The National tribune., 1907-06-20

As soon as Commissioner of Pensions
Warner found out that this systematic
campaign was being made against the
slender resources of the people entitled
to thts small gift from the country. he
issued. or had issued. an order that
hereafter the warrants for the l60-acre
grants shall be issued by registered let
ter and only to the persons entitled to
the grants. In this way ne cut out the
attorneys getting an opportunity of Sc
curing the land at less value than it
can he sold for.
BY authorities in the Interior Depart
ment it was stated positively that one
firm Of attorneys. as soon as IL found
out that the Pension Oisice was cogni-
zant Of its methods. sent out a circular
letter to the claimants Ii had gotten
money from in the manner described
and offered to refund the difference be-
tweeH what it gave the claimant for
the land and what it got for the land.
In this way, it is said one firm refund
ed nearly $4,000.
The manner in which Commissioner
Warner found out what was up is
unique. An aged woman in Maryland.
widow of a Mexican war veteran. was
notified by the firm that il would pay
her $455. the difference between what
! It had paid her and what it really got
for The land when sold. This aged
NpIifu WHO NdS III Tstu oI fnOnty, ull
not feel that it would be right to take
the sum. which represented a fortune
to her, without notifying the Govern
ment.
So she wrote Commissioner Warner
all about it. and incloSed 10 him the let
ters she had received from the firm
about the matter. The Commissioner
immediately notified her that the money
was hers rightfully and that she must
a a no = q
of her land. Incidentally. he got some
good evidence out of the letters this
firm had sent to the old lady.
Some of the attorneys who have been
summoned by the Department for this
practice have been fastening to refund
TO their clients the difference between
the price they paid for the land scrip
and the price they received for it.
There is some question whether the
clients who have been defrauded can
recover at law on their claims Some
of them have been advised that they
can. But 1t Is rather the belief of the
Department that the courts will hold
it merely business transaction between
the client and his attorney in which
the client is supposed to protect him:
self rs in any other business deal OF
course. if absolute fraud can be proved
it Will be a different matter
The diSbarment proceedings are
different matter. The Secretary of the
Interior has right to disbar an attor-
ney for unprofessional conduct. even
though he may not be absolutely crimi-
nal. The Interior Department is more
or less responsible for the attorneys
after they have been admitted to prac-
tice and are advertised as regular Ii
censcd attorneys of the Department,
and it is the intention of Secreary Car
field to keep the standard OF profess
sional conduct as high as possible.
All the parties mentioned are most
indignant, and declare that they can
prove themselves not guilty of the
frauds charged and that they have
warrant of law for all that they have.
They insist that they should have been
given chance to clear themselves be-
fore the charges were made public and
declare that incalculable damage has
been done them. even if they are able
to prove their innocence.