Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1881 — Fraudulent Pensions. [ARTICLE]

Fraudulent Pensions.

Washing ton Special. A fraudulent claim may pass while every man in the pension office does bis duty iu the ra< st conscientious manner, the corrupt combination to rob consisting entirely of outsiders who get up false affidavits. It is easy to see how, under the existing exparle system of evidence the most watchful officers in the pension service may be imposed on to any extent, considering the immense number of cases going through the office, and the limited means to inquire into them to the extent of going behind documentary proof. Sometimes frauds of the most barefaced character are discovered by mere aocident. One of the frauds which was not long since investigated by the department shows that a man who had been awarded a pension was discovered by some one connected with the government service hunting in the fields, and upon further inquiry he was found to work as proof-reader in a newspaper establishment. Yet his claim, as it appeared on the records* was perfect. An accidental discovery was made of a man in New England who had for a year been personating ten or a dozen soldiers' widows, in whose names he bad made applications for pensions, furnishing the necessary affidavits in perfect order, although all were forged, and drawing the pensions for them. He was sent to the penitentiary. Jacob Ropp. of Pine City, Minn., went out fora walk with Annie Ryder, the daughter of his employer, ana induced her to elope. The groom’s capital amounted to four cents, and they lived for two days in an empty box-car on three cents worth of crackers, when he obtained work in a brickyard, and they were getting along quite oomfortably when the bride’s parent found them, and, after a stormy scene, relented and took them home.