The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-29
Laura F. Wygant Drew Pension
of G. A. Barnard Many Years.
Sent to OsawatOmie Hospital
When Arrested for Fraud.
GIRL FILES CLAIM.
Texas Woman Declares Deceased
Soldier Her Father.
Government Pension Officers
Hunt Mrs. Wygant on Border.
SUNDAY.

For more than twenty years Laura
F. Wygant has tried to secure the pay
payment of the pension of George A.
Barnard, but corps of government de-
tectives have never been able to learn
just who is entitled to the money. Not
that Uncle Sam doesn't want to pay
the money. He does. But Laura is
implicated in a half dozen knotty mat
rimonial contracts and the govern
ment cannot figure out her domestic
relations with Barnard and her title
to the pension.
Barnard was a member of the Mas
sachusetts light artillery. He was mar
ried three times. One of his wives
perhaps was Laura Wygant 1t was
after two of Barnard's wives had died,
so the woman claimed. that she mar
ried the old soldier Then Barnard
died. The woman Immediately made
application for the pension. While an
inspector was investigating the case,
she became acquainted with another
prospective husband. They were mar
ried a month before the matter was
adjusted.
Kept Marriage Secret.
But Mrs. Wygant was clever wom-
an. She kept her second marriage
from tine government agents and for
five years drew Barnard's pension.
For nearly five years the governm lent
continued to send the woman the
quarterly stipend due the widow of the
old soldier. All of this time Mrs.
Wygant was Mrs. somebody else.
After the second husband died, she
was married a third time. This time
she married J. H. Miller a resident of
Leavenworth. 1t was while she was
living with Miller that the fraud was
discovered. The pension was stopped
and the woman arrested. Before she
was tried, she tried the insanity dodge,
was sent to Osawatomie and later re-
leased.
She then went to Mcpherson, where
she was married to W. F. Wygant.
Recently Wygant secured a divorce
from the woman in the Sedgwick
county court. Through all of these
months the government had not been
able to locate the woman. A daughter
of the old soldier was found at Fort
Dodge and made affidavit that Mrs
Wygant, maSquerading as Mrs Bar
nard, was an tmposter. But where
was the woman? Throughout the
southwest pension agents hunted the
woman but could not find her
A few days ago the pension depart
ment deceived news that the woman
is in Mexico. 1t is also claimed that
she has married husband No. 5. In
her race for a matrtm onial record. it
appears that the woman neglected to
procure at least one divorce before
other man. This was of course a
complication for the state courts to
adjust and the government devoted its
time trying to locate the woman and
prosecute her for obtaining Barnard s
pension under false pretenses. Ac-
cording to the latest evidence which
the pension department can find the
daughter, Gertrude E. Barnard, of
Fort Dodge. is entitled to the pension
money and may receive a pension COW
ering a period of 20 years.
Watch Mexican Border.
Pension offices along the Mexican
border have been notified to watch for
the woman. If she is in Mexico extra
dition complications may arise. but
the pension department is determine
to find her and prosecute her in the
federal courts If possible. The woman
spent a number of years in Kansas
She claimed to have lived with Bar
nard near La Crosse, later she lived al
Mcpherson with a third husband
Then she spent a few years in Leaven-