The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-12-20
An Ininre.lIng 49,.

Special Pension Detective Cowan and
Deputy y. S, Marshal Proebstel came
up from Portland Friday and arrested
Richard Nj. Hunt. He was taken before
United States Commissioner Geo T..
Prather for preliminary examination,
charged with pefsonating dead soldier
and attempting to defraud the govern
ment by making application for pen-
sion under his assumed name. The
commissioner found the evidence strong
against him. He vas placed under
bonds in the sum Of 81 600 and taken to
Portland TO await the action OF the
United States grand jury. The accused
has been resident OF Hood River for
about ten years He is known as g
Woodworking man, but he had large
family to support and never got ahead
much in this worlds goods. He is a
member Of Candy post, q. A. r., being
admitted by card from post in the
Willamette valley, He is well versed
in the work Of the Grand Army and
from the war stories he can tell no old
soldier would doubt his having served
in the civil war. He claimed to have
been private in CO. A, 18th Missouri
infantry. Several years ago he made
application for a pension. About two
wears ago detective from the pension
Office appeared in Hood River and in
tefyieMed Hunt, questioning him closely
in regard to his army service and about
the comrades who served with him IN
I the 18th Missouri Hunt could give tile
names Of many Of the soldiers in the
company in which he claimed to have
served and was familiar with the his
tory Of the regiment. The detective
then told Hunt that the records Of the
pension Office showed Richard Nj. Hunts
late Of the 18th Missouri, to be dead,
and that his widow, now living at ST..
Joseph, Mo. was drawing a widows
pension. Hunt persisted that he was
the original and only Richard Nj Hunt,
late Of Co. A, 18th Missouri, denied that
he had ever died, and claimed the widow
at st. Joseph was a fraud The de-
| tective returned to Portland and Hunt
kept right on working for a pension.
He had Congressman Moody looking
after his claim at Washington. Nothing
more was heard by the public about the
case till the pension detective and dep
uty marshal appeared here Friday and
| placed Hunt under arrest. The pension
detective had the record Of Richard NJ,
Hunt complete. He served in the 18th
Missouri and was taken prisoner at the
battle of Pittsburg Landing, April 6,
1862 After confinement for about SIX
months in Confederate prisons he was
exchanged, returned to his regiment
and company--Co -yeteranized and
was assigned to Co A. He died at st,
Joseph, Mo-, IN 1881, and his widow has
since been drawing pension. Tlis
evidence is substantiated by the all
davits Of several members of Co A, iiy-
ing in Missouri, who willappear at the
trial of Hunt in Portland The govern
ment detective also has The discharge
papers OF Richard NJ. Hunt, giving his
record. The Hood River Richard Nj.
Hunt claims to have lost his discharge
in Idaho while freighting, when his
wagon was burned and all his papers
destroyed. The case looks dark for
Hunt, but his Grand Army comrades
and all who know him and his family
in Hood River, and know their circum-
stances, hope he will come out Of it all
! right