
| in case of his discharge or death. There is
| no circumstance under which money can
| be confScated, as has been the Iowa rule.
Under this law persons arrested for its vio-
, lation can be taken directly before the fed
eral court and tried without indictment.
| This will be done in this case
The Iowa rule is followed in several other
| states, and the present case is the first one
| begun under the statute against soldiers
| homes '.