The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-06-22
ALABAMA NEGRO BADLY MIXED UP Dudley ItVin's Relatives All Wanted Pension Money TWO WIVES CAME FORWARD And Then a Missouri Negro Turns Up and Says He Is the Man
 Long Ago Declared
 to Be Dead.
TWO WIVES CAME FORWARD

Washington, June 21-(Special. )-Actine Comptroller Mitchell of the treasury has just rendered a decision in a case which would have caused Solomon to sit ur and take notice, even though he did once determine who was the mother of a cer- tain child as between two rival claimants
 As a bundle of contradictions on essen tial points it stands without precedent in the office and incidentally throws a sidelight on the schemes which daily are being mapped out to victimlze the government. The salient facts as ex- tricated and here presented are some what puzzling in themselves, but as contained in the voluminous affidavits of sixty or more persons on file with the comptroller they are crushing.
 The principle figure in the controversy Is one Dudley 1rvin colored. who en- listed March r. 1864, as private in com pany c. Fourth Alabama infantry, but whose designation was later changed to the One Hundred and Sixth United States Colored infantry. The records show that he was mustered out at Bridge port, Alas Nov. T. 1865, and that his detachment was disbanded at Nashville, Tenn, three days later.
 In September, 1s67, Anna Ash, colored, filed claim for pay and bounty as the mother of Irwin. She alleged that nd died at Florence. Ala, June 8, 1866, leaving no widow or children, and that his father was dead. In October, 1o.s, she declared she had given the soldiers discharge cer- tifcate to a claim agent for use in the prosecution of her claim.
 On March 6, 1872. Robert H. Mosley and Ben Campbell of Morgan county Ala, testified that they were personally acquainted with the soldier; that his mother was Anna Ash. and that Irwin died about April 1, at Cairo, IL, Of small. pexs They added:
 Positive That He Was Dead.
 We know from letters of our friends that he died as above stated, and from seeing the said Dudley Irwin while sick We did not see him after he was dead He has not been heard from since all his friends and relatives know he is dead
 On the strength of this testimony Anna Ash on October 16, 1874, was paid $SS.
  cals had only begun. Despite the state ment of Anna Ash that Dudley Irwin had left no widow or children, in November 1SS1 Charley Irwin of Decatur, Ala fled 8 claim for pay and bounty as his son. and in October, 1889, Kessire Cor Keziah) Irwin of Belle Nina, Limestone county Alabama, filed a similar claim, alleging that she had been married to the soldier on the plantation of William Irwin fir Lawrence county, that state, and thai her husband had died about twenty years ago. Later both Kesslre and Charley stated that they had heard Dud. ley Irwin had been shot to death in Ten nessee for stealing horses.''
 Denounced Her as Fraud.
 At this point along comes the postmas- ter at Decatur, who writing under date oi December g, 1890, denounces Kesslre Irvir as fraud, declaring that Irvins first wife died in 1859 and his second in 1862 and that he never married again. After full investigation the treasury officials came to the decision that Irwin had never married or lived with Kessire as his wife and that Charley was his illigitimate son Then they sat down and congratulated themselves that at last they had seen ar end of the perplexlng case, but they were soon undeceiyed.
 OI DecemDeT zl, lOf, Duuley ITNln Ol Mississippi county, Missouri, filed pay and bounty application, declaring that Inc was the identical person of that namt who served as an enlisted man in Com. pany c, 106th regiment, United States col cred infantry. and was discharged as a sergeant in 1865. It appeared from a statement received from the United States pension office that he was pranted a pen. sion on August 1O 1901, as sergeant in the organization named. On May 27 Irvir made a motion that the settlement by which Anna Ash had been paid $SS. 80 bt Ieopened and he be allowed that sum-
 .I was born in the state of Maryland somewhere near Baltimore he said tC a pension examiner T don't really know hat county 1t was in 1t sort of runs 1T my mind that it was Lawrence county Maryland" There is no Lawrence county in Maryland.
 Never Married Before War.
 Irwin said he was never married before the war and not until after he went ts Cairo. Ill. He said further he never had child named Charley and did not know