The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-14

claimant is receiving at least the max
imum rate of $12 under the act of 1890.
The committee considers that a soldier
who is not entitled to the full relief at
forded ~ this law ought not to receive
the benefits of special legislation. An
other requirement of the committee is
that the claimant furnish an affidavit
from a physician showing his physical
need of relief, and also the affidavit Of
one or more neighbors showing that he
is in necesSitouS circunst ances. The
committee places special stress upon
these requirements, and refuses abso-
lutely to entertain a claim unless it is
accompanied by this evidence.
Nearly everybody in Kansas knows
w P. Hackney of Winfield, who is here
stories concerning him. 1t is we'll
known in Kansas that he once swore in
President HarrisonS Office, because the
president mentioned the name of a man
whom he did not like for a political ap-
pointment in which he was interested.
II is said that the president was too
surprised and shocked to make any pro-
test. Senators Ingalls, and Plumb who
had taken Hackney to the White House
and introduced him to the president
were mortified beyond all utterance.
But after Hackney had gone, the presi-
dent got to thinking the matter over,
and decided that Hackney was not such
a bad man after all The candor of the
man appealed to him, so the next day
he sent for him, and told him he ex-
pected to appoint his man. 1t proba bly,
is the first time such an argument was
used with an American president in the
matter of a political appointment.
They are telling a more recent story
on Hackney this week. The day. before
he left his home in Winfield for Wash
ington, a woman came into his office
and presented him with a ring which
he had lost just tWenty-three years ago.
1t seems that there was at that time
an old soblier living in Winfield,
worthy old man, Judge Christian by
name, who had lost all evidence of his
military record and was sadly in need
of help from the pension bureau. Hack
ney took the ma tier up with Senators
ingalls, and Plumb, who replied that in
view of all the circumstances they did
not think there was any hope for the
old man. This response angered- Hack
ney who replied that if they thought
they could do nothing for him. they
might resign, as he would do it him
self. Hackney's letter appealed to the
two Kansas senators, and they went
to work and finally succeeded in secur-
ing a pension of $72 per month for
Judge Christian. Christian felt CRATE
full to Hackney over the result, and as
a token of his appreciat ton presented
him with a heavy gold ring with his
own initials and those of Mr.. Hackney
engraved upon it. The next day after
Mr.. Hackney began wearing the ring
the only he ever wore in his life-he
had a difference with a Winfield lawyer,
which ended in a fist fight, and in the
encounter which ensued, his antagonist
caught the ring finger in his mouth and
bit it severely. When the fight was
over Hackney found that the ring was
gone. He has always supposed that his
opponent swallowed the ring and had
forgotten all about it. It appears that
a small boy who witnessed the fight
found the ring after the battle was over
and took it home. The boys mother
the ring, and did not find it
again until twenty years after When
she found it at last, she caught at once
the significance of the initials CIV. P.
H" and hurried up to the lawyers
office with it OF course it proved to be
the long lost ring, and Hackney was
overjoyed at its recovery. But he
thinks that it is not often that man
finds a lost jewel twenty years after.
LESLIE WALLACE.