The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-02
rmE FRAUDULENT TENSIONS.
Mnn, Cases of Criminaiity in Con-
McctIon win Obtnining Them.

Washington. January 1.-The statement
Of Commissioner Evans that peusion attor-
neys were responsible for many OF the
lrau,is upol tho government that have
Eecn practlcod seems to b. substantiatel
by the rceoris vi the law department oi
the pension bureau. There are thousands
OF pension attorneys liz the United States.
hunGrotsi ot whom havs beef disbarred Ior
Illegal practices and RAINY sent to :ho
ptniton,iary. he record vi criminal acts
10 yolumlnnus and would FIJI volumes. The
following are some OF the more l,aglant
cases coming from the South and samples
OF hundreds from all parts ot the e0uuiry'
pension agent OIL New Crieans was ad-
n.itteu 10 Practice befOre the bureau. and
ALSO acting as sueagenG Tor WASHINGTON a
iofEeys. tio Was SHOWN 10 Dt gdllty VI
tosS5ile OF tho names OF atteStlag VII
nests 10 declarations and aitiuaSIts; tor.
gefy &c tue names OF identifying Mltnosses
20 ciaiations, the execution OF papers az
the executing officer, anu loddil,, claim.
ants 10 believe that they were Iinng ga
tain Papers as evidence Ia their claims.
when IN fact they were signing powers o.
attorney in favor OF party tney did not
know, had never heard or and did not
want. should represent them In their
claims, Of having parties sign papers IN
blank, that is, having them sign their
Lanes TO pRpers the contents OF which
they did not know, and having them exc
eutcd afterwatd, that Is, the iurat and
seAl OF an executing officer placed upon
them by q tool. who was under pay. and
unaer dis influence in hts office; OF making
and causing 10 be made false and fraudu
lent afIidayits IN support OF pension claims
and making and causing 10 be made false
lngI for q Ia s,tsr
ct obtaining payment ubon allowed Claims;
OF filing at different times hundreds %
false powers OF attorney in the pension
cffiee. transferring his business. Of trans
Tvrting his business 10 different parties
and In both transactions fihDg false aud
fraudulent powers Of attorney in each case:
OF causing a member OF his own family
to lie disbarrod before this bureau. b.-
cause OF hts obtaining the consent OF this
~ mher OF Ills family 20 the filing oil false
aud finuduisnt towers OF attorney and sf-
iiuaVits In the pension office. The files OF
Ills man aud the evidence therein Will
bear out this statement. and would. IL
thrown Into printed form tin ut least hho
RACES,
a stool pigeon of an attorney disbarred
oefcra TINS bureau. n member OF said NJ.
tGtncyis family. are both residents OF New
Orleans. This man caused 10 be filed ia
the pension Office hundreds OF false and
trnnhsleni nowers OF attorney and affidn
Wits relating 10 q certain transfer OF busl.
neEs in which he himself bad never seen
one OF the claimants, in which not one
claimant wanted him az attorney. nc not
being known TO the claimants who signed
ms different papers. This mans files aud
TIE evidence ns 10 mis- mlsdests and irres
nlar practices, covering period OF only
about SIX months. would IN a volume on
spo or 200 RACES He was disbarrcd Tor IT,
REGULAR and Illegal practices,
Connected with these twn attorneys
above Mere certain no arts public ami JUS
tees OF the " ace who were convicted OF
forgery and OF pesaury and who have
served peniteptiary sentences therefor.
An agent at New Orleans who has served
three terms Tor forgery Is known 10 have
forged far In excess OF 1000 signatures 10
auidavits. declarations and vouchers IN
PENSION claims and Ia 3, doing was ahisi
by a sopd-naturfd rotary public. who
would sign aud affix his seal TO any uapsr
presented 10 him by tho egens. M a sinsie
case this man forged forty three sigma
lures and In one of the cases prosecuted
through his insIrumentality he used the
husband OF the aliessi widow es q material
witness, He sucraadsd IN obsninlng the
prnkion OF one ri his slisnss over the re
I,od that the soldier was In South Aneric,
IN fsbrlratlns the vouchers ana forsius
The Endorsements 10 tho checks
An aNent at penalara, Miss forged over
900 napirs Ia cla!n'e ter pensions. and N
one rese puf the Woman. who. arcordin.
10 her own aesrrsp,lnn was "a settled W..
mar when thc States fcil.s m tho attitude
Of cisimirg pension as the widow Of man
who wuk young enough to he her rran.l
child. This man was not aided hv 4 no.
tary public; OH the contrary. he forced the
iurafs. - well % the napeu themselves,