The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-06-27
DEPARTMENTAL WORKERS
interesting Gossip Cleaned Among Employees
Of Government Bureaus.
SAVING VETERANS FROM PENSION SHARKS.
Capture Of "Buckskin Joe'-From Blacksmith Forge to
L.eutenancy Agricultural Department Appoint
mentS-Curious Tale of Race Prejudice

FcT over twenty years Major Albert
V. Roome, Of the special examination
Division OF the Pension Office. has been
connected with the bureau During moz-
CT this period ne has been actively CT
Gagged in unea-thinE the various frog
alsrities and frauds perpetrated by de-
signing people against Uncle sans
laws.
The Pension Office has often been
called upon TO protect the old soldier
frcm 3 class o. men who at times reap
q rich If short-Iived harvest by travel
Ing through the country in the role o.
special examiners or other officials duly
authorized 10 represent the Government
70 Major Roome is due Jhe credit OF
capturing one CT the Eleckcst iudiEid-
Gals who ever operated along this line.
Several years ago the Pension Office
vas deluged VT h complaints N regard
&c : certain swiaGIeC known as Buck
skin joe" Clad IN tac habiliments, of
the Wild West. this fe' low. in the bold
est sort OF manner, would visit the
small country towns ID sections p0pu-
lated by old soldiers
Introducing himself as a special agent
sent out by the Government to investi-
gate pension claims. he would gain &C
cess 10 the homes of the veterans. Go
ing through the form of an examination
OF evidence he would gain the confidence
OF those with whom he dealt, and under
the plea Of delayed remittances from
the home office would. proceed to make.
"a swift tough On his victims The
amount Of cash obtained was consider
able and as soon as he worked one
community he would make q jump To-
the next Some of the best detective
talent ct the command OF the Govern
ment was put on the track Of this
smooth-tongued rascal, but so alert was
he that months passed and he was still
at large.
To Major Roome was delegated the
task OF hunting the criminal down
Carefully mapping out his course, the
major struck the trail Of the willy
t'Buckskin joe and camped upon it
Several times the scent grew cold, and
for the tine being it seemed as II his
nan had vanished. But sticking TO It,
the major perseveTed until he laid his
hands upon the fugitive and landed him
in prison with a good long sentence TO
serve
Many other cases OF criminal nature
have been as successfully run TO earth
BY Major ROome-
Lieut.. Frank F. McCathran, Of the
Fifth precinct. is quiet, unassunaing /
man, who is never hasty to act. and
who is usually sure Of every move he I
makes in the direction 81 suppressing /
crime. He IS native Of Washington, /
having been born il the southeast sec /
ton Of the city in February, 1871 Dur /
ing his boyhood days he attended the /
public schools, and stiil Young 1
man went 70 work in his fathers black I
smith shop Having mastered the trade /
IN his fathers shop. he soon found en- /
ploymeut in the Washington navy yard, 1
where he Iabored until May, 1883, when /
he was appointed 10 a position on the +
police force He was selected as station.
keeper for the old Filth precinct now
the First, which was the most lmpor-
taut precinct IN the city
In January, 1876, he was promoted, Il
and as sergeant he did duty IN George
town. From there he went 70 The navy