Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-06-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON. d. G., June -, 1893.

/
awful calamity in Ford's old Thea.
ire. where President Lincoln was
killed, by which q men lost their
lives and 68 were wounded sent a
thrill of chilling horror through
every one, which has since been in
tensiied by the belief that it was di-
rectly caused by the carelessness
and negligence of one man, and that
mans actions have increased rather
than diminished that belief. The
man referred to is Col Ainsworth,
who is in charge of the Records and
Pensions Office of the war depart
ment, which occupied the wrecked
building. Owing to his appearing
at the coroner's inquest accompan-
led by i lawyer and attempting to
intimidate his clerks who had been
summond to testify he made a very
narrow escape from being lynched.
lie next caused a new sensation by
appealing to the courts for a man
damus, which was refused him, u
compel the coroner to allow him and
bis lawyer to cross-question the wit
nesses, thus acknowledging his fear
Of the evidence to be given before
the jary. Owing to legal techni
cality, brought out by his applica-
ton the action Of the coroner jury
during its first four days sittin & was
declared void by the court, and yes
terday the inquiry had to be started
fresh. An army court Of inquiry
will also investigate, but not until
after the coroner's inquest is con
cluded
The intense excitement has been
beneficial in pecuulary sense to
the families of the victims. 1t has
kept the matter before the public
constantly, thus adding largely to
the subscriptions to the popular fund
for their assistance, which now a.
mounts to $4,000 and is still grow
ing Nearly every one of the killed
left dependent families.
1t is remarkable how prone the
democrats are to do things for which
they have for many years abused the
republicans. For instance, it is
stated at the Navy department that
the U. 5. ). Dolphin has been dry
docked at the n. Y. navy yard, in
order that she may be put in thor
ough order, as she is to be placed at
Mr.. Cleveland's personal disposal
during the time he spends at his
Buzzard's Bay cottage this summer.
Personally your correspondent be,
lieyes it to be perfectly right that the
President Of the United States should
have Government vessel placed at
his disposal whenever he travels by
water; it adds a dignity to his move
meuts that is in keeping with the eX-
allied office he holds and really costs
nothing extra to the Government, as
the vessel and have to be maintained
anyway, but the democrats have as a
rule taken, or pretended to take, an
opposite view.
An aute-lection pledge made by
chairman Harrity of the National
democratic committee was cancelled
when Mr.. Cleveland this week APP
pointed Daniel Il. Murphy U. 5.
District Attorney for Oregon, in
spite of hundreds Of dem ocratic pro
tests from that state. Murphy was
chairman of the democratic state
committee of Oregon during the last
campaign and the work he did was
to throw the democratic vote to the
| Weaver electors, although the en-
tire democratic state ticket had been
betrayed and sacrificed to do it.
Col. \. l.. Couger, for some years
! Omo's member Of the republicans
National cmmittee, brings good news
from that state. lie says: All diff
fereuces among Ohio republicans
/ have been forgotten aud every ele-
meut Of the party is united on Me.
kuley, and | believe he will be
again elected.
/ Secretary Morton isn't inclined to