The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-03-08
Right Mrs. Burns Draws
Wrong Johns
StipendS.
Assumed Name, Drop
ped After War, Who'll
ly to Blame.
One Wife Has Drawn
Thousands Belonging
to Other.

Inc authorities or the PENSION OIHCc
have recently traced out one of the most
remarkable cases ever laid before that
headquarters of mysteries, marvels, and
mistaken identities. 1t is declared to
be entirely without parallel
When the civil war broke cut a young
man named John Wilson. from New
England State, was determined to enlist
in the navy. He was under the required
age, and IN order to conceal himself
and prevent interference by his par
ents changed his name to John Burns.
went to the recruiting officers. declared
himself Of the regulation age. and was
accepted. He was henceforth for four
years John Burns.
He was assigned TO service as a sea-
man on a naval vessel, and found that
the crew already contained a John
Burns It was embarrassing and I'M
fortunate; but the bogus Burns could
not now take another name. and 80 the
two men Of the same name served side
by side and even became friends They
were assigned TO their first vessel on
the same day; later they were trans
ferred together TO another vessel, and
then 10 another. They were serving to-
gether on the old Hartford, Farragut's
flagship. at the battle Of Mobile bay,
In short, from the beginning to end Of
the war these two men served side by
side under the same name They were
discharged on the same day"
Drops Assumed Name
Once out Of the service. Wilson re
sumed his own name, and in a few
years the incident of serving through
the war under an assumed name came
to be only q casual recollection 20 him.
He married after some ten years. and
his wife learned the story OF his service
as John Burns. A number of years ago
he died. having never drawn pen
sion; and recently his widow. now living
at Lincoln. Neb.. applied for one.
Her husbands record could not be
found under the name Of John Wilson,
and she explained to the department the
circumstance of adopting the assumed
name, and sent papers showing enlist
ment and discharge, in thar name. She
was finally able 10 make up a pretty
complete showing of her husbands rec
ords. and to convince the Pension Office
that John Wilson and the sailor John
Burns were one and the same person
Then came her surprise
Another woman was dra wing the pen
sion that should have accrued to her,
and had been drawing IL for twelve
years.
MIS- " Ai5NA blbAtSttAAs dAkuOAEl TIT
situation looked bad for her, that no
other woman was entitled TO that pen
sion She was certain that she was
the real and the only wife her husband
had ever had, although that experience
OF the Pension Office has developed cases
of double marriages and double lives in
great numbers.
Draws Wrong Pension.
The bureau delved into the case and
TT0rr,N
The widow OF the real John Burns had
applied for a pension, and had been
given IL, not on the record Of her own
husband. but on the parallel record made
by Wilson while bearing the name OF
Burns. She had been drawing for twelve
years a pension that belonged to the
other woman.
The authorities at the bureau after
convincing themselves thoroughly that
there was no fraud or bad intent. took
IN the matter of strengthening out the
situation. The pension which Mrs.
Burns has been drawing will be trans
feTred 10 Mrs. Wilson, and Mrs. Burns
vii, have to make a new application and
secure an allowance. But there is a
that she has drawn several thousand
dollars 10 which she was not entitled,
she will not be allowed TO draw any
more until the new pension, which will
undoubtedly be allowed 10 her. shall
have amounted to as much as she has
already drawn.
The expectation is that special legisla-
ton will be resorted to in order &C
straighten out the matter and permit
both women to have pensions. The case
has been brought TO light through tht
efforts OF Mrs. Wilson In whose behalf
Senator Burkctt has done a good dea
OF work IN untangling the strange com
plicatiOn. He will probably Introduce
whatever legislation may be found nee
esSary.