Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-10
FALSE PENSION CLAIMS
The Commissioner Informed Of Recent
Convictions.
Various Ways Of Swindling the Gov
Uncle Sans Bounty.

The commissioner Of pensions has re-
ceived the following reports from different
sections OF the country showing recent con-
victions:
David Bernham, Lucy e. Beach, Frank
Spoor, Anna NJ Kuentner, Mary Winter
L. Winter and Thomas Howard, all plead
guilty of violating the pension laws at Chi
cago, Ill. Bernham personated a soldier
Mrs. Spoor, now Beach, remarked and con-
tinued to draw her pension, Frank Spoor
her son, acting as a witness to the alleged
fact Of her non-remarriage. Mrs. Kuent-
ner, Mrs Winter and L. Winter admitted
having violated the law in connection with
the claim of Mrs. Fry, and James Howard
admitted that he had filed false claim
John p. Pippin pleaded guilty at Nash
Vile, Tenn, of using false and fictitious
papers in his claim, and was sentenced to
year in Jail.
William M Bolan was convicted at Mont
gomery, Ala, of filing a false claim and of
committing perjury, he having claimed
pension on account of what he stated was
| wound of the right hand caused by
saber in the hands of a rebel cavalryman
while the evidence tends to show that the
injury was caused by an AK in the hands of
one Mr.. Morris at Camp Davis, Miss. in
the fall of 1863. Mr.. Morris at the time
was attempting to defend his daughter
from outrage
United States District Attorney Harlan
Cleveland at Cincinnati, Ohio. has obtained
a judgment for So. 061. 40 from a national
bank at Bellaire and that amount has been
covered into the treasury. This action dis
poses of a case which has been pending
for some time. One Caroline Hinkey the
mother of Louis Hinkey, a soldier had
filed a claim for pension and died before
Its allowance. and a daughter continued
Of r,n lott lf,rrt he
fact of her mothers death. and with the
aid of other parties obtained $2.115.40. The
parties criminally involved in this matter
were convicted in December 1890, and SEN
fenced to Imprisonment for from two to
five years, and through the suit which has
just been decided at Cincinnati the gov
eminent recovered the entire amount of
pension money which was fraudulently
paid with interest thereon.
George w. Fitch of Omaha, Neb, has
been sentenced to twelve months imprison-
ment for embeZzling the pension money
paid him as the guardian Of an insane SOL
der.
]. A. Pritchard, long haired and plausi-
bic imposter. who gees under the name of
Cherokee Kit. was sentenced to eighteen
months imprisonment at Waco. Tex, for
pretending to be a special examiner of the
pension bureau and under cover of his pre-
terded official character getting various
sums of money from applicants for PEN
sion. Cherokee Kit is smooth and oily
talker and has run patent medicine bus
mess in connection with pension opera
tions.
Special Examiner Stibbs, at Chicago, re-
ports that on the I'd instant jury In the
United States district court at Chicago.
ILL.,, rendered a verdict in favor of the
United States for $3.41347 against Gezina
Bos Of Princeton, ILL.,. the same represent
ing the amount fraudulently obtained by
the woman in her claim for pension the
widow of John r. Bos. Company K. Sth
Illinois Cavalry. certificate No. 2O2. OS6. 1t
bat tIo
widow of the soldier up to March 20, 1867,
when she married to Hezekiah
Epperson. who secured a divorce from her
Oh statutory grounds in December 1875.
In 1879 the widow filed an application,
falsely alleging that she had not remar-
ried since the soldiers death in the serv-
Ice. July 10. 1864, and by reason of this
false claim obtained the amount for which
the verdict was rendered.
Special Examiner John T. Clements, at
New York, reports that he swore out a
warrant against William Lane ONeill of
New York. N. Y. for retaining the pension
certificate of Deliah Lynch, No 3S239i
Lynch was brought before United States
Commissioner Shields. and turned over the
pension papers to the district attorney.
who thereCpon decided not to prosecute,
and instructed the examiner to turn over
the papers to the penSioner, which he did
on the I'd instant.
John Palmer, pension attorney of the Ma
tional Home for D. V. S, Elizabeth City
county, Va, was convicted at Norfolk. Va.
yesterday of having altered a certified copy
of a record of marriage by erasing the fig
ure 1 and inserting in lieu thereof cipher,
sc to make 1T appear that one of his
clients was married IN 1890, and thus give
her a pensonable status under the pro.
visions of the act of June p, 1890 when,
as a matter of fact. she was not married
to the sailor until May, 1891. Case of Car
oline, widow of Joshua Garrett, alias
Thomas Green, U.S.S. Mystic, Navy, No.
Is .566.