The National tribune., 1900-05-10
"PENSION FRAUDS"

| "PENSION FRAUDS"
MIR. Evans constantly runs a serial
through such papers as will print it, o.
such frauds" as the machinery Of The
Pension Bureau brings to light. Tht
apparent purpose of this is two-fold:
1. To advertise constantly his extraordi-
nary shrewdness and vigilance as publi
official; 2. To strengthen and develop th
public impression that, to use Cleveland:
words, ''the pension roll is tainted witt
fraud" and so array public opinion agains
pensioners as a class. Other officials
have inconceivably more fraud and more
dangerous kinds of fraud to contend with
than the Commissioner of Pensions, but
they find their legitimate duties so engross
ing that they have neither time nor in
cllnation to run bureau of self advertise
ment of their remarkable honesty and
acumen. The only competitor Of the
Commissioner of Pensions in this line
| of effort is the Chief of the Secret Service
| Division of the Treasury, who is pro-
fessional detective, and naturally sees in
tending or actual counterfeiters, thieves,
robbers, and Violators of law wherever he
turns his eyes. But that is his business,
and what the Government pays him for.
Now, there is no more intense hate- Of
pension frauds than the veteran. No
one is more jealous that the pension
roll should be a roll of honor, and
that every rascal who tries to take advan-
tage of fitshould be punished with the utmost
severity. Every veteran applauds when
ever there is a real scoundrel unearthed
and given his deserts in the penitentiary.
What he objects to is the systematic black
ening of the character Of all the men who
saved the Union by the continual parade of
criminals, with their offenses made the
most of, and always without any relief
given by even an accidental showing of the
other side of the picture. Let us illustrate
this by giving the bulletin sent out last
week from the Pension Bureau. This is
not in as offensive terms as many of its
predecessors, but it will serve to illustrate:
FRAUDS IN PENSION CASES.
Result of Criminal Prosecutions by the
Government.
William Bohn of Chicago was disbarred
from further practice before the several
bureaus of the Interior Department April
"a for having in his official capacity as a
notary public post-dated certain quarterly
pension vouchers in violation of section
4!46, r. S. U. S., as amended by the act
of July Z, 1898, and on account of which
he pleaded guilty to an Indictment in the
United States District Court for the North
ern District of Illinois.
John +. Hale of Hot Springs, Ark, was
disbarred from further practice before the
Interior Department April q for having
filed in support Of his own claim for pen
sion declaration for pension purporting to
nesses before Josephine +. Hale, his wife,
a notary public, whereas Mrs. Hale was
not a notary public; also for having pre-
sented for payment vouchers for pension
purporting 10 have been executed before
Mrs. Hale and Thomas Fox, notares pub
lie, when he knew that they were no such
officials Hale was convicted Of violation
Of the pension laws, and has been sentenced
10 three Years in the Leayenworth peniten-
tiary and fined 500.
Joseph Fingleton Of Brooklyn, y. Y, was
diSbarred from further practice before the
evidence that he had been guilty of post
dating certain quarterly pension vouchers
in violation Of an act OF Congress approved
July Z, 1898, of which offense he was con-
victed in the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of New York
Moses G. Whitehurst, alias William II.
Whitehurst, OF Martin, Tenn, has been
convicted Of filing a false and fraudulent
claim for pension and been sentenced to
one years Imprisonment.
George Taylor of New Orleans, La, has
been convicted OF demanding and receiving
an illegal fee.
S. jerome Smith, pension attorney OF Muir
freesboro', Tenn, has been convicted Of
demanding and receiving illegal fees in
three pension claims, and sentenced to one
year and one days Imprisonment and to
pay a fine of $3.50.
Charles H. Bell Of McCain's, Tenn, has
been convicted Of demanding and receiving
Illegal fees III pension claim, and has
been sentenced TO pay fine Of 500 and TO
make restitution.
Mary Gaines of Nashville Tenn, has
been convicted Of conspiracy and forgery
III a pension claim, and been sentenced to
l6 months Imprisonment and to pay u
| fine Of 1,GOO.
Mary Brown. now White, Of Nashville,
| Tenn, has been convicted Of conspiracy
| and forgery III n pension claim, and has
| been sentenced to one year and 10 DAYS
Charles Gaines of Nashville, Tenn, has
| been convicted of conspiracy and forgery
| III pension claim, and sentenced not pro-
| nOunced on account Of age.
Daniel Lewis Of Higginsport, o., has
| been convicted Of perjury and filing a
false affidavit in his own claim, and been
sentenced to eight months Imprisonment.
| Joseph Drake Of HiggiEsport, o., has
been convicted Of perjury in connection
with a pension claim, and has been SEN
| fenced to 90 days Imprisonment.
Hannah Fulton Of Nashville, Tenn, has
been convicted Of filing false and fraudI-
lent claim for pension, and has been SEN
fenced TO one year and five days imprison-
ment and to pay a fine of 81 900.
Sarah johnson Of Nashville, Tenn, has
been convicted Of filing false and fraudu-
lent claim for pension, and has been SEN
fenced TO two years Imprisonment.
Every veteran and friend of the veterans
will probably approve of each one of these
sentences, and be glad that judgment has
overtaken the guilty ones. AT the same
time he will be struck by the extreme
severity of the punishment of offenses
against the pension laws as compared with