The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-11
BOGUS CLAIM
It's Fraudulent Features Exposed
by Officials.
A DIR. JEKYLL AND MR.. HYDE
If the Claimants story Is To Be
Believed There Has Been a Trans
That Described by Novelist Rob-
ert Louis Stevenson.

Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Webster Davis rendered a decision to-
day of considerable interest, because il
shows the fraudulent means used by
certain claimants in their efforts to Sc
cure pensions. The case is that of
Christopher Columbus, colored, first
class boy. L. S. Navy. The appellant
alleges that he enlisted and served in
the Navy under the name of Christie
pher Columbus, on board the gunboat
Naumkeag. He claims that he was in
jured in the heel of the left foot a few
months after his enlistment. when said
vessel was at New Orleans, La, load
ing with supplies, and that a barrel of
mess pork was rolled or slipped down
suddenly upon him while he with others
was engaged in slowing away the pack
ages in the hold of the vessel. and be-
fore he could get out of the way the
edge OF the barrel caught his left heel
inficting a severe and painful wound
Assistant Secretary Davis, in his decis-
ion, says:
The official record in the Navy Depart,
Inent furnishes no evidence whatever oT
the origin and lHcuTTenCe of the alleged
INJURY, or Of medical or hospital treat
Hieht therefor, IN service, or at cate OF
clSciia rye. his case has been most thor
uuEhly aud carefully investigated 10y ,De-
Cldl examination, and in his statement De-
lore special examiner the appellant gave
the names Ut several officers and shin
mates with whom ne claims To have
served on hoard the Naumkeae. as wit
ncSScS upon whom he relied to prove the
service OF origin Oi said alleged injury
ana VINO, he asserted, Were present aud
could TESTIFY 10 the circumstances of its
ihcurttncc, All OF these persons. now
hNlne, were seen and inteTvi ewed and
Dut one witness WI found who cor Foi,ora pd
appellants allie cations in any particular
ana his evidence is unrelia blc, he having
evidently been coached lty mo amelia TI3
himself.
TIE witnesses state that they never knew
al MS being injured In any way or that lie
as lame al any tiIne OF from auv cans,
aud that at time of the alleged in Jury
az" vessel was not at New Orleans AZ
81 tat"I Dy the appellant. Furthermore mo
DtfDi IN iilt~ cas- gives rise to q yt.y .rro ~,
,iodh. as 10 appellants identity with the
tnFiSiophAf Columbus OF record IN the case
L iif' descriptive list of ChrIStophpr CoIu1n-
DuS Sno VS. tdat h was at date OF enlist utpnt
Iecember / =. 1864. nineteen wears old. 1--WE
iceir i've aud thiee-fOurht inches tan pre-
possessing IN appearance, of slight build
% ahlahlf disposition and MANNERS. and
nau no distinguishing marks or scars ahout
hiiu 81 that time.
1hiS is the QcSCFlDt ipu of m. CbriStophar
CoIulhouS M The Navy Department, but
the appellant is shown to I've a man Of
liefcuiean proportions, giant in strength,
nearly six feet three inches in hct.,hy a,,d
OF Father a sinister ana fort iddinr "a Sta
OF features which is increased by a prorui-
nent seal, that he swears resulted from an
!, liJuty ihcurred long before, his alleged
c . =, inent ia the Navy. He is. further
more, SHOWN 10 be q man of revengeful
disposition and very pUgnacious, who mas
frequently been in prison for assaults ana
nights, and has the reputation of icing
an aE-around tough character i'm thP
community where he lives; 50 much 80. in
TACT, that II was found difficult 60 pro-
cure evidence III his ca Sc at that Mace px-
cept sucn as was entirely in his favor. he
cause or the fear that he would learn of
anything said to his dsCredit, and revenge
himself upon the witnesses by assaulting
tleni on the first favorable opportunity,
1 ee appellant himself swears tnaI he never
was soldier, and never had any service,
except IN the Navy: The descriptive list
before referred 20 shows that CHRISTOPHER
was by occupation soldier.
Leaving out OF view the irreconcila BILE dis
Hrepancies between the record OF Christopher
Columbus naval service a nd the appellants
sworn statement as to his alleged naval
service 1t ~ most unreasona BILE, IL not a b.
solutely incredible, that this appella mt
should nave grown after he was nineteen
years or age nearly seven inches in height
and have developed from a slight nd ra tner
formed youth into the physical
giant he is now said to be, and that his
chara cter and disposition should have un-
dergoue 50 radical metamorphosis from the
8miable. good tempered, popular and ohiig- |
ng young man to the sinister, revengefuI,
and even dangerous, eta r |
acter that il appears from the evidence he |
s at che present time.
Furthermore, III the appellant was correct |
N estimating his age at forty years in $40. |
ne could not have been the Christopher CO. |
umbus who enlisted in the Navy at the |
lec OF nineteen years in December, of !
S64. 1t is useless, however, TO further |
consider the question of identity. since it |
S clear that the evidence in this case, |
aiken in connection with all the adverse |
ind suspicious circumstances above men !
toned, is entirely insufficient to establish 1
he service origin of the alleged injury to |
leeI OF left foot, even IL 1t be conceded |
hat the Christopher Columbus shown by |
he record to have served on the Naumkeag,
and this appellant are one and the same per- |
ION. The claim of Christopher Columbus |
& therefore rejected.