The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27
That soldiers Home Episode.

That Soldiers Home EPISODE.
To simmer the cold facts down, there
has been no cruelty or mistreatment
OF the yeterans.-UNIoN of July 8, 1900.
Was it or was it not inhuman and
cruel to turn comrade Peter Quinn
out OF the Home at the time he was
sick and should have been sent to
the hospital for treatment? He
was turned out in the cold to die
and died from exposure and neglect.
.-.Chicamauga" in the Hot Springs
Star.
Unfortunately, The UNION has
been cut from the Stars exchange
list and the above reply to our re-
marks of July 9th escaped our no.
tice until local reader of the Star
called our attention to the matter.
To begin with, THE UNION repeats
it's statement and it challenges
proof to the contrary. The charge
that Peter Quinn was turned out OF
the Home when sick is only in keep
ing with the other stories circulate
ed by a gang of republican vitrol-
throwers, who would today wreck
the best Home in the nation in a
fruitless effort to injure Col. Arthur
Linn. Peter Quinn deserted from
the Soldiers Home and went to
Deadwood, where he worked for
three months, was taken sick as a
result of protracted spree and
died in the hospital in that city.
Just where Col. Linns cruelty"
came in can perhaps best be explain
ed BY the fellows who peddle out
these stories.
Now that the subject is under dis
cussion again, The UNION desires to
say word regarding the manage
ment of the Home by the republi-
cans, Magrew and Lucas. It was
strictly a 'free and easy institu-
ton. Drunkenness was rampant
among many of the old veterans.
The horrors of the republican lock,
up can best be realized when TIL
UNION recalls that in one instance {
poor, old veteran vas allowed te
die in the lookup with an attack O.
delerium tremens. AS Manager
Clark of the Evans stated las
spring, it was unsafe for ladies t.
go to the Kidney Springs alone 0,
account Of so many drunken sold
iers. But no complaint of cruelt,
or mismanagement was made unde
such conditions because the institu
tion was then under republican
(mis) management. That was be
fore Col. Arthur Linn took com
mand.
Today the Home at Hot Spring
is the only sober Home in the ne
tion not through republicanisn
but in spite OF it. 1t is the mos
home-like institution of the kind i
the country and is the pride {
every fair-minded ano honest cit
zen of South Dakota. The UN1o
defes any man in the state or OF
of it to point to better, cleaner {
. ID Il s
more ably conducted Home tha
the one at Hot Springs, or to max
plain one act Of Col. Linn's admir-
istration that would give just an
honest cause for complaint. Polit
cal hatred 10 the one thing that hi
given birth to this whole affair, bl
Col. Linn IS not managing the inst
tuition in the interest of dead bea
and busted politicians. He is f;
above and beyond the mud-slingir
of this class of men.
In conclusion The UNION desir
to say that it regrets the necessi
OF having to refer to the earth
faults or shortcomings Of any Q
veteran who has been mustered i
to the army beyond, but the max
truth must be given and the ms
tuition which furnishes refuge +
those who saved the nation must
8 shielded from those whonld drag
into disrepnte. None realize me
deeply than the writer the gre
debt which the people owe the
veterans Of the sixties, and becau
.of the heroic sacrifice which th
made then the homo which gi,
them shelter in their declini
years should not be q hotbed
temptation to finally led them il
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