Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1893 — A SAMPLE PENSION LIE. [ARTICLE]

A SAMPLE PENSION LIE.

THE LIE OF THE JOURNAL REFUTED. The Burning of Secretary Hoke Smith in Effigy at Rome, 0., is a Lie Made From Whole Cloth— E'aots of the Case Given by an Enquirer Reporter. From The Delphi Times. Secretary Hoke Smith was hung in effigy by the enraged oitizens of Rome, a little town of Adams oounty, Ohio, Saturday night. A number of pensions had been suspended before. The climax was reached when the pension of J. L. Reed a veteran of the Eleventh Illinois Cavalry, aged eighty-three was dropped. Mr. Reed had served four years and live months, and his pension was his t nly support.— When he reoeived the newsof his suspension he beoame a ravins maniac. The arousedj citizens led by John Furnier, a democrat, proposed to hang Smith in effigy . Saturday night over a thousand peo • pie, irrespective of party affiliations, assembled to participate in the ceremony. It was intended to burn the president in effigy also, but wiser ceunoil p. availed.— A platform was erected and speeches made after a procession. The effigy waß then hung and afterward burned.—Journal.

This is a sample republica i lie, pure and simole. No such occurrenc happened, and with the exception of a disgraceiul band of perhaps a dozen drunken loafers who gathered at the wharf-boat, drank beer and indulged in considerable loud and vulgar talk, there is not ihe slightest ground us on which to base the report. The authority for these broad statements is no less a personage than Josepn L. Reed himself. Mr. Reed is the man whose name has recently been suspended from the pension list, which act, it was said caused him to lose his mind, and which caused an alleged uprising of Adams county indignation. This much -maligned and now celebrated veteran is a fine-lookiDg and sparely built man of nearly six feet in height, with sh tro black eyes, dark complexion, high forehead and very intelligent expression.

Instead of his pension being his soie support, ho does a profitable grocery and confectionery business in Rome, owns the building in which he conducts the same, has a beautiful dwelling and a warrant->e deed for a three-hun-dred-and-sixty acre farm, a few miles from his home. In talking to the Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Tuesday, Mr. Read after denying in most positive terms tnat Secretary Smith was burned n. effigy, said in reference to his pension:

“I had applied under the old law, but could not get sufficient te ,timouy to secure an allowance when the law of 1890 was passed. On the 18th of last month I received notice from the pension departs ment at Washington thet I had been suspended for lack of evidei ce required. Whde I did not create any noise about the suspension, I went to a pi nsion attorn y, explained my case, and he advised me to go before the board of examiners, which I did, on July 28. The board met at Vancebuyg, Ky. I was then told by the board not to fear; that my pension would not be stopped or even reduced. ” Mr. Heed was indignant when reminded that his so&called friends seemed more anxious than he to have him retained on the pension list, and retorted: “H 1 am not entitled so a pens sion, I don’t want it. If 1 am, 1 do,” The conversation again turned upon the effigy canard, and Mr. lie j d turther said: “No such thing as burning Sec- j Sjmith in effigy ever happened. It is a miserable lie. M/ ; name was neve mentioned by the j gang of hoodlums on Saturday night with my consent. They said nothing tome about an indignation j meeting and I did not go near them j The report that ther was a tb - crowd of over one -Cueand people i aiching thro’ tbe street is also equully ridicu lous. It wait a band of drunkards and not over a do? m in number. .Iptm furnier, who tbey say led the crowd, is only ia boy.” This is th- summary way in which Mr. tlced disposes of the fantastic and ridiculous effigy story, end the country may , Jace relianc-onwhat Le says.

A sworn statement containing the facts, as substantially giv*,n in Mr. Heed’s denial to an Enquirer reporter tvas maiied to Secretary Smith.