The Washington herald., 1911-05-24

1QTOuSn senator SndTleS NuTllS, VI
Kansas, a move is to be made in Con-
gress toward erecting in the District Of
Columbia home for aged and infirm
colored people from a fund consisting of
moneys due the estates of deceased col
ored soldiers, sailors. and marines.
a sum which is supposed to aggregate
over $4,000, representing pay. bounties,
and prizes of colored persons in the serv-
ice Of the United States during the civil
war, lies in the United States Treasury,
into which place it was covered by the
commissioner of the Freedman's Bureau
many years ago, after it was found i'm
possible to locate the proper claimants
or their descendants. 1t has been pro-
posed several times that the country
could show no better appreciation of the
eervices of the colored soldiers and SAIL
ors during the war than by utilizing this
fund in the manner mentioned
Strengthening Out Tangle.
Senator Curtis has recently interested
himself deeply in finding a means OF
Strengthening out the tangle affecting
thousands of colored persons by reason
OF the failure of the Freedman's Savings
and Trust Company shortly after the
war As an institution of government
sanction, the concern swallowed up the
savings and the deposited bounties of
colored soldiers and those Of their fami-
Hes and their friends. Having intro
duced bill to repay to the estates of
depositors a balance of IS per cent of
their funds, amounting to over 81 100000,
Senator Curtis now proposes to proceed
further with the cleaning up process and
endeavor to make some disposition of the
prize and bounty fund which the concern
when il became the Freedmens Bureau,
was allowed to handle, and which the
bureau commissioner subsequently turned
over to the Treasury.
The bill which he will draw up after a
due investigation of the subject will be
referred to the Committee on Appropria-
tions. of which Senator Curtis is a men,
Der. To this committee il will be shown
that beyond a doube there is a large
sum of money in the United States
Treasury which is properly due the de-
scendants of colored men who fought
in the war. There Were 1S6017 of these
individuals, many Of whom were never
heard from after the war closed. A
great many were dead and a large num-
ber wandered away entirely ignorant of
the existence Of pay, bounties, and other
moneys to their credit Partial headway
was made in distributing these moneys
20 the estates of the colored men, but
proof finally became so difficult that the
commissioner Of the Freedman'S Bureau
covered what remained Of the fund
over $500. .O00-into the Treasury. This
was on the order of Congress. It there
fore remains with Congress to take what
action may be needed II the money shall
ever be made use of.
Not Deferred by Failure.
Senator Curtis. in taking up the pro-
Of Nioo rif inc
ton in the District for aged and infirm
colored people, will not be deferred by
the fact that bills for this purpose have
been introduced heretofore and have
failed. In the second session of the
Fffty-third Congress bill for the erec-
tion of a home was referred to the
House Committee on Military Affairs and
from there reported favorably. In its
report the committee set forth its dis
covery that through joint resolution
passed by Congress in 1867, all moneys
certified to be due colored soldiers and
sailors We're paid to the commissioners
Of the Freedman's Bureau for disposal
to proper claimants.
AT that time the committee reported
most of the colored people from the
Southern States Who would be entitled
to this mon2y had been slaves had no
where they had it was impossible to
trace it. The law governing the proper
adjudication of these claims requires that
the heirs of the deceased soldiers must
prove their lawful marriage relation by
record evidence. and that to be certified
by notary public of clerk of the court
in the several States AS no marriage
record was ever kept of the slaves. it is
impossible in a great many instances to
-
proof.
Many Claim the Money.
The committee reported that all of the
money had been claimed, and that in
many instances as many as ten per-
sons from as many different States filed
claims as the lawful heirs of one de-
ceased soldier: that the inability to es-
tablish proofs had resulted in the re-
teation OF over 100000 of the money lin
the Treasury.
Calling attention to the fact that
numerous requests had been made by
colored people generally to apply the
sum for the advancement and benefit of
their race, the committee stated in its
report:
by taking this money for the purpose
set out. it is only giving the colored peo-
pie the benefit and use of the fund that
-ightfuliy belo-ss to them. and which, If
rot appropriated for their use. or some
ether. will lie idle in the Treasury OF the
United States until some disposition is
made of il. The fact should clearly be
borne in mind that this fund would be
paid to the heirs of the deceased colored
soldiers If proper proof could be made,
but inasmuch as the requirements of the
department cannot be compiled with and
satisfactory regulations as TO identifica-
ton of the claimants cannot now be
made, unless some legislative action is |
aiken whereby the money can be utilized !
'or the benefit of these people, II will !
remain where IL is. and the race of people !
who are entitled to every penny Of It will /
De deprived of what is Justly dues them" |
Senator Curtis has been importuned by !
many colored people who live in Kansas, |
md by many. others from all over the |
to renew efforts for the ex-
oenditure Of the fund in the manner men
ioned
Aviator Killed by Fall.
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