The morning times., 1896-03-20
AWAITS SIMPLE JUSTICE
One of the Ford's Theater Victims
Writes to the Times.
He Has Lived On Little or Nothing
while the Honorable Committee
Takes It's Good Time.

Editor Times: Through your excellent
paper, which is always SO ready TO cham
pion the cause OF the distressed in this Dis
trict, see that the committee eonthe"Ford's
Theatcr DISASTER although the subcommt-
tee declare themselves ready to report at
this time, viii not receive their report until
the / 9Th OF April, when a new bill may
possibly be formulated, causing still further
delay, simply because the chairman Of the
committee finds it necessary to take him
self to more genial climate for q month;
meanwhile the suffering claimants, unable
to go TO a more genial climate, Shiverng
with cold, hungry for want of proper food
and distressed because those depending upon
them and also suffering for the want OF
the barcst necessities of life, must wait
for the return Of the recuperating Senator.
Now, in the name OF humanity, and az
one of the suffering ones, ask, is it out
of place to suggest, mildly, humbiy, obse-
quiously, If necessary, that the committee
might possibly have received the report or
the subcommittee and through comInunica-
ton, IL absolutely necessary, with the chair
man in his genial climate, have brought the
business to a head without this monthly
fearful time which many OF us can never
forget, however forgetful the public may
have become; three years of discomfort
and suffering TO many of us; three years is
is a long time to those who are out OF EN-
ployment, crippled injured and waiting for
| help.
Those who are still in government en-
ploy, of course do not need the help so
L l,y,f
| who are out are in deep distress, and the
| public does not seem 10 care. ! can only
| say. spea king for myself, that / have
trusted to the good faith OF the govern
| ment and waited, never doubling that
| justice would tie done. Discharged, by
| the reduction Of the force, a year ago last
| July, crippled so as to prevent manual
| labor by the disaster, consequently unable
| to get work, eligible for reinstatement in
| the War Department, for transfer TO some
other Department.. my appeals, often made,
| for place even the lowest, unheeded with
dependent ones, invalid and helpless asking
| for bread, have struggled OH, mortgag-
| ing a little home. where had hoped in Old
| age to be able to die peacefully for few
| dollars, to keep Inc and mine up until
! the tide should turn and justice come upper
! most.
| Those few dollars gone. for months have
| held my head above the waters and tried
| to buoy up the raft on which my helpless
| ones were floating. To do this have
| limited myself to one cheap meal dag
| for several months, and for the last five
| weeks have not had even that, but in my
destitute. distressed, and almost desper-
ate condition, have been absolutely com
PEELED to live OH what little | could pick
| up here and there, some crackers and
cheese, with now and then, as luxury
a ked potato (uo buttcr) aud salt
Aud so | wait, a month more before
| me, until the chairman OF the committee
luxuriating in congcnial cline may
see the report, already waiting, and then
| more delay.
/ submit, it IS rough, There is no one to
| defeud US and we must wait. The most
| grasping, greedy railroad company, or any
private corporation would not have turned
one injured in their employ out to give
another his place. If they had, the law
| would have recompensed them. We have no
law against the government, but have
| trusted to its sense OF justice and right
and now are informed by the committee.
| who. nearly year ago. did not hesitate
to recommend. and even urge without
Investigation or question, an appropria'
ton or $4,000, approved, granted. and
delivered to [ he chief OF the Record and
Pension Division for expenses incurred in
defending himself against an indictment
from the same government,
| 1t may he all right, but common hui
manity would suggest that we, who are
suffering. have some claim also l. fol
one do not mind the cracker and chees'
diet, for l deted on hard tack from
/ S61 to 1865 "a little younger then, TO bt
sure). but our dependent ones are suf
fe ring with MS, and it is certainly 4
little rough. Speaking for myself unieS
help comes speedily, my rent being over
due. l shan be put out on the street anC
while the honorable chairman of the com
mittee is recuperating in more genia
cline, Shall be roorleSS as well as hungry
win not public opinion stir up this in
excusable stagnalion? A SUFFERER,
726 Tenth street northwest.