The National tribune., 1900-06-28
SAD PENSION CASE.
A Special Examiners Anxiety TO
Make Out a Case.
INJURY TO TWO OLD PEOPLE.
Geo. NJ Russell Explains Why He Resigned
His Position in the Pension Service.
Minneapolis Tribune.

George NJ. Russell, who recently re-
signed his position as Special Pension Ex-
aminer rather than submit to what he re-
gardcd as an arbitrary act of the Depart
ment in ordering his removal to Wash
ington, has prepared statement, giving
the facts. Mr.. Russell has been connected
with the Pension Department for IA
years, and for seven years his labors
have been confined to Minnesota. He
shows that the corps of Special EXamin-
crs sent out last year to investigate the
Milwaukee agency were an overZealouS lot
Of officials, determined to dig up some
thing that would prove their title to
sleuths. According to Mr.. Russell, they
performed a good deal like that kind of
private detectives who are never at q loss
to detect something as long as their sal
aries are paid. He calls attention to the
sensational descent made upon the pension
attorneys of Minneapolis and st. Paul
and their capture of lot of pension GER
tificates held by a local pension attorney,
and the return of the certificates without
single case of fraud having been dis
covered.
The Special Examiners, Mr.. Russell
says, quarreled among themselves and de-
clared that they would 'have to turn up
something to save their regulations. Mr..
Russelrs condemnation of an Examiner s
action in this matter resulted in the Com
missioner of Pensions recalling him from
his field Of work and led to his resigna-
ton.
Mr.. Russell gives at length his version
Of the story relating to an old woman
pensioner, 90 years old, residing in this
city. She was charged with adulterous
cohabitation. She did not become PEN
sioner until 1896, year after her soldier
husbands death. Through a newspaper
advertisement she got an old man pen
sioner to live on ber place, and they
formed q sort Of copartnership, he to do
outside work and she to attend to the
household duties. The old people entered
into this agreement, maintained separate
accounts Mt the stores and kept a system
of accounts between them.
I'm December last" says Mr.. Russell,
Special Examiner d. III. Alexander took
up this case. He visited the pensioner
and. without permitting her the privilege
| of having anyone present during his in.
| terview with her, insisted upon taking O
| sworn statement from her after charging
| her with living in adultery with this old
| hired man.
According to the pensioners sworn
statement, Mr.. Alexander insisted upor
calling her a liar, or telling her that she
knew she was lying whenever she denied
his accusations. He kept reminding hel
that she had committed penitentiary of
fense and that if she did not confess anG
| tell the truth it would go hard with her
| She has also made Il sworn statement t.
the effect that after Mr.. Alexander haG
| finished taking this statement from hel
he read what had been written, she pro
tested that he had not written her answers
correctly and that he had not used tn,
language in which she had made her an
swers. He insisted that the statement
had been correctly recorded, and, further
more, insisted that she should sign hel
name to it.
| "Mr, Alexander made an appointment
with the old man during his visit to tn,
house OF the widow to appear before hin
at his Office in the Federal Building OF
tho following morning, and after he hat
left the house the psnsioner commenced
to realize what$she had been forced to az
and the incriminating statement to which
she had put her signature, and the more
she thought Of 1t the more she realized
sns ss oS Rad m6e been a,ots outrage 20 that whsl