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Elizabeth Griffin as mother of John T. Gray late Pvt of Co. G 113. C.T. and stating that he had reason to believe the bounty allowed said Elizabeth Griffin as mother of Clendenin Griffin late Pvt of Co. D 11. C.T. had been fraudulently obtained from me by one Elizabeth Irvine residing in the neighborhood of Lewisburg, Ark. who had personated her mother, Elizabeth Griffin. Upon deferring to my records I found that the bounty allowed in the case of Clendenin Griffin had indeed been paid a colored woman claiming to be Elizabeth Griffin on the 11th day of June 1874 but up to the time of Mr Reid calling on me nothing had been received at my office for Elizabeth Griffin as mother of John T. Gray. I told Mr Reid that I would hold the subject under advisement until the receipt of the last mentioned claim when I would move in the matter of seeing the right woman paid in the case of John T. Gray and the bogus Elizabeth Griffin arrested and punished in the case of Clendenin Griffin should she prove to be bogus.

Dec. 18. 1874 brought to hand another List dated Dec. 12. 1874 directing payment to be made Elizabeth Griffin as mother of John T. Gray the sum of $147 31/100, whereupon I proceeded to carry into execution a course of action determined on by me which was to direct (as I had previously done through the Post Office) Elizabeth Griffin of Lewisburg Ark. to meet me at Little Rock on a certain Day to receive the bounty allowed her son John T. Gray and to have Mr. Reid report the following morning at the same place with the woman he claimed as being the genuine mother, this in order that I might bring both parties face to face in my presence.

Sufficient to say that on the day appointed by me the 18th of Feb'y the woman who had been previously paid by me on the 11th day of June 1874 as being Elizabeth Griffin mother of Clendenin Griffin presented herself before me at Little Rock to claim the bounty allowed in the case of John T. Gray she being accompanied by one Israel Williamson whose name was given on the List of Dec 12. '74 as being one of the witnesses who had identified Elizabeth Griffin when she originally filed her claim for the bounty of said Gray. Owing to a rush of business the case was not reached by me until the morning of the 19th at which time my woman took the stand and made affidavit that she was the veritable mother of Gray, further (in reply to a question proposed by me) that she was the same woman who had been previously paid by me as the mother of Clendenin Griffin. She then introduced Israel Williamson on the stand who showed by his manner that he had originally left home with the intention of swearing that she was the mother of John T. Gray but becoming frightened acknowledged, unwillingly enough, that her true name was Elizabeth Irvine and that she was the daughter of Elizabeth Griffin who had filed the claim for John T. Gray's bounty.

Very shortly afterwards Mr. Reid made his appearance with the genuine Elizabeth Griffin who being confronted with the false claimant at once pronounced her to be her daughter Elizabeth Irvine. Without further delay I had her conveyed by a U.S. Marshall (who was present) before a U.S. Commissioner when I lodged complaint against her. Here I found assembled William Randolph (who had sworn that she was the mother of Clendenin Griffin) also Noah Hays (whose affidavit to the same effort had been sent me by her from Lewisburg) both of whom were committed for trial along with her. Said witnesses had been arrested at the instigation of Mr. Reid.

About a week after the arrest of the daughter the mother Elizabeth Griffin presented herself before me to claim the bounty allowed her in the case of John T. Gray. Owing to her advanced years and defective memory I had to rely much upon the testimony of her identifying witnesses. She was accompanied by Mr Reid who professed to be exceedingly anxious as her Attorney to have justice done her. Sufficient to say that the $147 31/100 due her was paid by me into her hands.

In due season upon the U.S. Court convening at Little Rock for the transaction of business, Elizabeth Irvine and her two witnesses were sent before the Grand Jury which resulted in bills being found against herself and William Randolph, the charge against Noah Hays not being sustained. Very shortly afterwards both parties were brought to trial which resulted in Elizabeth Irvine being found guilty on two counts, viz 1st of having fraudulently obtained the bounty of Elizabeth Griffin as mother of Clendenin Griffin 

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-12-13 14:18:42 too many [[?]]s to have been marked for review and complete - pls read instructions Several of the [[?]]'s on the bottom paragraph are due to the words being blacked out ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-12-14 10:58:51 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-12-14 19:10:32