Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-04
Michael Kelley, of the Soldiers
Home, Arrested on a Fed
eral Warrant
ACCUSED OF PENSION FRAUD
Uncle Sam Claims That He Repre-.
scented Dead Man in Trying to
Obtain an acknowledgements ant
Horton Believes Him Innocent -
Taken to Des Moines for Hearing.

Michael Kelley, member Of the
Soldiers Home, and a veteran of Com
pany E. Thirty-fifth Iowa infantry, was
arrested Thursday night by Deputy
Sheriff Hutson on a warrant charging
attempting to obtain pension fraudu
lently. The information was filed in
Justice Clark's court late Thursday
afternoon by F. F. Dean. special pen
sion examiner, who was sent to the city
from Washington by the department
Kelley maintains his innocence, and
has the best proof to show that he has
acted in good faith in his efforts to Sc
cure q pension. So accurately did
Kelley state his case. in severe
questioning In the presence of the
commandant and Mr.. Dean Thursday
night, that Commandant Horton is
very much inclined to believe the man
innocent
The story of the efforts to secure a
pension is q long one. and the facts
cover "a period of several months. Just
what the government will make out of
the case is hard 10 tell, and 1t is
thought here that IL Keeiey's state
ment could have been in the hands Of
the department before Mr.. Dean was
sent out to effect his arrest. the ar
rest would have not been made.
From the understanding OF the case
at the commandments office the facts
1y, n hn. al p-pr trrN Mich q
Keeleys who filed applications for pen
sion about the same time. Both are
supposed to have served in Company
L, of the Thirty fifth Iowa. Michael
Kelley of this city did not file his APP
plication until last spring. and his pen
sion attorney, who prosecuted the
claim. received in due time his fees.
Kelley. however. never got hi spension,
but instead II went to another Michael
Kelley, living then at Logansport, Ind,
or rather, to his widow. who, in the
meantime, had furnished the depart
ment with proofs of her husbands
death. When Michael Kelley, of the
Soldiers Home, did not receive his
pension he registered a complaint with
the department, and was astounded
MLSu lillOAiItC0 pS AAOA
ton, upon receipt of advices from
Washington. that the pension had been
paid to Michael Keeley's widow. This
Michael Kelley had never been mar
ried, and this fact was communicated
TO Washington thru the commentaries
office.
Kelley, who Is very excitable, flew
Into a terrible rage when confronted
with the, statement of affairs. and left
the Home at once, saying he was go
ing to his mother, to secure proofs Of
the legality Of his claim. Nothing has
been heard Of him since that time. last
spring. until a few days ago, when he
to the city and re-entered the
Home. Commandment Horton was In
climbed to believe, at first, that Kelley
was really an imposter, but since he
made the statement of his case, Thurs
lay night, he has changed his opinion.
Gives History Of Regiment.
At the interview had with Kelley by
-ommandant Horton and Mr.. Dean
/ complete and unbroken history Vt
lis company and regiment. Command
mt Horton says 1t would be next to
impossible for any man. not having ac-
!ually participated as a member of the
.egiment, to have posted himself 30
thoroughly on it's history. AS Colonel
Horton was quite familiar with the
'egiment himself he knows of little in
.idents that occurred, which Kelley re-
erred to, that forces the statement
hat Kelley could not have possibly
Known them II he had not been there.
xeeley referred to the death OF his
colonel, Hill, at the battle Of Nashville,
md also the death of Colonel Hills
ION, in the Red river expedition, and
rave the names of all his company's
,fiicers also those Of the regiment. He
llso recited the different battles,
marches and camps in detail.
Kelley was wounded in the arm
while on the Red river expedition, and
vas in the hospital for some time, and
strange to say the record OF the other
Michael Kelley shows him to have been
INJURED in the arm, at the same en-
sagement, and to have been in the same
hospital The government maintains,
n It's investigation Of the case during
he months past. that Michael Kelley
II this city was attempting to get
l pension for the injury of the other
Michael Kelley, now deceased. To sub
,tantiate Keeley's claims another MEM
Der of the Home, a member Of the
rhirty-fifth Iowa, swears that he knew
Kelley while In the service, and could
positively identify him as being the
same man. He does not know of an
,ther Michael Kelley, however. who
served in the same company. Kelley
.laims to have lost his discharge short
v after the war; but he has certifi
cate of service, issued from the adju-
ant generals Office.
Michael Kelley, who is under arrest
charged by the government with a
serious crime, is 68 years of age. He
enlisted as a private in Company E,
rhirty-fifth iowa, at Muscatine, Aug.
IS. 1862 and was discharged Aug. 10,
S65, at Davenport. He came to the
Home Feb. 3. 1900. He was never mar
led, and his only relative, as shown
IN the Home records, is his mother,
Mrs. Mary Kelley, living at Faribault.
Ninn. Mr.. Kelley Is a native of Hamp-
len county, Massachusetts.
Kelley was taken this morning by
Deputy Sheriff Hutson to Des Moines.
or arraignment in the United States
court.