The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-17
coward1y Deed Of a Former
Pension Attorney.
HE HINTS AT MURDER ): R
"Sharpshooter No. I Will Pick You
Off, He Writes.
LETTER TRACED TO ITS AUTHol
Fine Specimen of One of the Classes
That War Upon Pension
COmmis siOneF. 81

.. Fron The Jorr,.at B,sreass. Room <S. Post
bUHdssa0, W1shangtoas.
Washington, Jan. 1.-THE arrest Of the
blackguard who sent an indecent and in
sulting' note to the president from Rich
mond after the Booker Washington Incl
papers, but 1t is not the only thing Of
the kind that has happened within a lit
tie while. In December last scrawl to
the following effect reached the White
House:
New York City, Dec. u, 19O1.-Mr. Presi-
dent-as it has fallen by lot that you shall
be the next man that must suffer as you still
ignore the poor pensioners & soldiers who
fought to save the union by keeping in the
pension Office our deadly enemy of the pen
sioner and you must pay the penalty this year
OFF at distance on your travels BY Order
Off at "a distanc con your travels By Order
Gen Abercrombie.
This was turned over to the secret
service, which, in cooperation with the
special agents of the pension office, made
an investigation and soon traced the mis-
sive to one William Barton, disbarred
pension attorney and claim agent, living
at Peekskill N. Y. s.
1t appears that Barton was arrested in
December, 1898, on the charge of receiv-
ng an illegal fee and forging the name OF
one Denis Cleary, pensioner, on the back
of the check sent for his first payment,
$117.07. He was taken before United
States commissioner and held in $4,000
bail to await the action of the grand jury,
but saved the government further trouble
by confession. AS his counsel and an
outside medical expert satisfied the prose
cutting attorney that Barton was suffer
ing from pares1s due to chronic alcohol
! ism, and irresponsible, the case was
dropped, but of course he was disbarred
| fom pension practice by the secretary OF
the interior. Since then he has been dis
| owned by his family, lost whatever busl-
ness he had, and been an Inmate of a
poorhouse in Westchester county. His
| lesson at the hands of the law has not
however, prevented him from continuing
to be grossly abusive of the present ad-
ministration of the pension office.
~ When apprehended for his latest otfense
I he was found in saloon in Yonkers. he
was charged with writing and mailing the
/ letter to the president, and admitted Il
under oath. 81 was drinking pretty hare
them he explained: II remember WITT.
ling a letter, but do not now GENE
what I wrote When shown the origina
letter, however, he identified 1T.
! The Incident would never have beer
heard of, probably, but for the R1chmone
counterpart. It IS interesting only To-
| two reasons-as showing the kind or cattle
\ whose cause the professional veterans anf
the ."soldier papers" champion so nerce
|ly in their war upon Commissions
Evans. and as typical Of the source from
which come SO many anonymous threaten
| ing letters to public men.
MORRIS Representative Morri:
! and Messrs. Bernard anc
! AND Warner of Cass Lake
| called at the Indian Of.
! THEPARK. flee to-day and had con-
! ference with Commission
/. or Jones about the Morris bill for the
| amendment of the Nelson timber act. Be.
fore the bill was presented in the house
it was submitted to the Indian office anc
indorsed, with the exception of some
minor features. 1t is, therefore, expected
that the commissioner and Secretar!
Hitchcock will make favorable report OF
it. Both Morris and the Cass Laker!
are anxious to have some of the timber
lands sold and opened to settlement ant
urged Commissioner Jones to do all h
could to that end.
These gentlemen also called on Giffort
Pinchot, chief of the forestry division o
: the department of agriculture, and talket
over his plan for the preservation Of pine
!. forests in Minnesota. It provides for tn
" sale of ripe timber each year and thu
planting of young trees to take the place
of those removed, thus perpetuating thu
forest Morris has been credited will
being in favor, of this plan of fores
preservation, but up to date has made NJ
definite announcement Of his intention t.
favor the creation of a park in Mime
sofa. He explained that his call on Pin
chot to-day was simply for the purpose/o
getting information on the subject.
w. W. Jermane.