The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-15
ADDITIONAL CITY NEWS
FIVE YEARS
FRANKLIN CRAWFORD SEN
FENCED IN U. y. COURT.
Filed Claim for Pension, Using ais
Brothers Name.

The grand fury for this district which
has been In session al the United States
court for the past few days finished their
business yesterday and returned num-
Der Of indictments. Two persons indicted
were Immediately brought into the court
and were given their sentence b. Judge
Hook OF the court.
The first prisoner was Franklin Craw-
ford Of Galva. Kan. who was arrested
on the charge Of fling false and fraudu-
lent claim for a pension Judge Hook
gave the man a sentence OF FIVE years in
the prison at Leavenworth at hard labor
The prosecution of the case was carried
on by Mr.. Harry ]. Bone, assistant
United States attorney for this district
Crawford is a middle aged man and
when brought into the court was dressed
very poorly. He plead guilty TO the
charge and during the time the Judge was
talking to him shook so that he could
hardly make reply.
His sisters came here 10 testify against
him, but owing to Crawford making a
plea Of guilty their evidence was rot
needed. The history Of the case IS as
follows:
James Fletcher Crawford enlisted In
company H. Forty-second regiment Ohio
volunteer infantry in 1852, and died on
the cars enroute to his home in Ohio on
sick furlough on June 5, 1858. His re-
mains were recognized by members OF his
family and neighbors and were buried in
the cemetery at Adario Ohio.
In 1898, and again in 1897, a man call
ing himself James F. Crawford filed
claims for pension under the general laws
and under the act OF June q. 1880, alleg-
ing the incurrence IN the military service
OF the United States and in the line OF
duty of certain wouS1s and other dis
abilities, and that he was enormously re-
ported as dead by reason Of having been
made prisoner by Confederate forces
during the first fight at vicksburg, Miss,
in 1863.
prison bureau and the fact and date Of
the soldiers death as shown by the war
department records were verified
Upon being interviewed by Special Ex-
aminer ]. H. jerks of the pension bureau.
the claimant, then residing near Galva.
Kan. treasured at length and made oath
OF his false claim for pension.
Criminal proceedings were instituted
and comrades of the real soldier, who
were neighbors in Ohio. fully Identified
the claimant as Franklin Crawford, a
brother Of the soldier, who vas aever ct
any time in the military service of the
United States.
James Nelson. colored man of Cxid-
t. ~
court yesterday for filing a frau iulent
application for pension and afterwards
securing the pension under the name of
Lewis Mccoy. Nelson plead guilty o the
charge and received a sentence of eigh-
teen months at the state prison at hard
labor.
The history OF tho case Is that some
time ago Nelson filed claim for 8 pen
sion under his own name. The claim was
promptly rejected by the department, as
no name had ever been entered as ever
having served in company K, sixty-sixth
regiment, United States colored volunteer
infantry. Nelson again made another
claim for a pension and this time filed
it under the name OF King. The claim
was again rejected by the department
Nelson afterwards learned that Lewis
Mccoy. a colored man, had served In the
war and had never made a claim for a
pension. He Immediately applied for
pension under the name Of Mccoy. About
the time that 1t was granted "A widow In
Mississippi made an application under the
name OF Mccoy, claiming that her hus-
band was dead.
Special Agent w. A. Pless Of Natchez.
was instructed TO look into the matter.
and while doing so discovered the original
Lewis Mccoy living in Mississippi
After this discovery investigation was
commenced regarding the Nelson case.
with The result that Nelson gets a SEN
tence. A number Of witnesses from the |
south were here including Mr. Pless |
Nelson. when confronted with the charge. !
plead guilty and stated that the idea was /
by pension attorney in Cald- (
well and the two, II successful. were to /
divide the proceeds.