Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1879 — A Widow’s Pension that Went to a Perjurer for Fifteen Years. [ARTICLE]

A Widow’s Pension that Went to a Perjurer for Fifteen Years.

Ellen McClelland for three years drew a pension of $8 per month as the widow of a soldier named George C. McClellan d who was killed early in the war of the rebellion. She then married one Patrick Martin, a blind man, and lived with him for six years, during whieh time she continued to draw the pension money. In 1870 Martin died in one of the institutions on Blackwell’s Island. Soon afterward she went to live as house keeper with a mau named Ensign and up ty last month she regularly drew her pension, witnesses being produced by her at each payment who swore that she was still a widow and had continued to be a widow since the death of McClelland. The Pension Bureau was led to examine the case. Finding that there was something wrong, it laid the facts discovered before the United States Attorney. A warrant was issued for the woman’s arrest, and yesterday she was brought before United States Commissioner Osborn. On being informed of the charge against her, she at once confessed the whole conspiracy and the facts above stated, and gave information implicating one of her witnesses, a woman who testified regularly that Mrs. McClellaud was a widow and received for this service the larger share of the pension. The prisoner was aditted to bail to await examination. —[N. Y. Times.