The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-09-23

and a hook on the other, the latter being
used to lift or turn articles.
Uncle Sam gave Decker a good PEN
sion, but during Grants administration
the manned soldier failed to get his
pension money for about six months.
He was at his home in Toledo, and re-
ceived the information that his name
had been dropped from the roll and that
he was not entitled to pension. Com
ing to Washington, Decker went to the
pension office and demanded to know
why he had been dropped. An examin-
ing surgeon almost paralyzed him by
informing him that no man without
arms could write his, name, and that
| there was fraud somewhere. Mr.. Deck
err was so astonished and angry at this
declaration that he asked for a pen and
ink, and proceeded to show the surgeon
some pretty penmanship. 81 can not
only write" Mr.. Decker. said to him,
'*but I am yet able to do some right
] lively punching, and want to say to
you right now that unless my name is
restored to the roll and my money paid
over pretty quick, I will send you to
the hospital for repairs" He got his
back pension, and there has never been
any further trouble along this line.
With a little negro boy to bait his
hooks. Mr.. Decker spends a great deal
of his time when congress is not in ses-
sion on the Potomac fishing, and he is
4 known as one of the best fishermen in
] the District. One day last week Mr..
Decker landed a string of perch meas
uring over six feet, and it is common
saying among the fishermen that if
\ there are any fish in the river Decker
will get them. Although deprived of
his arms, he os a fine swimmer, and de-
clares that he can stay as long in the
water as any other man.
Thomas Dennis, the oldest of the four
arnless men, until a few months ago
was Waterman in the war depart
ment. When young man he enlisted
as seaman In the United States navy,
going on duty on the Princeton. While
| cruising in the Mediterranean along the
coast Of Africa, the accident occurred
4 which caused the loss of his arms
| Prince Demidoff of Russia was at Gil
| braltar, and paid a visit to the Ameri-
can vessel. The prince enjoyed his Wis
4 It, and as he was leaving the ship a sa-
1 luts was fired in his honor. Dennis had
fired the first gun and was ramming the
second charge home when there was a
premature discharge, completely tear
i ing, off the young seaman's arms.
4 Prince Demidoff was greatly distressed,
| and did not leave the vessel until the
1 injured man was cared for, and until he
/ had made an offer to have him sent
ashore, begging the privilege of defray-
| ing all expenses then and thereafter.
/ OF course, this offer was declined, but a
short time afterward Dennis was sent
ashore to a hospital, and then it was
that the prince had the most skilled
| surgeons and nurses employed, and
/ gave Instructions that every attention
must be given the injured seaman.
/ When Dennis was able to travel the
\ prince carried him from city to city,
having false arms made for him at diff
| ferent times and places After a time
Dennis came back to the United States,
but Prince Demidoff had a liberal al
lowance sent tim regularly, and at the
i princes death it was found that an an
nuity of eighty dollars had been provt-
ded for Dennis in the will. This Dem
mis- receives each year. IN spite of my
/ misfortune" said Dennis the other day,
Il am still handy man, for I can do a
1 great many things with the aid of the
/ tweezers invented by my friend Decker.
1 These tweezers are worth train-load
of false arms and hands, and / only
keep the ones Prince Demidoff gave me
simply because they came from that
splendid young fellow"
| W. B. Denny, a former watchman in
1 the war department, although both his
arms are off at the elbow, is able to
master and drive the most spirited
/ horses, and has never had an accident
befall him while handling them. Since
| resigning from the war department
Denny has devoted his entire time to
/ raising and training blooded horses
. and some of the blue ribbon teams
which are daily seen on the fashionable
! drives Of the national capital are from
his stables, He has entire confidence in
his ability to handle the widest horse
and says he gives the animal to under
stand from the very outset that he is
| the master. n
! No one who has not witnessed the
J achievements of Denny in managing
horses at his farm can for moment
/ imagine how quickly and successfully
he can subdue spirited animal. He
first sees that the horse, or pair Of
horses-for he drives double team
| with as much ease as single horse
are properly harnessed that every
strap and buckle is at its proper place
and secure; then he places one rein over
his right shoulder and the other be-
/ meath his left arm, the two reins being
made fast with a strong buckle. With
his arm stubs he Is able to guide the
animals. The weight of his body
against the reins brings the animals to
a slow-up If they get fretful. Twisting
his shoulders and body from side to
side will cause the bits to saw the
mouths of the horses until they are
glad to quiet down and walk or trot
| quietly along. He depends largely, too,
/ on controlling spirited horses by speak
4 ing gently but firmly to them.
Last spring some of the owners O