The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-08-03


United perjury, ETC., etc. Now, we kRow
nothing whatever about the matter, but
IL il safe TO say that John j. Ingalls, is not
"a fool, and before Bent Murdoch II cIassed
40 peTjurer, for the sake OF getting $50 a
month, It il best TO know someting about
the circumstances. That is all.
The following letter from Senator
Murdoch to Mr. ingalls, requires no
explanation:
ELDoRADo, Ks, July Goth, 1877.
Hon. John j. I,u0dIls, AteAisOa, Kansas:
DEAR SIR:-It seems to me some one Is
making considerable fuss about n small
matter. In the first place. / am blind in
one eye; next, 4 became blind In the army;
third, applied through Pomeroy for u
pension long ago, but he or the depart
ment lost the papers; IapplIod again. but
failed. DIR. Richard J. Lewis, OF Philadel-
phla, the most noted ocuIIst OF this
country, thinks there is a chance for me
losing my other eye. DIR. j. b. Mitchell.
Unitlc States examining surgeon, thinks
the same. 1 hope the department will
send their most skilled surgeon TO me at
once; that be Will make an examination
and prescribe q cure. To clear you, it
might be well to have one come. II any
body wants an investigation, for heavens
sake let's have an investigation at once.
III there IL anything rotten about this pen
sion matter, am ready TO stand the racket
OF the most searching Investigation.
You are at liberty to use this letter in
any way you please. DIR. j. b. Mitchell,
the examing surgeon at this place, says
ready for anything. y Abuse I alwaysget
and always take, like little man. Noth-
ing In this world can disturb my equiiib-
rum. With the klndest regards,
Yours truly, T. y. MURDOCH,
Late soldier, etc, in the army, and blind
OF one eve. .. f-at
The committee on pensions in the
Senate, OF which Mr.. Ingalls, is
chairman, consists of seven mem
bers, five of whom are Republicans
and two Democrats. The claims
which are referred to it, consisting
of several hundred each session, are
considered precisely as q Judge con-
siders the cases that are submitted
in a court of law. There must be a
record evidence of the soldiers en-
lIstmenL and service. The disabiIi-
ty, whether by wound or disease,
must be proved by competent testi-
mony, under oath, to have occurred
in the line of duty, and to have been
continuous to the time OF the appif-
cation, The concurrence of q ms
jority OF the committee is necessary
to a favorable report, after which
the bill is submitted to the Senate.
Ii 1t passes that body it is sent to
the other House, where it is refer
red to the committee in that branch,
and another Independent investiga-
tion made. If the action here is
favorable, the bill Is reported to the
House and gocs upon the calendar,
under the rules for final considers
ton. AS the politics OF the two
Houses were inharmonious at the
last session the chances of passing
fraudulent pension claims were, re-
duced to minimum. Nine-tenths
of these bills passed by each House
were actully killed In the other.
Senator MuIdock's claim went
through the ordeal successfully, and
wasapproved by the President. 1t
had been pending many years in
the bureau and before Congress. If
there were any fraud in it, there
had been the amplest opportunity
for its detection and exposure.
When the bill was sent to the in
terror department for the purpose
of having the proper registration
made, three Kansas gentlemen now
In Washington, who have been I'M
fortunate in their aspirations for Of
flee, filed their caveat with the Sec
rotary against the payment of the
pension, upon the ground that the
claim was fraudulent, and that the
hill was fraudulently passed.
simultaneously with this move
ment some feeble letters were writ
ten to the Kansas press upon the
subject, accompanied by copies of
the report of the Senate committee,
for the purpose of producing the
had been unearthed. Newspapers
of other States repeated the tale
with variations, the most grotesque
and amusing being that the passage
OF the bill was in payment of Muir
docks vote for Plumb last winter
As 1t was signed two days before
Plumb took his seat, the connection
is not obvious. About two weeks
ago the secretary of the interior re-
ferred the matter to the special SER
vice division of the pension bureau,
where IL was Investigated, and after
a full investigation OF the facts in
the case, the examining surgeon re-
ports that the bill is correct, and
that Murdoch Is entitled to the re-
lief which the special act gives him.
1t Is his NnisfortuEe, however, that
the highest rate of pension for total
disability not specific to which his
rank would entitle him, is fifteen
dollars per month instead of fifty
dollars, as was supposed. If any
gentleman regards this as excessive
compensation for the loss of an eye,
with the possibility of total blind
ness, let him speak, or forever hold
his peace. - ...l..a l.f
FOURTEEN of the life insurance