The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-30
THE KEARNY SCANDAL
IAN Houten Post. G. A. r.,
Addresses a Circular to
the Posts Of This De-
partment.
EXPULSION FOR coMRADE HURD
Demand for Legislation Creating a
Board Of Management for the
Soldiers Home.

Van Houten Post, No. 3, G. A. R., at
its meeting last night, discussed the
abuses at the Home for Disabled Soldiers
in Kearny, which were exposed in THE
News last, night, and denounced the ad-
ministration of Major Rogers. General
Ramsay brought the matter up and read
the following circular, which was unani-
mously adopted and the Adjutant directed
to send copy of it to all posts in the
Department and the Department officers:
"At the late annual encampment, held
at Atlantic City the following communl-
cation was received from Barry Post, NO.
%, of Railway
Railway, N. J., May Is, 1897.
Comrade-At muster of Barry Post,
inst. the enclosed preamble and resolu-
tion were unanimously adopted.
Yours in F., c. and l..
Whereas It has been reported in the
various public journals of this State that
one, Leroy G. Hurd, a veteran OF the war
Of the Rebellion, who is now seventy-siI
years OF age and an inmate OF the SOL
marily dismissed from said Home upon
exparte testimony of four inmates of SAID
Home in the form of aftidavlts ana
Whereas, 1t is reported that at the near
ing of the charges of using vloient
language to visitors of the Woman,s rem
perance Christian Union, the sald Leroy
C. Hurd had a representative friend TO
act as counsel in his behalf and that prlvl-
lege was denied him, and notwithstanding
counter afiidavltS were submitted ana also
that the lady who it is charged was IN
suited by our comrade, refused to make
complaint, yet notwithstanding all TINS.
our comrade was dismissed from the
Home without the privilege to meet his
accusers, a right guaranteed TO the low
est criminal in our criminal courts; there
fore be 1t
Resolved, That we condemn the action
of the officers of the Soldiers Home IN
the action that they have taken IN the
case of our comrade, Leroy Z. Hurd, III
dismissing him from the home without a
chance to defend himself by meeting ms
accusers, and also being denied the. right
of being represented by counsel; ana pc II
further
Resolved, That copy of these resolu-
tions be forwarded to Department Head
quarters in order that proper action may
be taken in behalf OF Comrade Hurd.
When the resolution of Barry Post Mo-
27, in reference to the expulsion ol Gonl, S;ol,
rade Leroy c. Hurd from the Soldiers
Home at kearny was being read, ana
while the discussion was IN connecllon
with the report OF the Committ;ee Tee; on hesf sf
Comrade Leroy c. hurd from the Soludefs
Home at Kearny, Major 2 F. Rogers, IT'S
Superintendent, who had expelled Comf n
the encampment. If the encampment
did not understand the question, If it was
getting. unaer false lig'ht ne should nave
furnished the true light for its guidance.
He heard the Department Commander
read his report, heard the resolutions OF
Barry Post read and the discussion on
but not one word escaped his lips in de-
tense of himself or the managers for the
expulsion of Comrade Hurd. l the en-
campment was moving on wrong premises
Did he have any defense to make? If he
had it was but fair to assume he would
have made it there and then, but con-
scious that he had none, he left the en-
campment and did not return. The rec
ORD. shows that Post No. 81 took no part
with Comrade Rogers retired when he did.
The encampment had the true light and
intelligence in connection with Comrade
Hurd's expulsion, and acted as true com
rades should act Comrade Hurd was
seventy-seven years of age, and the
Department Encampment requested his
Board of Managers refused. This
comrade had been in the Home seven
years, was not q drinking man, and IN
the years that he was in it no. charges
had ever been preferred against him. He
would not have been expelled, and it is
more than likely that he would be alive
and one of its inmates if he had not ex-
ercised the right which is conceded to
every American citizen-the right of free
speech. We are in a land Of free men,
free schools and free. speech, and Com
~. u
army helped to bring about these results.
Yet when he exercised the right of free
speech he is expelled from the Soldiers
Home for so doing. Expelled from a
Home erected for the care and protection
of soldiers who served in the Union Army.
If a mans wants, necessities or infirml-
ties compel him to seek its sheltering
care, his admission therein does not and
cannot take away from him his rights as
an American citizen. The managers OF
the Soldiers Home take from all its in-
,+<<rx1 14xr,I,f, r~nn nnix nj n
month and upward the sum of 81 per
month A bill was introduced In the Leg,
islature of this State to stop it. apd while
it was pending Comrade Hurd appeared
before the committee having it in charge
in advocacy of its passage. For that, and
that only, was he expelled from the Sol
diers' Home. The managers could not
afford to let that reason come to the sur
face for his expulsion. Its coming to
the front would mean their denuncia-
ton by every fair-nlnded man a.; !, Il this this
insulted some ladies who were on a visit
to the Home. The ladies say it is not true
and make no charges against him. The
inmates stating that Hurd did insult the
ladies'. No court in the land would ac-
eept SUCH evidence; but It was good
intendent of the Home, and upon that
flimsy evidence Comrade Hurd was ex-
PEELED.
Post No. 3:-
Jersey City, N. J., June 5, 1897.
E. C.. Stahl Department Commander,
Grand Army of the Republic.
Dear Comrade-At a regular muster Of
G4Van Houten Post. No. 8, Department
of New Jersey, Grand Army of the Re-
public, held on June A, 1897 the following
resolution was unanimously adopted
Resolved, That this Post respectfully
petition the Department Encampment, to
be held at Atlantic City, on June 9, 10 and
Il. to take necessary action action to enable this
Republic to control the Soldiers Home at
Kearny, New Jersey.
Yours respectfully,
c. A. BOWERS
Commander
Adjutant.