The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-11-10
$4,000 IS DUE
A FRENCH WIDOW
INDEBTEDNESS WAS AckNoWL-
EDGED MANY YEARS AGO BY ]
OUR DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
CONGRESS NEVER HAS ACTED
Claim Was Result Of Damage Done
Paris Woman's Property During the
Search for the Bones Of John Paul
Jones.
Nv EDWARD d. CLARK.

j.
Washington.--Uncle Sam has owed
a French widow $4,000 for sixteen
years, has acknowledged his indebted
ness, and frequently has asked con-
gress to appropriate the money to
pay the bill, but congress never has
done it, and apparently will not do
it until some expletiye gentleman with
q profanely picturesque way with him.
like the budget master for instance,
tells the legislators what he thinks
about 1t. @is'
Only recently the Indebtedness Of
the United States to various persons,
and the duties Of the court Of claims
in connection Herewith, have been dis
cussed. The case Of the French Wild
ow, however, never has been court
Of claims matter. The department OF
state made the award to the woman.
|. and then asked congress to appropri-
ate the money. This was back in 1904.
or possibly 1905, but the lady in Franco
still is whistling for. her money IL she
accounts whistling as one Of her &C
compliskments. ~ ''7 I'v'" ! n
If Gen. Horace Porter, diplomatist
and soldier, who died in New York
month or 80 ago, had known Of the
plight Of the French woman whom Un-
Gle Sam owed money which he would
not pay, he probably would have add
ed a codicil to his will taking care Of
the matter, for it was General Por-
ter, with former representative In con-
gress Henry T. Rainey Of Illinois, who
largely was responsible for the crea-
tion Of a situation just now troubling
a woman of France and the American
state department.
Result of Search for Jones' Bones.
The French woman, who is wild.
ow by the way and has little or no
means of her own, owned some prop
erty in Paris which Americans dam
aged to the extent of $4,000 while
trying to find the body Of John Paul
Jones, the old sea fighter, called the
father Of the American navy, who was
buried in cemetery IN Paris years
ago. ...
General Porter In 1904 was the
American ambassador to France. Hen
ry T. Rainey Of Carroton, H., who
then was member Of the house OF
representatives, received some infor-
nation from an old Scetchman con-
corning the probable resting place Of
the sailor who himself was a Scotch.
man by birth. Rainey became inter
ested and Immediately Interested Cen
eral Porter. ~ .
The old cemetery III Paris was 10
Gated, and large part Of 1t was
fonnd to be covered by modern build.
ngs. The old map of the burial place
was discovered and after a search OF
the records 1t was determined that
the body of John Paul Jones lay In
a certain place. {'~
| In order to reach the grave 1t was
necessary to do some tunneling, and
to destroy some property. The French
woman, now q creditor Of Uncle Sam,
owned part Of the property which
was destroyed. She made her claim
the state department looked into it,
found 1t was valid and granted her
$4,000, and asked congress to ap.
prOpriate the necessary money. Con-
gress never has acted In the matter
/ The story of the search for John
Paul Jones' remains Is rather grue-
sonAty interesting. The searchers
went under ground and threaded their
way among the corpses Of Frenchmen
and foreigners who had been buried
much more than a century before.
| Jones' Coffin Was Found.
They finally found the metal coffin
which answered the description of the
one in which the captain of the Bon
HOmme Richard was buried. There
was no name plate on the coffin, but
1t was opened and the measurements
Of the body, and the formation of the
skull, which was stul intact, CORE,
sp0nded to the data which the ex.
plorers had In hand.
The remains Of John Paul Jones
were brought to America and today
lie In crypt In the cadet chapel al
Annapolis where thousands Of visitors
each year look upon the enveloping
case and read the Inscribed story Of
the greatest sea fighter, Of Revolution
ary days. @
| Congress will be pressed to pay the
French woman the money which the
state department decided was due her
If the law makers appropriate the
money 1t will be paid to the woman In
a lump sum without any added inter
est. 1t may be that only her heirs will
benefit for this is the way in which
Uncle Sam makes good many of his
payments after score or so of years
Of shutting. ifat slasa
/ The lower house Of congress has de
| clined within a day or two to accedt
to- q senate amendment to the navy
\ bill which would make possible the
A payment Of money dus to the widows
Of officers and enlisted men who died
10 active duty between armistice day
I 1913, and June 4, 1870. There Is posi-
4 tive suffering today, hscause congress
\ sA;ss - sssess:ssa tgs ssay sAe ssidows and
H.