The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-20
MRS. BUaNErG's DEATH.
Her Long Contest for a Pension Re-
called by the Event.

! Members of congress who have enjoyed
several years Of continuous service in the
House Of Representatives and been accus-
toned to seeing certain faces in the Hobbies
and mailing rooms at the opening Of the
sessions will, this year, miss one that had
grown familiar. 1t is that of Mrs. h. b.
Burnett, widow Of the late Gen. Ward
Benjamin Burnett, who died last Saturday,
after short Illness at Garfield hospital,
from an attack Of apoplexy.
Mrs. Burnett bad been living on Twelfth
near II street northwest, where she was
taEen i'll on the lst instant. At first moth
ing serious was anticipated, but not improv-
ing in her condition, it was deemed best to
| remove her to the hospital. She continued
! to grow worse and death followed.
! Mrs. Burnett, deceased, was he daugh-
ter Of Gen. Aaron Ward. of West Chester.
| n. y, and she leaves oae son, who took the
| name Of his grandfather. He is now in the
I United States navy ard is expected here
| { DAY to take charge of the remains. The
funeral arrangements have not been
| decided upon, but it is expected that
| the wife will be buried beside her husband.
| Gen. Burnett was a mal OF exte Lded
| military reputation, having served in tae
Black Hawk war ii 1882, and in the Next
can war under Gen. Scott. He was
severely wounded at Churubusco. He re-
ceived the thanks of the legislature of New
| York state, silver medal from the city Of
| New York, gold medal fro the surviv-
| ing members of his regiment and. later,
| the gold snuff box in which the freedom Of
| New Y Ork city had been officially given to
Andrew Jackson forty years before. He
died in this city June "a, 1884, totally
| blind.
! During the latter years of bis life he was
an Invalid, incapacitated from work. For
some time previous to his death he enjoyed
| two pensions, one under the general pension
law of $50 per month, and another, by
| special legislature, for $72 per month. 1t
| was this double pension that caused consid-
cradle trouble in his closing years.
When it became known that Gen. Bur-
nett was receiving two pensio is the matter
was officially investigated and the decision
made that he could not enjoy both, but
must choose between the two. He insisted
| ON his right to have them both, and as
result, the case was carried into the urts,
even up to the supreme court of the United
States, where the final decision was against
| him. He then selected the pension for $12
per month, and it was paid to him until his
death.
Mrs. Burnett, who had entered the fight
before this time, now doubled her eff )rts.
Being lady of prepossessing appearance,
|
| in purpose, she made her campaign sharp
and decisive, and within the year after the
death of her husband, by special act of
congress, she was granted a pension for So
| per month. This, however, did not satisfy
her demands, and, she declared, was no
comparison TO the sum that in justice she
| was titled to receive. She insisted nat her
| existing pension should be for 800 month,
and that the arrears should date back to
| har n 1ebo daA in I'm a
Mexican war, which would have made
sum between $4,000 and SIS, 900.
| Finding that she could not succeed in
| making the pension commissioner and
| Secretary of the Interior come to her way
OF thinking, shs went to President Cleve-
land, and forcing her papers before him
made a statement of the case, in which she
| also charged that there was conspiracy on
| the part of the officials a Dove named to
prevent the papers in her case receiving
| fair consideration and her obtaining the
amount tnat she claimed was due her.
| Tho President gave perSo al attention to
| the matter, and the investigation that was
made caused hi IN to arrive at the same con-
elusion that his subordinates had
reached He declined 20 interfere, and that
| brought down Mrs. Burnstt's wrath upon
his head and she was no longer received
at the white house.
Her next step was TO invoke the aid of
the courts. By mandamus she sought to
compel the commissioner of pensions to
grant the application that she had made
The court decided against her, and she ap-
pealed to the supreme court of the lited
States, only to meet with an affirmation of
the decision made in the lower court.
Defeated in this direction, she turned to
the only tribunal left-the congress of the
United States; and her form and face becam me
very familiar, while her mission was fully
| known by every individual whose business
| required his presence at the capitol.
Some of those who noticed the one-sided
but stubborn fight that she was max
! ing. aad heard some of the statements she
made, expressed the opinion that her efforts
to secure relief from congress was affecting
her mind. Her conduct In some instances
would lend coloring to the correctness of
this view. For instance, when pleading
with some member to support her cause be
| would say, "Why don't you 60 to Col.
Wilson, the pension agent? He pays the
pensions and will pay yours" The poor,
deceived woman would trudge to the agency
and demand her check. As she had re-
| celved her $50 allowance of course there
would be nothing due her. When the
pension agent would inform her she would
become excited, pronounce the statement
false, and then persuasive measures had to
be used to quiet her and induce her to
| leave.
On one occasion,s however, she became
highly incensed, and, sezing a crutch that
was in the room, started to strike Col.
Wilson, but timely interference prevented
her doing any harm. Finally in the session
of the Fiftieth congress last winter, a bill
was introduced asking an appropriation for
her benefit. From the time it came back
from the COMMITTEES, strengthened by
favorable report, until congress finally
adjourned, she was a very busy woman.
There was not member Of that body she
permitted TO re main In ignorance of the
bills intent, or one whom she had not be-
seeched to advocate and vote for its pas
sage. She was at the lobby doors or in the
galleries, ever vigiant and awaiting its con-
slderation
1t was reached at an inopportune time
for her, and met with unexpected de-
feat. lie was AIKEN up on one of the nights
toward tue close of the s,ssiol, when pen
sion business only was the order of the even
| ing. o those nights, by az agree uent, a
81 gle objection checked further considera-
ton Of a MEASURE and sent the bill 20 the
regular calend ar This was the fate that
befell Mrs. Burnetts pension biz. and il
died with the last Jngress, leaving her al
most ia despair.
While many about the capitol thought
her laboring under delusion, superind uced
by her efforts ia trying 10 obtain her peu-
sion, she al Jays received most courteous