Evening star., 1897-02-03
FORD'S THEATER DISASTER
The Work of the Commission is Now Nearly
Completed.
Cases That Were Referred Back VIII
Probably All Again BE Favor
ably Recommended.

The work Of the Fori's Theater commits
sion is now almost completed and it is ex-
pected that within few days firal action
will be taken in regard to claimants whose
cases were thrown out of the deficiency an
preparation bill for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1885, 1t is understood that the
commission will report favorably on all the
cases 1t has re-examined and will recon-
mend that such claimants be paid the full
amount which was recommended in the
previous report of the commission
II VIII be remembered that the House of
Representatives in passing the deficiency
piii iast year making appropriation for
damages due individuals injured In the
Ford's Theater disaster struck out the
names of many of these persons and in
serted the following:
Cases Referred Back.
And the claims of Thomas ID. Anderson,
Etheibert Baier, Edward c. Carroll George
K. Garnett. Thomas Morley. Charles r.
Miller, George w. Smoot, Smith Thompson.
Nathan r. White, H. p. Wiley. James A.
White Nina A. Kline. Mrs George r..
Baldwin and Julia Miller be and the same
are hereby referred back to the joint com
MISSION, authorized in the sundry civil ap-
preparation act approved August Is 1891
10 investigate and report upon the Ford's
Iheater disaster. with Instructions to re-
examine and report thereon"
1t is the above list of cases thar have
been examined by the Ford's Theater com
mission. These cases We're previously favor
amy reported upon by this commission but
after their examination had resulted in tn.
pacing Oh these Cases on the approximation
Dill secretary Lamont sent to the appronri-
aCons committee of the House a letter
men had been received by him from o.
D. brown, chief of division in charge of
q of he n
partment. val De
rms letter. in part follows:
oo III returning herewith Senate report No
9e4, and the letter from the committee on
appropriations of the House caIlinp for
Information respecting the awards for SUI
1erers In the Fords Theater disaster hoy
70 say that in my opinion. and in the opin.
ION Oh the section chiefs and others ubo
were in position to be fully advised nc -
,he nature and extent of injuries received
ny ny clerks VINO were employed in the Ford's
ineater building at the time of the disas-
ter, some of the persons for whom awards
are recommended i'm the accomDanyjng ra1
port either sustained no injuries whatever
or were but very Slightly injured and i, 10
renewed that their cases are absolutely
without merit. Not one of these narSouS
whose names are given below fell with tba
moor, and no one of them reported himself
lo the ONCE at or near the time of the ac
cident as being more than slightly injured
and most of them didsnot report any in
jury whatever any III
IL VIII be observed that as shown nv
tEe accompanying report the medical
poaro, composed of a medical officer from
the army, one from the navy and one from
the marine hospital service. which WIS
appointed for the purpose of examining all
ihe claimants, reported to the Joint com
nltlee that 1T did not find any one of the
men whose cases are now under considera-
uoh 10 De permanently disabled
Cases Considered MeritOrious.
The letter of Chief Clerk Brown carried
win 1t statement from Mr. Ernst
echmld, assistant to Mr.. Brown; ]. ID.
Leonard. time clerk: j. r. Imrie. section
chief. and w. E. Covert, superintendent of
the building. They all said they did not
peheVe any OF the cases objected to were
merltorious. Col. Ainsworth and the above
gentlemen were to make good their objec-
lohs 10 these cases before the Ford's
Aheater commission, and with that end i'm
view they nave caused various parties 10
appear before the commission to give tes
tmony. 1t Is understood however. that
the commission has been unshaken i'm its
peiieI mat these cases were meritorious.
ana while some slight changes may be
made by altering amounts Of damages.
or possibly emitting some one of the claim
ants. II is not probable that even this slight
change in the previous report viii he
made The commission is now winding up
lls work by going over all the cases in a
general way, after having examined them
IN detail, and in considering some of the
later testimony that has been offered in
particular cases: The commissions report
VIII probably be ready to be made public
wNhln week at the farthest.