The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-03-07

the EVIL.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. March s.-The
sign "Pension checks cashed here was
put up behind the bar in many a sa-
loon of low order yesterday, and before
the closing hour many an old soldier
went down before the bar, drunk and
pennlless, For 1t was quarterly PEN
sion day, and the bill for the relief of
drlnk.diseased pensioners has not been
made law by Congress.
Last night shnrpers crowded lower
| PENNSYLVANIA avenue and It's cross
streets; disrcputnble women OF the low
est class fitted In and out OF the SIDE
doors OF saloons; fakIrs with brass
watches and tin rings cried their wares
all eager to pluck the poor. old, help
| less soldIers-thc decrepit old warriors
who have drifted TO washington IN
| the Years gone by 10 see about their
pensions, and who have never since hnu
enough money TO get away. II seems
| strange that so great an enort shoulu
be made by the sharpers Tor SO smah
a gain. but when one remembers that'
although the pension OF most OF these
old soldiers is $50 a quarter. there are
I
| that the hundreds OF these who VIII De
robbed are through old age and depen-
| dence as gulleless and gullible as emil,
] dren. one sees why the fakirs regard
quarterly pension day as greater
graft than "big Thursday" at county
fair.
these pensioners sleep In police station!
cells, and next morning line up IN wy
police court and tell, as best as the$
can, how they were drugsed. oeateH
and robbed: how this or th2t WomeI
appeared and pretended to be a goQf
Samaritan, and how this or that man
said that he knew them out In Pike.
county. The police court IL sorrowtnf
Mace the day after quarterly pens
sion day, and ones heart bleeds when
n IL forced upon him that men ana
women can fall so low as 10 Willingly
prey upon these old defenders OF the
naC. who have been weak, many OF
them, mentally and physically. from
privation and wounds, since long before
the last shot Of the war was nred'
The Extent ofthe Evil.
or course, 1t must not be supposed
that all the pensioners are men who
throw themselves In the way of any
form of temptation. or that even one
fourth OF them belong to the class VINO
viii be robbed. The percentage OF those
who cannot care for their pension Is
very small. There are many thous-
nnds OF pensioners in the District OF
columbia, and probably not over a
thousand who will be robbed. or VINO
will place themselves in the way 10 De
plucked. L., .hIch
secretary OF war has collected extern
awe statistics in regard TO the matter,
in the interests OF the desire OF the
Grand Army OF the Republic TO help
these unfortunate comrades These sta
tistics show that In big cities where the
nansIon agencies hand out thousands
mnon Thousands OF checks, the police
court docks the day after the daarteFly
nav day frequently have hundreds OF
pensioners, whose money Is gone, anu
who must be cared for IN some way w, uIi-
where prohibition Is supposed to pre-
vail. the number OF intoxicated men
frequently runs UP TO one hundred.
Judge Kimbnll says that IN Wash-
inpton from thirty to sixty OLD SOL
djers appcar before him the day after
each quarterly day. and that their cases
are indeed pitiful. Many have contrnet.
ed such a strong desire for drink AT
their time OF life II cannot De proKen.
Further, on account OF the poverty
and the desire OF the saloon-keepers
~ muck them thoroughly, these UNI
fortunate drinkers are not given WINS
Eey nj all, but n fusel oil concoction:
witch burns out their stomachs ana
ares their brauis to the point OF actual
madness.
Proposed Law for Their Protection
Judge Kimball has made careful
study OF the dependent pensioner ques-
ton, and is the author OF bill recent
ly introduced into Congress by Repre-
sentative C. w. Stone, Of PennsylVa.
MIN. for their relief. In February OF
last year the q. A. X. department o,
the Potomac, took up the matter. M anu
appoInted committee or nVe 10 Ihake
an Investigation and devise means OF
relief. Judge Kimball. who is mem,
nor OF burnside Post. was appointed
chairman OF this committee last sep
temher and since then has been ear
nestly at work for the dependent pen
sioner. He drafted this bill. which was
recently introduced ana which u was
hoped would have been passed before
to-day: :, ho,so n,
representatives OF the United State. "
rnnsreEs assembled. That any judge OF
ne supreme court OF the District OF 20
,ng lint 4 United States pensloner resid.
| Ing in the said District Is squhnoerlns nis
PENSION money in drinking or ny Vicious
habits OF life. and after service OF COPY
| N saId petition on the peneloner. may,
mon evidence satisfactory TO him, ap;
| point a guardian or committee loI sa w.,
| penSioner, and thereafter aH peymeh!Is "
| account OF pensions due 20 sac pS XIV sInii
eXpend the same under tho dirccuon o'
he Il further enacted that the said peti;
tIop may be . ieS y f sS'a eSsts and that
when appointed the guardian shaiI pay
| Tho accrued costs. which shall not IN any
case exceed the murshnfs fees =,
This step upon the part OF inc qs-
pnrtment OF the Potomac, @. a. H.
has been approved by Commnnder.in-
Chief Lawler, and It is probable that
| efforts for similar legislation VIII De
| made In the states. Should the Dill
naqs the Judges will. OF course. have
Inc selection OF the guardians. Where
tho pensioner has family. some menu
her win be given charge. but In cases
where the old fighter 10 helpless ana
alone the Grand Army hopes TO nave
| committees Of Responsible men 10 take
| charge OF and dole out his pension mo-
| nsy Tor his actual sustenance. Ar
rnypernrnts will be made to pay MS
hoard and buy his clothing. and then
the sharpers will have little or no
chance to get at him.
wherott,e sharks Gather
The sixth police precinct Is the great
stamping ground of the drinking class
Of pensioners. The pension agency is at
Fourth and G streets, and the old com.
| rndes who drink seldom get many
blocks AWAY. Checks are cashed IN