New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-03
NATIONAL GUARD NEWS.

Pension Law in New York.
How It Was Obtained.
There are few National Guardsmen OF
the present day who are aware OF the
struggle IT cost 10 obtain a law granting
pensions by the state TO those injured
I'm the line of duty. II was due 10 the
persistence Of Thomas J. Lawrence.
former corporal I'm Company +. 22d R"Si-
ment. now a member Of the veteran or
ganization. He was aided by a few
loyal friends Tho 22d Regiment. with
several other organiZa lions. was at
Creedmoor for rife practice June .,
1870 About II O'Clock In the morn
ing. Sergeant Geisman. Of Company o.
22d Regiment was shooting ~ go yards
and did not like the gun he was using
Al the next range. that OF 500 Yards. he
laid aside his rifle and picked up an
other living in the grass at the firing
point He cooked IT, and pulled the
trigger to test the pull without first
looking to see II the rifle was loaded.
The rife contained iD-caihrc ball
cartridge I'm the chamber. and the ball
ploughed through the arm OF Corporal
| Lawrence. who WAS few yards away
and was preparing TO shoot for quaiin'd-
ton.
Rules were laN n those days. and the
! 2od had no surgeon present pr LiN-
| ingston J. Hinkicy then private In
Company r took charge Of Lawrence.
! improyised q tourniquet. and mad"
| splints from cigar box His quick
work saved the llfe Of Lawrence. No
surgical instruments ar needed supplies
were at the range. Although the Long
Island Railroad was told by telegraph 10
send q special train - did not arrive
! and Lawrence had to suffer on the
ground un.u . o'clock. when the regular
troop train came along. He was taken
! 10 Bellevue Hospital where he fingered
| between NE and death FOR month.
! He began To- improve finally, but was
not discharged from the hospital until
| the following October.
lie had a wif" and q two-year-old baby
10 support and his discharge found him
destitute with no help % any Kind from
the state. az the law did not provide any.
| he was suffering as many others SUI
| fered before him He made up his mind
| 20 take the matter 10 the LEGISLATURE.
and that body admitted It was sad
case and that something should b" done.
| Bu, no one started To- do anything
Finally. under pressure. AN Assemhlyman
Introduced an item In the supply bill
providing FOR an appropriation or Sl.oO"
for Lawrence when the bin reached
! Governor Cornell he scratched his pen
| through f. Lawrence kept AZ work.
| however. and learned the art 81 getting
at things At Albany Many Senators
and Assemblymcn lodged him. hut h.
| finally got another bill introduced for
his relief. FOR 1900 which was vetoed
| by Grover Cleveland. but under different
circumstances
Mr. Cleveland said he had no power
to give the peoples money away for
charity. and strongly recommended that
| tho Legislature provide by law for such
| cases Lawrence. nothing daunted.
| carried hia case before board or
| claims. which threw out the claim.
When Governor nm was ia power Law
renee tried again. aud Adjutant General
| Josiah Porter. who took personal In
| terest I'm the case for the justice Of all
members Of the National Guard. framed
| the present pension bill, which passed
| the Legislature and was signed by
| Governor I'M Lawrence lost the use
| Of his left hand and received pension
of ga n month.
The rife team 10 represent the national
guard I'm the national match for teams
.N.H...
regularly Wednesdays and Saturdays 1T
! Peeksklll II will leave for Camp Perry
on August % The final makeup Of the
team. az determined last Wednesday by
| Colonel y. r. Thurston. chief ordnance
| officer. Is as follows: Team captain.
Lieutenant Colonel y r. Thurston: sur
geon Captain J. T. West,rmann. list In
| fantry: coach, Ordnance Sergeant George
| H. DOYLE. list Infantry: spOtter. Major
! F. NJ Waterbury. ordnance officer. di-
| vision: team and alternates. Captain W.
Il. Short. I'd Field Artillery, Post Quar-
termaster f. NJ Dardinkiler. "a Brigade.
! Lieutenant ID. u. Mohler. LIST Cavalry
Sergeant John r. Sneehan. list Infantry;
| Lieutenant l.. r Knyst. 7th Infantry,
| Sergeant r Wennis. 7th Infantry; Ord
nance Sergeant George f.. Bryant. 2od
Infantry: Ordnance Sergeant George W.
Lent. 18th Infantry; Major \. T.. Wells,
| list Infantry. Captain Walter A De La
mater. list Infantry; Major Arthur Kemp.
7th Infantry; Captain ID. j. Cadotte,
! 7th Infantry; Lieutenant &. II. Morey.
| 74th Infantry: Ordnance Sergeant w. +.
Leushner. 18th Infantry, and quarter
master Sergeant T.. r. Alvord 7ith In
| fantry
Major General John T. . Ryan and
Lieutenant Colonel r. r. Walton. OF his
staff. will leave to-day for the camp OF
the 81 Brigade. near Glens Falls. y. Y.
10 remain for several DAYS
BriGadier General Necessary Butt was
at Vichy. France. July q. He was re-
ported TO be getting strong again. His
ta he