Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-26
FORDs THEATER CLAIMANTS.
Secretary Lamont Writes That EIevel
of Them Are Unmerftorious,

Secretary Lamont Writes Tint Eleven
OF Them Are Unmerftorious.
The Secretary Of War has forwarded to
Representative Sayers Of the House appro-
priations committee a statement prepared
IN the record and pension office in regard to
certain alleged unmeritorious claims against
the government growing out of the disaster
at Ford's Theater in 1888. The cases which
are said to be undeserving of the proposed
congressional aid are as follows:
Thomas D. Anderson, 500; Ethelbert
Baier, $500; D. H. P. Brown (slnce de-
ceased, 5000; Edward c. Carroll. $500; Geo.
G. Garnett, $500; Thomas Morley, s., go;
George W. Smoot, 81 200; Smith Thompson,
$1,000; H. P. Wiley, $500; Nathan F. White,
$3.50; Charles F. Miller, $500; total, so,
$50.
Provision for their benefit in the amounts
stated is contained in the deficiency appro-
prlation bill, which passed the Senate yes
tefday afternoon, appropriating over $780,
oOo In settlement Of the Ford Theater claims.
The letter forwarded by Secretary Lamont
Is now before the House committee on ap-
preparations, and will undoubtedly receive
consideration when the deficiency bill comes
peIore the House in its amended shape.
The statement was prepared by Mr. o. b.
BROWN chief Of division in charge of the
Ioth street branch of the record and PEN
sion once, and its conclusions are concur
red in by Messrs. Ernest Schmid, j. D.
Leonard j. R. Imr:e and W. E Covert
VINO were employed in the Theater building
at the time Of the disaster. In this letter.
wi mhicn mas just been forwarded to Congress
by the Secretary of War, it is stated, with
reference to the cases stated above:
In returning herewith Senate report No.
9S4 and the letter from the committee on
approprlations of the House of Represen-
tatives calling for information respecting
the awards to the sufferers in the Ford
lheater disaster, / beg to say that in my
opinion and in the opinion of section chiefs
ana others who were In position to be fully
ADVISED as to the nature and extent of the
injuries received by the clerks who were
employed In the Fords Theater building .:
the time OF the disaster, some of the persons
lor Whom awards are recommended In the
accompanying report either sustained no
injuries whatever or were but very slightly
injured, and 1t is believed that their cases
are absolutely without merit No one of
tnese persons whose names are given fell
with the Moor, and no one of them reported
himself to the Office at or near the time OF
the accident as being more than slightly in
1ured. and most of them did not report any
injury whatever.
The accident occurred on Friday June q
ls:f1 and on the following Monday, June r.
all clerks who were able to report at the
once were called upon to register their
names and to state what injuries, IL any.
they had sustained. The record made AT
the time shows that most of those whose
names are given reported and registered
on June r. without claiming any injury
whatever, while the remainder claimed to
have received only very slight injuries. The
condition OF all of them after the disaster
was well known throughout the office and
IL was, and stfll is. generally understood that
not one of them incurred any material or
permanent disability
1T Will be observed that, as shown by the
report the medical board composed OF a
medical officer from the army, one from the
navy. ana one from the marine hospital
service, which was appointed for the pur-
pose or examining all the claimants re-
ported to the joint committee thar II did
not lind any one of the men whose cases
are now under consideration to be perma-
nently disabled"