The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-05-02
.SIDELICHTS ON HEROES
Queer Stories of Eccentric Old
War Veterans.
A FEW LEAD DOUBLE LIVES
Incidents. Pathetic and Humorous, De-
veloped by the Secret Service of the PEN
sion Burssu-OId Soldiers, Supposed TO
BE Dead since the Civil War. Found by
their Anxious ReIstiYes-some Strange
Epistolary Correspondence.

Among the various departments under
4 the immediate supervision OF the COM
| missioner Of the United states Pension
/ Bureau is one which. though compare
| lively unknown 10 the general public, is
/ extremely active in its operations, and
/ IN many respects rivals the famous Sc
| cret Service OF the Treasury Department.
The Pension Secret Service Is an I'M
usually modest organization, and shrinks
decidedly from advertising its exploits,
although its members can tell any num-
Der Of tales of endless variety. The
range Of romance which runs through
these stories surpasses anything ever Put
before the public as fiction, and the men
who tell these tales point 10 the scars on
/ their faces to illustrate some Of the hair
breadth escapes they have experienced.
When Commissioner II. Clay Evans en-
tered upon his present duties he did so
with the firm intention of giving the ut
most assistance TO really worthy pension
claims, and unceasing vigilance and Sc
we're punishment 10 fraudulent ones. He
has been untiring in his efforts in both
directions with the result that he has
saved many thousands of dollars for the
government, and has caused several hun
-AIa RNASSA-S ~ SNeASS AN-A5 NAS A4NNS VI
frauds
Although Commissioner Evans is thor
OUgniy cOgnizant of the many dramatic
situations connected with various pension
claims and likes to tell good story as
well as any one, he has made it a rule
never to discuss the private affairs of his
office. Once in a while, however, an in
teresting story will creep out and give
the public a peep into the affairs OF
some of the pension claimants.
The detectives in the employ of the
Pension ONCE RANK with the keenest in
the United States. and are frequently
sent 10 the other end of the Union TO
ferret out the truth in regard TO claims
about which there is the slightest doubt
The family complications which these
detectives encounter are decidedly inter
esting and often pathetic. 1t is no un-
usual state Of affairs TO discover that the
husband, who has been mOuTned as dead
since the civil war by a faithful wife, is
living in SINE remote town. married
again, and with q second family growing
up around him.
These situations sometimes result from
misunderstanding on the part of one or
Doth parties, but too often they are the
outcome OF determination on the part
OF the soldier supposed to be dead. A
case of the latter kind came to light re-
Gently, when a widow living in the State
Of New York applied for d pension. She
stated in the application that her hus-
band had been killed in the civil war.
ana named the date of his death. the
battle in which he fell, &c
An Inl"Oked-f"r development
The bureau looked into the matter and
discovered that a soldier bearing the
same name as that of the dead husband
was living in a Western town and draw
ing q pension for disabilities.
Inc widow being informed of this. one
OF hef sons came on 10 Washington, and
in an interview with the Commissioner
stated that the man out West was evil
IDENTITY fraud of the worst kind, and re-
quested the bureau to investigate the at
fair. He said that his father had always
been devoted to his mother, and the large
family of children, and that when Ea
went to the war it was with the hope OF
being able TO return soon afterward
His mother, he said. had struggled along
as best she could. often barely making
enough to feed and clothe the children.
Now she was getting old and really need
ed the pension.
The Commissioner was greatly impreSS-
ed by the mans earnestness, and felt con-
WINGED that if fraud did exist, it Was Ger
tainly on the part of the nan bearing the
dead soldiers name. Accordingly he as
certained that the man drawing the PEN
sion was an inmate of d soldiers home,
and persisted i'll his assertion as TO his
identity.
The son was notified. but insisted that
the man was a fraud. since he knew THAI
his father was killed in the war. He pro-
duced letters received by his mother al
the tine of the battle in proof Of his
claim Having had a few similar claims,
Mr.. Evans told the son that the only way
10 settle the difficulty was to pay visit
10 the soldiers home in question, and in
teryiew the man whom he supposed to lie
guilty of assuming the fathers name.
The son did so, and met face 10 face his |
own father, whom he had not seen since |
childhood.
Ii was a case of willful desertiOn. Used |
TO the free and easy ways OF camp lie, the |
father dreaded a return to his OLD nome |
v here he would have to work hard 10 sup |
port his large family. He consequently !
bin upon a plan of living upon has pension |
and completely cutting adrift from a.! /
former ties. ,-,..
Another case in which the wife thought |
her husband dead was traced through 10
finishing chapter by the detectives.
The Commissioner attention Was called
10 the fact that a man and woman bear
ing the same name. but living in widely
separated States were each drawing a I
pension.
The womans son came to Washington
to represent her interests in the contest,
and was very persistent in his assertions
as 10 his mothers honesty and integrity |
Of character. He stated all he knew or
the circumstances attending his father
Ioath, and bitterly denounced the man
whom he said had usurped his fathers
name.
The matter was investigated by detec-
tive. assisted by the son. and the two !
inaIly went 10 the town where the man |
irawing the pension lived.
They consulted one OF the leading attor-
leys OF the town. and asked him il ne
Knew any one by the name of the pen
sioner.
He answered at once that ne did, was
acquainted with him, and all his family.
Found by His SON.
The young man then felt certain that
/
tested that the pensioner might BY some
strange coincidence have become DOS
iessed Of the seine name, and have lived
n The same locality as his father al one
ime in his life
All this sounded very plausible. bur the
Effective accompanying him concluded
hat the only way TO selye the problem
vas 10 confront the man.
They did so. and he confessed TO having
deserted his wife and having married an
ther woman without the formaIity of
Vorce. He had no desire he said. 10 re-
urn 10 his former wife. and so long as his
fairs had become public. intended 10
marry the woman then living with him.
lie eyinCed no interest whatever in his
on. and told him il Was Toe late then "a |
o back 10 his old life and that he weuId ! !
-ay where he was. He said he wss giaa
have met MS son. and so d!smissed j
i'm. =,
That was another case OF broken hearts
he pension records are fun OF them {
aolgh TIE casual reader would not know ,
Pension claims, however, do not al
lays favor the sad side OF life: indeed |
ne humorous epistles arfiaaVits. and
publications. which reach the bureau af