Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-20
VETERAN KIDNAPPED,
CONGRESSMAN SAYS
At BUREAU INQUIRY
Wife Who Suffered Great
Sacrifices to Aid Him Was
Robbed of Right to Share
Payments, Is Charge

WASHINGTON, Nov. ia
charge that the veterans bureau
kidnapped Charles Kasavage, a World
war veteran, from an insane asylum
| in the state of Washington and took
him TO a hospital in Pennsylvania,
was made today before the senate
veterans committee by Representa-
tive Johnson, Republican, Washing
ton.
Representative Johnson said Off
Gals of the bureau acted in violati
Of a restraining order issued by the
state courts and that he had been
asked by Director Frank T. Hines,
of the bureau, to present the facts SO
that the wrong done in this case
can be righted."
A protest was made by Mr.. John.
son against testimony given before
the committee on November 5 by
DR.. D. o. Smith, one of the investi-
gators for committee counsel, and
also against 'the manufacturing of
testimony" apparently to be used
later in a suit affecting the status of
the soldier in a court at Wi.kesbarre,
Pennsylvania.
Demands WOman's Rights
Denying that Mrs. Kasavage had
been improperly appointed guardian
for her husband in the state of Wash
i,or 70 Tnbncnn do
clared the appointment been made
by the state court on the recommen-
dation Of the veterans bureau. He
also denied charges that Mrs. Ka
savage had lent her husband only s.
spending money in two years and a
half out of a total of $157.50 a month
received by her from the bureau as
his guardian.
'This woman he said, "has lived
in pain and misery aud destitrtion to
help this sol lier."
Before the committee began it's
inquiry into the operations of the
several divisions Of the bureau it
heard further references to charges
against former Director Charles r.
Forbes. His counsel, James S, Easily
Smith. expressed regret that the
committee had so limited his time
that it was impossible for him Ito
present a full and adequate defense
Of Forbes" and requested that he
be permitted to present later
memorandum Of what he had hoped
to prove by witnesses and the list
Of the witnesses that he-would- have
called.
Forced. Organ Says
John f. Organ, general counsel
for the committee, replied that he
had tried to keep Forbes name out
nf the investigat ton, but that he was
forced to bring him into it, by the
evidence which investigators had
gathered.
additional evidence concerning
matters to which Elias H. Mortimer
has testified is coming in every
day" Organ said, land just how
far the committee desires to go into
it remains for the committee to de-
eide.
Through Charles F. Mulhearn, as
sistant director in charge of the
claims division, Organ developed
that the civil service requirements
for employees of the bureau who
make contact with the veterans Is
the lowest for any bureau employe,
although the witness said he knew
of no individual case of incompe
tency.
Too Little Sympathy
Organ read into the record a re
port of one investigator, Arthur w.
McDermitt, which said there is too
much cynicism and too little sympa
thy among the employees of the bu
reau.'
Mulhearn said he had no official
information about McDermitt's re
port that frequently men are passed
from one employee to another until
finally they quit in disgust.
Only one outstanding new charge
was presented by Mortimer when he
resumed the stand Saturday night
for further examination by counse
for the committee. He testified THAI
he, Forbes, Charles T.. Cramer, for.
mer general counsel of the bureau,
who committed suicide last March
and J. w. Thompson, senior mem
Der of the Chicago contracting firm
of Thompson & Black, entered into
an arrangement whereby the Pom.
tiac Construction Company of De
troit, Mich, subsidiary of the
Thompson & Black Co., was to get
the contract for construction of the
foundations for the Northampton
Mass Veterans HOSPITAL