Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-02-05
Says United States
Special Pension
Examiner
HERE TO INVESTIGATE
Two Interesting Pension
Cases That Are Of a Sal
lent Nature.

The many complex and aggrayating
questions that are constantly confront
Ing the United States pension Office
at Washington can readily be appre-
clated when one hears of the two pen
sion cases now being investigated at
Santa Fe. United States Special Pen
sion Examiner William S. Fitch
whose headquarters are at Ell Paso.
arrived this morning to make an in
vestsation in the matter of two ex-
ceedingly interesting cases. The first
case is that of Mrs. Sarah Foster
who is seeking a pension as the widow
of James Foster. Previous to her
marriage with Foster she was the wife
of George H. Barnard. In order to
secure the pension it is necessary to
establish the fact of the death of
Barnard and the legality of the con-
sequent second marriage. A diary
kept by Mrs. Foster shows two en-
tries in the year 1869. On April 21 it
reads: To-day, Emma Barbara,
friend, Informed me of the death OF
George Barnard. He was killed by
Indians" The second entry of May
23 tells of her marriage with James
Foster and that she is satisfied as to
the death of Barnard. In addition to
the diary entries, Mrs. Foster has also
a newspaper clipping taken from a
Rome, New York, newspaper of 1869.
The object of Mr. Fitch is to try to
locate the George B. Shepard men
toned in the article and through him
establish the truth of the reported
death OF Barnard. Any information
as to the whereabouts of Shepard will
be appreciated by Examiner Fitch
The newspaper clipping is as follows:
KILLED by Indians-We are in re-
ceipt of a letter from George B. Shep-
ard of Santa Fe, New Mexico, inform
ing us of the death of George H. Bar
nard, said by the writer to have lived
in this town. Mr. Barnard was mur
dered by Valajo Indian on the 4th
of March at point about 1S0 miles
southwest of Santa Fe Mr.. Shepard
says: He had been with me for two
years past and was a dear friend of
mine. / do not know the address of
any of his relatives and you will
therefore do me a favor by publish.
ing his death in your paper The
writer describes the deceased as fol-
lows: He was about 5 feet in
ches tall in height, strongly built, Of
sandy complexion, with dark brown
hair, the latter little curly. He is a
Free Mason; carpenter by trade,
and good mechanic Mr.. Shepard
says that he has not been able to OBJ
tain any of the effects or letters of
the deceased; but will gladly com.
all particulars in his DOS.
session by addressing him at Santa
Fe."
The other case is even more com.
plicated and is unusually interesting.
It Is the case of the former wife of
Colonel James l., Morris (now dead)
who is applying for pension as his
widow. Colonel Morris used to locate
around Santa Fe, Cerrillos and Thorn
ton. He was an old soldier and be-
onged to Carleton Post, G. A. R., this
city. He served in the war of the
Rebellion and later was in the regu.
ar army having come West from
In 1903 he died at AL
ouquerque. While in Philadelphia in
1854 he had married woman whom
le deserted when he came West in
1868. This woman, hearing that Nor
is had died, married a man named
Brown. When she applied for pen
sion as the widow of Morris she was
informed that he was not only living,
'ut was himself drawing pension.
Upon the actual death of Morris in
1903 she again applied for a pension
Is his widow, but it will now be nec-
sssary for her to prove that she had
lever been divorced by Morris, which
s more than likely as he is known
o have married a native woman here
n New Mexico, by whom he had a
ION, and later he lived with an Amer
can woman at Thornton whether
married to her or not, is not known.
This woman died at Thornton IN 1897.
n addition to proving that she had not
,een divorced, Mrs. Brown must 60
how that her marriage TO Brown was
legal
According to Pension Examiner Fitch
ases of this character are very com.
non and keep the pension bureau busy.
1t is astonishing" said he, ITO find
o many people whom you suppose are
(NAptsnunI nr Do T;-lkN