Certain important facts are reported to me from the Pension Bureau as
having been developed upon the investigation.
It appears that one Thomas had undertaken to act for the claimant in
procuring her pension under an agreement that he should have $300 if
successful. Mr. Leatherbury was a notary, postmaster, and claim agent,
and acted as notary and general assistant to Thomas and the claimant,
who was employed at Leatherbury's house. In the month of July, 1876, the
same month the claim for pension was allowed, the woman Roberts was
indicted for larceny, the complaining witness being Mr. Leatherbury.
Shortly after the issue of the checks the woman disappeared, and it is
reported that certain indications suggested that both Leatherbury and
Thomas were not entirely ignorant of her whereabouts nor completely
disconnected with her disappearance. The checks were obtained from
Thomas by Leatherbury, he paying, as he alleges, to Thomas the fee of
$300 which had been agreed upon. The checks remained in Leatherbury's
possession until they were delivered by him to the special agent of the
Pension Bureau upon the investigation. He claimed in his deposition that
he considered that what money he had let the woman have and the goods
she had obtained at his store while she worked for him, and the $300
which he had advanced to Thomas, her agent, justified him in holding her
indebted to him in the sum of $600, and that he held the checks as
security for the same, admitting that there was still $700 in her favor,
written acknowledgment of which he had placed in the hands of his wife.
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