The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-08-22
CoInissIoner Tanner raIks,

III al OApldndbAOH VI OHO 1duutISOu
rerating, about which SO much has
been said in the papers. What he
says about it is given herewith;
Commissioner Tanner explains that
his attention was first called to the
case in conversation with one of Mr..
Manderson's friends, during which re-
ference was made to the low rating the
Senator had received. To demon
strate that injustice prevailed in the
| Pension Bureau the Commissioner
called for the papers and found that
the report of the examining surgeon,
made some years before, gave Gen.
Henderson a certificate of total dis
ability for gunshot wound in the spine
received while in front of his men urg-
ing them to come forward in a charge
| at LoVejOy station, on September 2,
\ 1854. The ball was never found and it
still produces deep-seated inflammation,
causing congestion to the spinal cord,
which threatens paralysis The PEN
sion Office. although certify
| ing to the above facts,
rated the disability at one-haIf
on the ground that its continuance was
doubtful. He was thus awarded only
SIS month, when he should have re-
ceived $50.
lone or two things 1 know also
| Tanner, "of which, under ordinary
circumstances, / would have no right
to speak, but as the senator is absent,
he can neither speak for himself nor
give me permission to speak, and so
take the responsibility of stating that
| know that the horror of his life is the
impending paralytic stroke which in
all PROBABILITY will, unless his life be cut
prematurely short, tie him helpless to a
bed or chair. The very surgeon who
gave him the rating of one half states
i'll his certificate: On the occurrence
of congestion in the spinal cord, as has
been the case during attacks of period
ic fever since the closure of the wound,
the symptoms increase to threatened
paralysis That ball is still in his
body, wandering around somewhere
! in the neighbOrhood of his spine. I
know that there is hardly morning
of MS life but that he has to undergo
a severe rubbing in order to get him
self into condition to stand the eXer-
ton of the day. | put the case in the
| hands of DR.. j. Z. Carpenter, who was
then medical examiner in the pension
| Office, who had an experience there
| for years, and whom L found in the
| Office when / came there as a commits
siOner. At the time he took the Man
derSon case he was acting as assistant
medical referee. DIS. Carpenter and
Landers went over the case
| and submitted the following
| report, which was checked
by LandeTs and signed by Carpenter
as assistant medical referee.
''HOn. James Tanner, commissioner
pensions: SIR have carefully exam
| ined the papers in this case, and find
that this officers resignation was ac-
cepted because of gunshot wound re-
| ceived September 2, 1864. The ball
entered ON the right of the spinal pro-
cess of the eighth dorsal vertebra, in
| iuring the spinous and traverse process
of this Vertebra, and diverging down
ward, passing under the transverse pro
cess of the ninth dOrsal Vertebra and
/ lodging in the muscles. 1t appears that
/ the wound broke out several times be-
fore discharge, rendering the Officer
| totally unfit to perform duty. The
several examinations show clearly that
the same condition has continued tC
exist since discharge, and l have NJ
hesitation whatever, in saying that
there was manifest injustice in rating
the officer at one-half, or $15. The dis
ability described fully entities him to
total rating, or $50 since discharge
Very respectfully,
sd. E.CARPENTER.'
Approved: JAS. TANNER, Com
Il understand that the opinion was
written by DIR. Landers, who has re
Gently been promoted to the grade OF
medical examiner. He was acting
medical examiner, at the time. The
papers went to the board of review OF
June g. They were then approved by
the legal reviewer for gun
shot of the eighth dorsal yer
zebra, the reissue to correct tit
rating, and allowed an increase
from discharge. This was signed by
Mr.. Gallagher, legal reviewer, anC
checked by L. w. Dalton. On thu
following day, June Z, the order wa!
approved by Banks, medical examiner
checked by Thomas Landers, as ap
proved, for gunshot wound of the
J eighth dorsal vertebra, total to ranl
from the date of discharge, and signed
by H. b. Trist, medical examiner. an(
J Charles Mcmillan, assistant and acting
medical referee; ''rate $50 per month
commencing March Is, 1865; deduct al
J payments" Having gone through TIT
papers personally, and the action re
commended having the backing of five
medical men and two legal men.
did not hesitate to order the reissue o.
the certificate in accordance with the
rating. This is a plain statement Of
the bald facts in the case. d am wholly
of the opinion that the action takeI
was fully warranted, and for that act
ion / shall take all responsibility
Anybody who knows Senator Mander-
son knows that he would not cross hi
palm with penny or mill that hI
did not believe he was fully entitled to
and the men who are earping ant
snarling about it now are the whelp'
: who, in time of war, could not hav'
: been induced To take "A single chance t.
have a mimic ball come in contact will
any part of their bodies for $1,000
!, minute. Now let them howl somt
) more. They always do when they CONF
: to WreStle with the truth"
j Senator InEa'ls Explains that LeLte