Julia A Bowman, mother No. 327.216
soldier, Pleasant Bowman, Pvt - K 49 Ind Inf
P.O. Burns City Martin Co Ind
Shoals, Ind Aug 10, 1896
Non-commisioner of pension
Sir,
I have the honor to return the papers in above cited
claim with my report. It was referred for special examination to determine
dependence or non-dependence. I took another statement from claimant and
examined parties who were in a position to know her income.
Her husband left a will a copy of which forms a part of this report. He
left his widow the use of the home place of 167 acres for her support and
left the remainder of his property to other heirs. The land left to her
has a little old one story house of two rooms on it and is very hilly
land. It has very little cash value. It would have been much better for
the claimant had she waived the provisions of the will. I conversed with a
number of people who knew the place and all said there was very little in
it. I saw the place and believe their representations are true. I
recommend admission (?). The will provides that the claimant should have
one years provisions from date of death of testator and as she was living
on the farm at date of filing claim and this provision of the will covered
that period the claim might be rejected on the ground that she was not
dependent at date of application but as she became dependent a few months
later I think that a rather narrow view to take of the case.
Should it be considered necessary to establish more definite the amount of
claimants income in 1894 Jacob Bowman of Brownsville Ill who worked her
farm that year might be questioned. The facts all the brothers were on the
farm one after the other to call for the mother but found there was
nothing in it for them and the old lady was childish and troublesome and
sometimes sick and they have left her in charge of the sister who
testifies in this case.
Very respectfully,
W H Proctor
Special examiner
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