The morning news., 1897-08-18
CONFEDERATE PENSION LIST.
GRAND JURY WILL LOOK INTO Al
LEGGED ABUSE OF THE LAW.

AAAAOAD ~ - W 49,
There Is Said to BE Some Drawing
Pensions in Chatham County W no
Arc Not Entitled 10 Them-The
Governor Writes a Letter Asking
For InvcStigatiOn of the LiSt-OT-
dinaries of All the Counties RE
gucsted to BE strict in Passing on
Applications.
The grand jury's attention has been call
ed to the fact that abuses of the laws
bestowing pensions upon INDECENT and
crippled confederate veterans ana widows
OF soldiers who died in the service of the
confederacy are prevalent in certain coun-
ties of the state, and the members of the
jury are giving close attention to this
complaint in Chatham county.
No investigation has been made by the
grand jury as yet but the matter was
brought to their attention in the charge
of Judge Falligant who received cir
cuIar letter from Gov. Atkinson directing
such action on the part of the courts
throughout the state. Judge Falligant
called attention to complaints from the
executive department that the pension
laws are being abused. and the grand ju-
rors now have the matter in hand for a
full investigation.
1t is stated that there are many in Sa-
vannah who are enjoying the benefits Of
pensions who are not entitled to them IN
der the strict Interpretation Of the laws.
In such instances there can be no official
investigation, it seems further than to in
spect the afiidavits and certificates which
are submitted hy the applicants to the ordi-
nary, the law requiring such papers to be
sent into the pension department, as "a nee
essary precaution against imposiuons. The
afidavits when properly made out are
taken to the ordinary Of each county and
are sent to the department at Atlanta.
With all of the strict conditions laid down
by the law and put on the blank app.ica-
tion papers, which are handled by the ordi-
nary. it is said, that there are many who
are going beyond the terms of the law in
their eagerness to secure the pensions.
thus thwarting the alert ordinaries of the
state, and taking advantage of the formal
methods as mapped out in the blank ap-
phcations. For last year there were TWEEN
ty-nine widows of confederate soldiers who
drew pensions from the state; thirteen in
digent veterans. and nineteen cripples who
had fought for the lost cause The num-
Der will probably be greater for the next
year. as IL is known that the pension list
in Georgia is increasing each year rather
than being on the wane The funds are
not sufficient TO meet the claims Of all
and il is always a rush to get claims on the
funds that are allowed by the state.
There are many restraints enforced in
the efforts of the ordinaries to arrive at a
correct ana fair list of those in the va
rious counties entitled TO pensions. In the
case OF the widows il is necessary for the
woman to make affidavit that she is the
widow of Mr. So-and-So. giving the name.
that he was killed or died in the service
of the confederacy at such-and-such a bat
tie on certain date, and that she has
lived in the state of Georgia as a bona
tide resident and has not lived in other
states since the passage of the pension
acts No widow is entitled to a pension un-
less she was the wife of the deceased vet
eran at the time he was in actual service.
and unless he died in the war or of dis
ease or injuries received during the war
his death being attributed direct TO the
cause of his service in the war If the hus-
band died since the war testimony of ply
SlcidHS must De produced IN the widow
application showing that his death was
due TO some injury or sickness incurred
while he was in the service.
No pension can be paid for a previous
year, and widows who married after the
war to veterans cannot claim pension
In all cases Of pensions II requires three
witnesses and a certificate by the ordi-
nary In the case of invalid veterans il
requires three afhdavits of witnesses and
a physicians certificate besides. The reg
ulations are very strict, as can be seen
from these requirements, and the officers
have to be ever on the alert to prevent
any abuses OF the pension laws Not
Withstanding all these precautions, Il Is
claimed 10y the governor that there are
abuses ana a determined effort is made
each year to sift the pension lists of all
that may not be entitled to draw the
money from the state In many cases
widows are known to be drawing pen
sions when they have rich estates. and
in view of the fact that there are many
poor widows who are crowded off the list
this seems A hardship.
The grand jury Of Chatham Will make
an investigation Of the complaints which
come from the governor and the pension
lists viii be examined as they are every
year.
WILL run HER TRIAL TRIP.