Evening star., 1901-11-23
"SLIPPERY JIM" SENTENCED
HE PERsONATED A SPECIAL EXAM
INER OF PENSION OFFICE.


PENSION Commissioner Evans face was
wreathed In smiles today when he received
telegram from Buffalo giving the intor-
nation that slippery jim" as he is known
to the pension officers. had been convicted
at Buffalo and sentenced TO five ana one
half years at hard labor In the penften-
tiary at Auburn. n. Y, for having imper-
sonated a special examiner OF the pension
bureau and having collected money from
five pensioners on the pretense that he had
secured testimony tending TO show that the
pensioners were not entitled TO the compen-
sation from the government that they were
receiving ana which he would destroy for a
pecuniary compensation.
slippery Jim" is the slickest article that
the pension bureau has ever had to deal
with His right name is John Moran but
ne is known by the following aliases: j.
W Doyle J. w. Dryden, J. ID. Parchsn. w.
w. Wilson, George Williams Edgar r.
| Ormsby. J. w. Dunn. William Dignan. VIII
liam McGuran. Jack Troy J. w Boyle
William Moran and others too numerous to
mention.
Professional SwindIer for Years
Moran served in the Goth New York Cav
airy short time during the civil war and
deserted. He has been a professional swim
dler for years. In 1861 he served a term in
the Michigan penitentiary and was after
ward sent TO Auburn IN. " prison FOR the
theft of COW. The next sentence he re-
ceived was seven years for having burglar
lied the store OF the late Representative
Charles c. Chickering Of New York, who
committed suicide. Then he got seven wears
more for the forgery OF a note of $500
In June 1898, Moran appeared in Allegan
ana Kalamazoo counties. Mich. as a bogus
speciai examiner OF pensions, In July. Of
the same year. he swindled residents OF
oneida and Wayne counties, n. Y, pre-
tending that he was a government officer
he was convicted on November - OF that
year and was given a sentence OF three
years In the prison at Rochester, N Y He
Is alleged to have been concerned In the
burning OF the buildings of the Beckwith
stove works Dowagiac, Mich, and while
In confinement in Rochester he made a con-
fession. or an alleged confession. implicaf-
ing man named Simon Tise Of Dowagtac
VINO was convicted and sentenced to serve
seventeen years in the state prison
1t is supposed that Moran's motive I'm
making the statement against Tise was TO
secure his own removal to Michigan as a
witness, with the hope of being able 20
escape en- route. While I'm the Rocbes+ar
prison Moran extracted with his fingers his
teeth with the view OF changing the shane
OF his face and preventing his Identification
at Dowagiac.
An Indeterminate Sentence.
On April 1. 1898, he pleaded guilty to
forgery and was taken TO Joliet penften-
tlary under an indeterminate sentence. He
was subsequently released on the ground
that he should have had definite sentence
under the law in force when the ofrense
was committed. On November IL Of the
same year he appeared in Cass county,
Mich, in the guise of a special pension ex-
aminer. He worked his scheme there until
December 8, when he disappeared and
turned up in South Bend, Ind where he
arrested hN
sisted by the police OF that city. While
awaiting triad he wrote threatening letters
10 government witnesses He was convict
ed on March 4, 1899 and given a sentence
OF two years In the house of correction, De-
trolt. He was discharged on April 10, 1901
and seventeen days later collected money
from Herman Carl OF st. Joseph Mich, ON
the pretense that he would destroy adverse
testimony which he had regarding Carts
pensionable status He continued westward
through Michigan and into Wisconsin and
then made loop into northern Indiana
Ohio. Pennsylvania and New York, where
he was arrested.