GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 3, 1888_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I return without approval House bill No. 4534, entitled "An act for the
relief of Emily G. Mills."
The object of this bill is to provide a pension for the beneficiary
named therein as the widow of Oscar B. Mills, late a second assistant
engineer, retired, in the United States Navy. The deceased was appointed
an acting third assistant engineer in October, 1862, and in 1864 he was
promoted to the place of second assistant engineer.
It is supposed that while in active service he did his full duty, though
I am not informed of any distinguished acts of bravery or heroism. In
February, 1871, he was before a naval retiring board, which found that
he was incapacitated for active service on account of malarious fever,
contracted in 1868, and recommended that he be allowed six months' leave
of absence to recover his health.
In December, 1871, he was again examined for retirement, and the board
found that he was not in any way incapacitated from performing the
duties of his office. The next year, in 1872, another retiring board,
upon an examination of his case, found that he was "laboring under
general debility, the effect of intermittent fever acting upon an
originally delicate constitution," and he was thereupon placed upon the
retired list of the Navy.
On the 10th day of August, 1873, he was accidentally shot and killed by
a neighbor, who was attempting to shoot an owl.
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