The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-10
ADJUTANT GENERALS
REPORT IN THE
LEITNER CASE

Congressman Clark sends the Star
the following letter received from the
adjutant general:
Adjutant Generals Office,
/ Washington, Dec. 5.
Hon. Frank Clark,
House of Representatives
Dear Sir: | have the honor to in
form you that, upon receipt of you,
telegram of inquiry as to the circum-
stances of the death of Sergeant
James L. Leitner, Company A, 124th
Infantry, an officer of the inspector
generals department, was confident.
Tally directed to make an investiga,
, ton thereof.
The report of the inspector has just
been received and shows that Ser
geant James E. Leitner was trans.
ferred from Company A, 124th In
fantry (Florida) to 106th Engineers
on November 9, 1917, and entered the
base hospital at Camp Wheeler, Ca,
on November IL, suffering with bad
cold and measles complicated with
pneumonia. He was placed In ward
6 and remained there until Nov. 10,
when he was transferred to ward 9.
That Captain Drake, of Company A,
124th Infantry, learning of this gave
orders that non-commissioned officer
of his old Company A should visit
him every day and see if anything in
addition to hospital treatment was
necessary, which was done, and he
and First Lieut.. Campbell visited him
as often as possible. They all report
that, he was a favorite with both the
nurses and surgeons and received
unusual attention from all of them.
When Mrs. Dyall arrived on the morn
ing of the 23rd of November, the sur
geon had already visited Leitner,
prescribed for him and the nurses
had just finished feeding and caring
for him as directed by the surgeon.
/. The nurses were near when she ar
rived to give any attention needed but
der their care. The knocking COM
planned of by Mrs. Dyall was that of
an attendant lacking wood steps IN
der. the windows some distance from
Sergeant Leitner whose windows had
already been lowered to let in irish
air which is done for all pneumonia
patients; it was not carpenter work
on an unfinished window as stated by
| Mrs. Dyall. The cot was not finally
moved because near an open window.
Lieut.. Craig, the surgeon, saw that
| she would have more seclusion by
moving the sergeant into a room
nearby, in which there was single
patient, and had it thoroughly scrub.
bed and dried and then moved the
sergeant and his cot to his room. He
saw that Mrs. Dyall was. suffering
from nervousness and feared for her
safety in the room with two windows
open, so he closed one window, plac-
ed board under her feet and had a
nurse wrap them in blanket and had
nourishments provided for her. The
nurses and DIR. Craig induced Mrs.
Dyall to go to Macon in the evening
for nights rest, and the first ser
fgeant of Company A told her that he
would detail two men to relieve each
other in turn that night to look after
him and help nurse him, which was
done. The next morning the room
was mopped with damp mop, as
directed by the surgeon to prevent
the accumulation of dust as in all hos
pitfalls, but water was not thrown on
the floor as claimed. Sergeant Lett
ner had suffered from a case of pneu-
monia on the Mexican border last
year, which reduced his chance of re-
covery. Finally, every request made
by Mrs. Dyall was granted and car
ried out to the best of the ability of
all concerned and with the means at
hand.
| AS a result of his investigation
which included the examination of
everyone having knowledge of the
circumstances of the death of Ser
geant Leitner, the inspector believes
that every attention practicable was
given to Sergeant Leitner by the sur
geon in charge of his case and the
nurse who assisted him. In fact that
he was favorite with them and re-
ceived more than ordinary attention
on account of his engaging personal
| ity and long service. Mrs. Dyall's
nervousness and grief over her broth
er's dangerous illness and delirious
state is no doubt responsible for her
harsh judgment of conditions as she
found them. He is convinced from