Evening star., 1899-03-27
Witnesses Examined
"COL." SiILoWAYE's CAREER.
What Is Said at the Pension omce
About His Claims.

The attention of the commissioner OF pen"
sions. H. Clay Evans, was called to an artl-
Gle which appeared in recent numper OF
Il New York paper re,ative to the case OF
Colonel William Anderson Siliowaye. VINO,
il WAS said, served with distinction in
thirty two battles of the civil war, ana Is
now waging a desperate struggle with eH-
treme poverty and starvation III the city OIL
New York, and Is an unsuccessful VI apph-
cant for pension. ~ -..
MIR Evans says that he has been for
some time past endeavoring to verify (ne
statements of Colonel Silowaye with ref
ercuce to his alleged service in the civil
war. and his having applied for pension,
and finds that both statements are without
any foundation.
The records of the pension bureau show
that no app'icat ton for pension has been
filed hy HIM The absence of such an appli-
cation is probably due to the fact that
"Colonel' Sillowaye was never in the mill
tary or naval service of the United States:
This is not the FIRST time that Colonel
Silowayc has had his story paraded IN
the newspapers. In the issue of the Boston
Sunday Globe Of January II, 1881, there
appeared substantially the same patheuc
story with the following headlines:
without Il Cent. Aged Veteran in Great
Distress enable to Provide Necessities for
His Sick and Suffering Wife. Was on Staff
of General Mcclellan. Has Wide G. A. r.
Connections.
Then followed Il long story of this mans
services in the Union army, and it was
stated that he had applied for a pension,
but had heard nothing from his application.
In describing his career the article stated,
among other things, that while in England
he married a daughter of Sir William
Blackie, judge of the queens bench, and
a niece of Sir Richard Houghton, who was
knighted by the queen FOR gal!antry IN the
Crimean war.
1t was also stated that in 1861, five days
after President Ltncolns call for troops,
he enlisted for the war; that he was rap
IDLY promoted through different grades to
that of lieutenant colonel ON the staff of
General Mcclellan. history was also
given of his being wounded, his capture and
confinement in Libby prison and his subse-
uuent service in the United States navy
under Admiral Worden, where he received
several additional wounds. 1t was also
stated that he had been commander of sew
eral Grand Army posts in Vermont, New
York Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
This article was supplemented by an AS
sociated Press dispatch, dated Boston.
March II, as follows: Colonel William
Allen Huntley Si!lowaye, who for three or
four years has been swindting Grand
Army posts throughout the country, is a
self-confessed beat. and has been ralroaded
from Boston to New York. For years this
man has been living on Grand Army posts
Columns and columns about his bravery IN
the civil war have been published. Many
G. A. r. posts tried to investigate his rec
ord, but they We're unsuccessful He al
ways asserted that ne once saved PreSl-
dent Lincoln's 4ife,2 but to the police on
Tuesday last he confessed that he was a
fraud. On Tuesday a pauper's ticket was
procured and the colonel left police head
quarters for New York.
At this time Yin 1s91) this mans record
was carefully looked up, and at different
times since that date, but nothing was
found to corroborate his claim Of military
and naval service. or that he ever applied
for a pension. He has been recently inter-
viewed by a special examiner to whom he
related substantially the same story, with
many variations ana with the additional
claim that he served during the war with
Mexico and was intimately acquaint ed with
General Scott.
He claims to have been ordered by the
pension bureau to report to the board of
pension surgeons at Norwalk, Conn, for
medical examination in his claim for PEN
sion, and that he was examined by them in
pension board at Norwalk, Conn.,, and
never has been.
In an issue of local paper March 13,
1894. appeared an advertisement as to the
efficacy of a certain nerve remedy, in which
the following headlines appeared: Colonel
William Silowaye, whom Secretary STAN
ton called the greatest hero of the war,
cured" ETC., and then follows a testimonial
from the colonel as to his ailments and
their cure by the said remedy. The "col-
oner is described as the personal friend
of the President OF the United States, Sec
retary Stanton and Secretary Welles of
President Lincoin's cabinet.
As far as the records Of the government
show, 1t is plain that this mans story as
to his service in the war with Mexico and
| ton, and his confession to the police au-
| thorities at Boston In 1891 shows that an
/ his claims are without any basis other thar
Q vivid Imagination.