New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-12
POINDEXTER DUNN'S WORDS.
VETERANS AND CITIZENS GENERALLY
CONDEMN THEM


GENERAL sIcKLEs SAYS THE EX.coNGREssMAN
SHOULD BE REMOVED AT oNCE-sTILL NO
DENIAL SENT TO THE TRIBUNE.
1t is long time since the veterans of the Grand
Army Of the Republic and their comrades of kindred
| organizations have been deeply stirred by "a
| single remark as they have been by tho expression
which fell from the lips Of ex-Congres snan Poin'
dexter Dunn on Friday, when he heard OF the
disaster which befell the victims OF Homanlsm in
| Washington. The evidence which produced b.
The Tribune yesterday showed that at the very
moment when the manged bodies OF the wounded
and slain being carried out OF the Inflated Old
theatre, Dunn, after learning that the building wa,
used an annex TO tho Pension Office and that the
dead md wounded clerks in the employ OF
the Government, said coolly in the presence Of three
Of his associates on tie Custom House "purging
committee and OF three newspaper reporters:
| Il shouldn't have cared much II the victims
had been pensioners instead OF the poor clerks
| This evidence read with amazemcnt not only
| by Grand Army men and war veterans, but by ctti-
Gems generally, Democrats as well as Republicans.
They rcad also Dunn's shuling denial Of the state
mcnt. but the universal verdict that The Trlb-
unc's anidnvits had left the from Arkansas not
peg TO stand upon.
General Daniel +. Sicklcs who lost OF his legs
at Gettysburg. and whose keen Judgment and ability
to decide upon the value Of testimony, have never
been questioned, whatever may be said Of his politics.
declared after reading The Tribunes presentment
against Dunn yesterday
1T a dsgraceful and revolving exhibition.
| 1t was lnhuman and brutal in the last degree Yet
they tell that this Is holding a position and
drawing pay from the United States Government. III"
ought to b. dismissed ut once. The National Admin
istraton cannot afford to be- represented here BY a
| man capable OF using such language
| Can quote you. General, as giving your opln-
ion OF this affair you have stated it asked a
| Tribune reporter TO whom the General was speak
ne.
al am not seeking noorlety.' General Sickles an
| swcrcd. 8" but you know mo well enough to know that
I never say thing without meaning It, am not
the kind Of a man 10 wink AT the reporters and try
to got them not TO report what I say
General Siclles Is Democrat, but he has often
voiced the sentiments ~ his cOmrade'-n-arms, both
| Democrats ana Republicans. several important
occa sion, He probably did this more effect
| ually than I'm what he said last evening about Pom
dexter Dunn and his words represented as well the
| opinions ~ all classes Of citizens. The almost
| unanimous, Judgment OF Workers was Yesterday
that should De dismissed from the place he has
| disgrace without ceremony.
'Dunn s said 10 have served in the Confederate
| Army said captain who commanded a battery OF
artillery during tho war; and who carries considerable
| lead in his hody rs well ms crippled right arm as
|
tho Potomac "Th, may be- 50. bnt he could not
have seen much service. for true soldier ever CAV"
| u'tcrancc to such cowardy language. heartily re-
spcct the brave men who fought us In Virginia ana
MARYLAND AID rnnsylvana. but don't believe that
Dunn was one 81 them. The sooner he IS returned to
the oblivion OF Arkansas the better 1t VIII be for the
men who sent him to New York.
Mr. Dunn and his adviser. Mr.. NacFarIane spent
most u yesterday in sccuson. During little while
in the afternoon they appeared in the corridor OF the
finn Avenue Hotel bat they did not seem to regard
reporter, As useful their purposes and kept a, FAR
from them rs possible. on. citizen who talked with
Mr. Dunn yesterday said
Dunn is thoroughly search. He Is frightened at
the evidence which The Tribune pa; confronted him
with and has begun to whine about being prosecuted
His u,c,Incs, in th, part OF the country Is plainly
Al an end. II !. doubtful n II ever existed
There was much speculation yesterday In both
political and veteran circles as 10 what the Admins
traion intends doing with Mr.. Dunn In view OF the
convincing proof that he has been guilty OF $"
nnprovokcd nm insult TO the disabled defenders OF
the rnion That Mr.. Cleveland Is himself RESPONSE
hle for the exCongress presence here was
questioned bv few OF those who discussed the matter
In the uptown hotels and clubs. That the Admins
iniion would decide 10 continue him In his present
EMPLOYMENT after the exposure OF his tr" character
was harry deemed possible. such continuance, II
was generally held would constitute a greater In
,ult ~ such a thing could be. thousands II BRAY"
men and loyal women u the country. Several Irahd
Army post, Will hold their regular cncampmcnlN
durilg the present week. aud II Is understood that
some Of them mt least mean 10 take prompt acton
and tell people In official form what IN" veterans
think about Mr. Dunn. Public sentiment. 1t was
believed was represented In the following paragraph
,rInted Yesterday In The Ncw- York Rfcorder'
Secretary Carlisle should lnyit" 'Sran Pon'
ne,ter Dunn resign MS position on the commission
which investigating the Custom House In THIS city
prnn's remark when h. heard The news Of the awful
disaster AZ Washington. that he wouldn't have carol
,o much they had pensioners instead Of the poor
clerks, vos an insut who fought Tor tho
preeervation Of the Union and .houd debar him from
holding an appen,ive once under the Federal Govern
mont Hundreds OF Thousands Democrats in the
ranks o, the Union Tens o thousands 81 them
ar, on the pension rolls. Dunns insult To them should
not be allowed by Democratic Administration to 20
unTebuked.
Mr. Dunn has stu refralncd from sending to The
Tribune any denial OF the language attributed 10 NM
sOLACE FOR POINDEXTER DUNN.
Washington. June IL Observation-Disclosures Dnnn's
regret that the poor clerks instead Of pensioners
were sacrificed In Fridays wholesale murder In
feminist may b. modified somewhat when II"
learns that of the tweny-onc persons who were Killed
outright or who died within few hours aft"rward,
eleven were Union veterans. Most OF these men
received wounds or disabled by disease and On
posure In the service Of their country. aud several
OF them were In receipt OF pensions on mat ac-
CONT II doubtless seems hard To the widows.
orphans and friends ana comradc, OF these victims
Of Congressional economy and official neglect and
rccklcssncSs that they should have been thus sacri
feed after Drawing the dangers ~ I'll" battlefield.
escaping death by disease and living honest ard
useful lives for years In the S"rvic" OF Government
which they had fought 10 maintain lint they were
p.rsloncr, n, well as clerks, and In thi, fact pon
dexter Dunn will doubtless find some degree of
solace for his grief