Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-29

raise and finally would promise her that the pension
would be allowed, but that certain advance Fee
responding in size to all she had could get, would
be required to prove her claim. That is. he merely
sized up her pile and took it. But his efforts not
confined to women He worked both men and women
Another scheme employed by this particular species
of pirate is take money from pensioners on the prom
Use of having the pensions increased VI course there
have been many instances of pensioners being charged
eXorbtant prices for work done tor them by attorneys
Even now since Congress passed law few years ago
prescribing the size of fees be charged by attorneys
and providing that such fees must be paid direct from
the Pension Office and the amount deducted from the
pension allowance, these eXorbitant prices some
times obtained by lawyers
RUT the vigilance of the authorities in running down
- those who attempt to rob the government under
cover of assumed herosn matched by its anxiety to
pay pensions all those people who should have them
Such policy results in real ronances Not long ago
Commissioner Davenport received letter from wom-
an in far Western State. She explained that she had
been left widow with twelve children and was having
a desperate struggle to keep them and herself alve
Her husband had served in the Civil ar IN the Union
arnv but she explained, she did not know his status
She entreated the Commissioner to have the matter IN
vestgated, and to pay her a pension II possible.
even the smallest sum-, she wrote, will be Won
derful help to in my time OF need.
She had only the SparScst information to give the
agent who was put work the case He went to her
home and talked with her, developing only the mere
around Nashville Tennessee but after that she could
not remember what he had done The agent loo ked up
the soldiers record and found that he had fought near
Nashville but later had been lost sight Of Still per-
ssent in the search the authorities discovered refer
ence his deseron from the army. But even IN the
face of such discouragng information, the Office dld not
give I'D the hope of helping the widow and her twelve
children. The hunt continued and finally the tact
was brought light that the soldier had been court
martialed for desertion and "honorably acquitted
With this encouragement, the agent went further and
proved these facts The soldier had been sent home by
an army surgeon the stress of epidemic during the
progress of siege, and the surgeon working day and
night forgot to report the fact to the ocer IN COM
mand. The soldier, at the time he was sent hone was
suffering from terrific wound and when he recovered,
returned to his command.
This story was told to me by the agent who worked
it up, and he concluded by saying:
"The pleasant incident of my othclal career was
the delivery that widow of voucher for something
more than twenty thousand dollars OF accumulated pen
sion money. You see, she not only eligible to a
pension in her right, but she also had coming to
her two dollars month for each child under sixteen
years of age from the time OF its birth.
DENSION business gives rare insight into human
L nature Here is another story:
A veteran of the Civil War drawing his pension
and was not spending the money wisely. There came
the usual sequel of foolish spending. He had quarrel
with his wife That night he disappeared, and left on
his bureau letter of farewell Highly educated and
unusually clever he word artist OF great abltY
He described his unhappiness and despair declared that
it impossible for him to endure this lite any longer,
and made known his plan to die. He drew a graphic
picture of himself standing on bridge at midnight, his
hands above his head the ragged clouds scuyng across
the heavens he took the fatal plunge into the cold
black beneath. His wife heard no more OF him.
Two years later she applied for the widows pension to
which she entitled and offered the letter as part OF
the evidence that the really dead.
An agent put the case, and, following visit
to the woman, convinced by all the evidence that
the man was dead. Moreover, just the woman had
described it in her application to the authorities. he
the husbands pension certificate in the upper right
hand drawer of the desk in the back the second
floor where he had left it. AS finishing touch to the
he applied