Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1883 — PENSION FRAUDS. [ARTICLE]

PENSION FRAUDS.

A Motley Crowd of Sharpers Engaged in the Pension-Agency Business. Ex-Rebel Soldiers Induced to File Claims, and Fees Collected from Them. [Washington Telegram.] Gen. Dudley lestifled before the grand jury that be was not aware that a certain attorney, whoso flaming circulars were shown him, now practiced before his ofllce. A reference to the city directory showod that the only man of this name was a shoemaker. A visit to the place revealed a store with an excellent stock of ladies’ shoes. An inquiry for . the proprietor brought answer that he was in the back’room. He was found in his shirtsleeves, with an apron and knife, with sev> eral workmen around him, busily engaged in making shoes. In reply to a question* he said he was the person referred to, and to further inquiry whether he was a pension attorney he saia he was. He said that any friend could safely be referred to him to prosecute his claim; that he had blanks, and that he would furnish those necessary to the case. Thereupon he took off his apron, laid down his shoes and knife, and going up-stairs soon returned with tho pension blanks. There was no attorney’s sign about the place, and nothing about the inner arrangements to indicate that he hud any other profession Qian '-that of a shoemaker. It is al6o discovered that among those engaged in this business is a colored man, who when asked by the Commissioners for his profession! or business occupation other than that of a pension attorney, said, “Nothing more'than a rag-gatherer.” Among others practicing as pension agents who answered this question were one minister, two editors, one publisher (all four unknown to the public), two farmers, one photographer, one dealer in hardware, two grocers, one pressman, one banker, one bank cashier, one tailoress, one copyist and one inventor. Several firms have been reported for filing the claims of Bebel soldiers for a variety of wounds and diseases resulting from military -service as Confederates. In all cases the declarations made on the blanks required for Union soldiers plainly disclose that the applicant was a Bebel soldier. The only possible object in filing such cases is to get the fee of these ignorant Confederates. Tho declaration of N. E. Hood, of South Carolina troops, states thatvhe was honorably discharged at Appomatox April 9, 1866, reoeived a gunshot wound at the battle of the Wilderness, was treated in the hospitals of Lynchburg and Columbia, S. C., has.resided since the war in Virginia, and ends with the statement required from all Union soldiers: “I have never been employed in the military or naval service of tho United States otherwise than as set forth above.”