Year: 1870

WASHINGTON, July 80. 1870.
Forgery on the Pension Burenu-A Tennessee


Congressman in Trouble.


II seems that the member Of Congress who ts
charged with forgery upon the Pension Bureau re-
presents OF the Tennessee districts and his case
has given rise TO good deal OF scandal. Tie
charges are OF such grave character and have
given rise to such close and conclusive nves,iga.
ton that steps have already been taken TO secure
his arrest. The supposed guilty Congressman hap
pens 70 be one who was accused the last session
of being engaged in selling cadetshps to West Point
and the Naval Academy, and who came near being
expelled, in company with whittemore Golladay
and Deweese. 1t will be remembered that instead
OF expelhng Deweese the House passed a resolution
OF censure. The facts relative to his forgery upon
the Pension Bureau, as stated by the officers OF
that bureau are substantially as fOows:-It appears
that last October he applied for and obtained
pension for o woman living in Ash county, North
Carolina. She was the widow of citizen Of
that State who served as private the Union army
during the rebellion. and who was killed while In
the service. When the papers in the case had all
been arranged, and her placed upon the pension
rolls it was found there 1920 due her for back
pension from the time her husblnl was killed. It Is
alleged that the Congressman forged her name to the
papers necessary TO draw this money. and then
secured 1t for himself He also wrote out it is alleged
and signed the receipt Unfortunately for him. how
ever, he signed his own name to the receipt where
upon the attention Of the Secretary Of the Iuteror
was directed to this irregularl,y by Commissioner
Van Aernam. When the Congressman was called
to account for it by Secretary Cox he said he was
IN the habit of doing such things and that he had a
power OF attorney from the woman whose money
he had drawn. He was told that 1t would be neces.
sary for him to produce the power OF attorney to
which he referred lie promised to do this, and
when he came to draw the pension again he brought
with him what purportel to be power OF attorney,
signed by the soldiers widow, ana also receipt
These were written on two single sheets of note pa
per- and the power of attorney bore the Official seal
of the County Court OF Ash county. N c. This in a
measure disarmed the officers OF the Pension Bureau
Of their suspicious and everything went on as usual
until the soldiers widow, living in Ash county and
wholly ignorant of the affair, began to send letters
to the Pension Bureau, complaining that she did not
get her pension money. Inquiry was Of course
made OF the Congressman, but that gentleman said
there must be some mistake about it, as the money
mad been duly and regularly sent by him. The
woman, however, continued to complain ana finally
the Commissioner OF Pensions ordered the case to be
investigated The person detailed TO investigate it
discovered, In the first place, that the woman TO
whom the pension was due lived in an out of the





could not write her name, and tnat she had never
heard from the Congressman, except 10 the effect
that her name had been placed upon the pension
rolls, and that she was entitled TO so much a
month. The report Of this preliminary nves tgaton
aroused suspicious again In the mind Of the Com
missioner; the power OF attorney was procured and
compared with the receipt which mad been given
when it was first procured. The papers were found
to be In the handwriting, and the single sheets
Of note paper were discovered to have been parts
OF the same Sheet 1t was further discovered that
the son Of the Congressman is Clerk OF the County
Court of Ash county, and that he put the seal OF the
court upon the bogus power OF attorney. Or course
the soldiers widow had never seen. much less
handled or signed, either the power of attorney or
the receipt


These facts have all been brought to light since
the adjournment Of Congress. The Secretary
OF the Interior was so well satisfied that the
Congressman has been guilty OF forgery
upon the Pension Bureau that an officer was de-
spatched to Tennessee to-day to arrest him. Whether
he can make any satisfactory explanation is doubt.
full The facts as above stated have all been brougn
out by patient investigation on the part OF the Com
missioner OF Pensions. II Is also alleged that the
Congressman has been drawing the pension of a
soldier who died long ago In the same manner.
The investigation of the latter case however IS not
completed. member of Congress elect from the
State of Georgia is also charged with playing the
same game as the Tennessee member, but to what
extent Is not known. II is thought, however, that
he has gone into the business more Systematically
and extensively. His case Is now undergoing in
vestgation.


The Snndry Civil Appropriation Bill.


The act making appropriations for sundry clvi,
expenses of the government, for the year ending
June 80, 1871, contains the following items:--


For continuing the construction OF the buil ding
for Post once ana Court House IN New YORK city,
$500,0o0 subject 10 all the conditions limiting this
appropriation in the act Of April 20, 1870, and The
Secretary Of the Treasury s hereby authorized TO
enter into contracts for the completion OF said
building In advance of the appropriation OF moneys
suficient u complete the same, In accordance with
the conditions In said act onaned and the pr0viso
In relation TO the Appropriation Tor continuing the
construction OF said building contained In the act OF
April 20, 1870 Ia hereby so modified "a 10 authorize
kle SeSIetAly VI tee treasury ~ hAs QLsSGetQp, v