The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-01-16

or . hoy sslaieF-Rsbbe1 By the Cow
ermsas for Whieh he Fsusiss-Davia
a. wssshsshy, Crippled for Iifs and
etiii ssnerinx Frsm an Awful Wound
Has Bosn Ion In Dsstrsuficn.
OF the thsusaIads Of cases Of cruelty
toward the msined and the crippled
the old and infirm, the unemployed
and the destitute soldiers of the Union,
for which the Cleveland adminlstra-
more distressing and at the same time
dlaaracsful charactar than one which
came TO light In Philadelphia few
days ago. when David A. Weatherby
started ON q train from Broad Street
Station for the little log cabin that he
has called his home out at 6aligna
near Eureka Springs. in Carroll ooun-
ty, Arkansas. Almost penniless, they
had robbed him OF his pension. tnrned
him of to die, rs IL were. of disease
resulting from wound torn through
his body when but a lad. bearing gun
and bayonet In defense OF hIscountry,
at Malvern HILL
Weatherby was only an orphan boy
scarce more than is years Of age-a
and resident OF Erie
when tho war broke out. He was tall
and strong and well-knit. however.
when he passed muster In the three
years. service when the call came for
troopa In 81. The start for the front
found him In the gallant Eighty third
Regiment OF Pennsyivania volunteers.
Investigation showed him to have
been among tho bravest OF the brave.
serving In every battle OF the Army Of
the Potomac, In the Peninsula, until
be went down before the Confederats
ire at Malvern Hill. There he was
the ball tearing q terrible wound as IL
ploughed Its way out in the back OF
the limb. It was OF such q nature
right at the joint-that the surgeons
would not amputate the leg. The bona
was shattered and 1t WAS q long time
before he could get about.
ON A HOMESTEAD.
The government ave the boy sol.
dier an honorable discharge because
OF his disability, but from that day
until the present he has dragged his
limb around through life with the aid
of crdtches. At times the wound has
healed and 10 closed for awhile. and
he has managed to hobble along with
canes, bnt then again 1t opensapd dis
charges pieces OF diseased bone and
pue. With these facts before 1t the
Pension Offlca, under Republican ad-
ministratiop. placed him upon tn
rolls and allowed him ga per month.
With this to help him he had married
and gone to live on q government
homestead out In Arkansas. Tie o
was little else to depend on. however.
soldiers he had built little log cabin
and had procured q team OF horses
and O wagon, with which he did some
hauling Of wood to the nearest settle-
ment.
Later on he mortgaRed his team to
get money with which to attempt the
raising OF fruit. He started small
orchard, with fair prospects OF sue
cess. and the hope that his pension
money would pay on the debt. But
Cleveland came and Hoke Smith. or
his department. dropped the poor
cripple from the rolls. He was rem.
neither the principal OF the mortgage
nor the interest theron. The team
and what personal effects he had were
sold by the creditors-nothing was left
him but the little log cabin aud q
COW.
Nelghbors round about the wild
country in which he and his wife and
two children lived advised him to go
to Washington. let the officials there
see what kind of a man he was and
they thought the Democratic admins
tration would undoubtedly do him
justice. II was golden hope. but he
Of which he managed for car to get o
railroad ticket that would take him to
the capital.
PLEADING IN VAIN.
With only % in his pocket to pro-
vide subsistence he started on the
long Journey. There was no conf
dence within him that when he showed
his wound and presented his brave and
honorable record they would restore
him to the pension rolls. He reached
there. but he was knocked about from
post to pillar before he got o hearing.
He saw the medical officers, and they
said he was entitled to more than o
man able to use an artificial limb,
which would mean more even than
the amount at which he had been
originally rated and had drawn from
the time OF his wound. he saw Secro-
rotary Hoke Smith, later on and no
saw others, but they told him that all
they could do for him was to place
him back on the rolls and give him 9s
per month. with promise that later
on they would further Investigate his
cnee.
Penniless. he appealed to charity
the boy veteran who bad been phyaie-
ally wrecked for life on the battlefield
OF his country, and they provided him
with transportation as far as Philadel-
phia In the belief that once a Pennsyl-
vania soldier always q PennsylvaniaD
that he would here find soldiers who
would help him on his way home. He
reached the city on Monday and
sought the assistance OF some OF
thase. He gave the nance OF reputa.
BILE people In his State who know him
and knew his history. he said. They
were photographed to-the Mayor
Of Eureka Springs-and his case was
carefully investigated. AN honest.
sober veteran OF the war;" was flashed
back. In answer. He Ia really what
he represents. Ills story Is true"
OFF FOR ARKANSAS.
There was instant help for him
transportation to his home. money
for food on his journey. The old sos'
diers, older than he because of hhS
youth when he faced the guns of the
enemy, parted with him in sadness
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Delighted.
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