EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 19, 1888_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I return without approval House bill No. 8164, entitled "An act granting
a pension to William H. Hester."
It is claimed that the beneficiary named in this bill was injured by
sand blowing in his eyes during a sand storm while in the service in the
year 1869, resulting in nearly if not quite total blindness.
It is conceded in the report of the committee to which this bill was
referred in the House that the claim for pension made by this man to the
Pension Bureau was largely supported by perjury and forgery; but the
criminality of these methods is made to rest upon three rogues and
scoundrels who undertook to obtain a pension for the soldier, and it is
stated by the committee as their opinion that the claimant himself was
innocent of any complicity in the crimes committed and attempted.
I have quite a full report of the papers filed and proceedings taken in
relation to the claim presented to the Pension Bureau, and I am sorry
that I can not agree with the committee of the House as to the merits of
the application now made or the good faith and honesty of the
beneficiary named in the bill herewith returned.
Among the facts presented I shall refer to but one or two touching the
conduct of the claimant himself.
Upon his examination, under oath, by a special examiner, he stated that
he was brought to Washington to further his claim by a man named Miller,
one of the rascally attorneys spoken of in the committee's report; that
Miller was to pay his expenses while in Washington, and was to receive
one-third of the money paid upon the claim.
This is not the conduct of a man claiming in good faith a pension from
the Government.
He further stated under oath that his eyes became affected about January
15, 1869, by reason of a sand storm; that the sand blew into them and
cut them all to pieces; that he was thereafter hardly able to see or get
around and wait on himself, and that Edward N. Baldwin took care of him
in his tent.
This Mr. Baldwin was found by the special examiner and testified that he
knew the claimant and served in same regiment and bunked with him; that
he never knew of the sand storm spoken of by Hester; that he never knew
that he had sore eyes in the service; that he (Baldwin) did not take
care of him when he was suffering with sore eyes, and that he never knew
of Hester being sick but once, and that was when he had eaten too much.
He was shown an affidavit purporting to be made by him and declared the
entire thing to be false and a forgery.
I believe this claim for pension to be a fraud from beginning to end,
and the effrontery with which it has been pushed shows the necessity of
a careful examination of these cases.