The National tribune., 1901-09-19
PENSION POINTERS.
Inquiries Answered and Suggestions
Made.

C. P. X, Leesburg, Ohio-The act Of
| March ID, 1886, providing that IN CON
sidering claims filed under the pension
laws, the death of an enlisted man or of
fcer shall be considered as sufficiently
proved if satisfactory evidence is pro-
duced establishing the fact of the con-
tinued and unexplained absence of such
enlisted man or officer from his home and
family for period of seven years, during
which period no intelligence of his exist
ence shall have been received" cannot ap-
ply to general law pension claims. Note
that the law says simply that death
shall be considered as sufficient
IL proved" etc.; not that the cause of
death can be presumed. AS death-cause
must be satisfactorily shown to be due to
the service in general law claims, it fol-
lows that the law is of benefit only in
der the act of June p, 1890 Tor May y,
1900, and widows claims under the serv-
ice-pension laws.
NJ. f. S., Fulton, n. Y.-The pension
law as to dependent parents is PLAIN.
Their title is dependent on the soldiers
having left surviving neither widow nor
legitimate child under 16.
]. II. o., Bloomfield, Ind.-If the help
less child was under Is when the soldier
died and also on June 80 1880, an addi-
tional allowance of 81 per month can be
obtained by the widow for his mainte-
nance. Probably if the child is not I'M
der the widows care the legal guardian
can obtain the allowance. After child
becomes 1G, no pension can be obtained
save under the general law, which re-
quires evidence that the soldiers death
was due to the service. Late holdings
also bar the child if over 16 June 80, 1881,
and no application was filed on its behalf
before that date.
w. II. s., Wheatland, Pa.-Those vol
ralin cd NJ nhp rtynE
of desertion and granted honorable dis
charges under various general acts OF
Congress since the war of the rebellion
are entitled only to bounty or bounty in
stallments actually accrued and due at the
date they absented themselves Thus,
volunteer who enlisted before the install
ment bountes were offered, could get no
bounty at all on such a discharge, as 1t
was not granted for any of the specified
reasons that would entitle him to the
bounty. If he enlisted after installment
bounties were offered, he could obtain in
stallments accrued and unpaid, but not
unaccrued installments.
A. b., Lincoln, Neb.-In applying for
pension under the general law it is usually
well to include in the application all dis
abilities that are of service origin and
which there is a reasonably good pros
pect of being able to satisfactorily prove.
w. III. W., Elk Falls, Kan.-The
sworn statement OF the soldier as to
death of former wife would be useful in
the possible pension claim of his present
wife after his death. OF late the decis-
ions in cases involving question of legal
ity of marriage have been positive in de-
claring that all marriages are prima facie
legal and that if the Pension Bureau
questions them it must itself produce the
proof to invalidate them.
S. NJ. W., Piney Flats, Tenn.-The
helpless child being over 16 at date of
fathers death, no application can be
made either under the act of June q,
1890, or under the general law.
Walton, N. Y.-The q. s. pension laws
provide no protection for pension money
after it reaches the pensioner, or prop
erty purchased with pension money. 1t
seems, however, that there is some such
protection by State law in New York
State and perhaps other States.
G. NJ, Watcher, Iowa-Invalid pen
sioners under the general law may apply
for increase under the general law at any
time, irrespective of their pending or re-
Jected claims under the act of 1890.
Inquirer, Oneonta, n. Y.-See reply to
Walton, n. Y.