The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-10
PRICE TWO CENTS
CURSED BY HIS FORTUNE.
A SIXTEEN TEAR-OLD ORPHfN Dr-
CLIRED 4 DRUNKdRD
I.ured into nad compnnr. Rohhea. md no.


hured into Bnd Company. Robbed, md Dcs
gtndcd Proceedings by the .Oricty for the
prevention Of Cruelty to Children.
sherln's jury, composed of fifteen rep.
utahle citizens, declared yesterday without a
dissenting voice Henry A. Ienken, a boy OF ak
teen wears, To be incapable OF taking care OF
himself and his property, because of his being
habitual drunkard. The Investigation was
set on foot primarily by NAPOLEON Lebrun. an
architect connected with the Department of
buildings, who, on the Goth Of August, visited
the house at 81 Barrow street to examine into
its stability. and found its owner, young Hem
KEN III a terrible condition, unable through
drunkenness to comprehend anything.
Mr. Lebrun reported the case to the Society
Tor the Prevention Of Cruelty to Children, ana
henken was removed to tho German Hos
pitaI' Mr. Mcneil, the counsel for tho society,
| tmen petitioned Judge Robinson of the Common
| ~ ,Lc" 20 appOint a commission to see whether
' the boy was hahitual drunkard. and to
report measures for the protection of the
ads property. The statute requires that such
commission shall be composed of a lawyer, a
70 utleman, and phy-ician; and Judge robin.
sof. IN granting MT; MonelPs request appointed
Del. mo L. Calvin, Henry Bergh. and Dr Ernst r.
Hoft 1ann TO 1ll these requirements These
Conn hssioners summoned a jury and took this
eviiden ee " me cilse and closed Yesterday.
Ger and iquor dealer, died three years ago, Ieay-
ing sum cicnt prop erty to handsomely support
died without making Will, and. without any
legal steps ,1enR take n, the boy assumed con-
lected the income there If, and squandered IL i'm
dissipation. l'efore his mothers death he was,
So MS neighbour swore, ordinarily OF decent
morals drinking no MOI . than most OF the
young hermans OF hts acqn hntauce. lie bore a
reputation, indeed. OF som . worth. After hig
mother died he fell under the influence Of a
woman named Kate Cooney aged thirty wears,
and she moved TO 5S Barrow street and lived in
the same room with him. ! nder her tutengs
young Henken became an II veterate drinker.
Patrick McGoyne, Henry kui 'eler. and Others
swore that thev had seen the We man purchasing
liquor ~ all hours Of the day nd night. which
she took to her rooms. lhe police testified that
during the past few months they mad frequent
~ found Henken intoxicated and delirOus, and
had taken him from the sidewalk 10 his house,
sometimes long after midnight; and the liquor
dealers acknowledged that they had sold much
liquor 20 the woman and the bow.
Mr. Lebfun testified that on his first visit to So
Barrow street he found Young Henken IN a con
dition alternately stupid and delirious. Upon
endeavOriug to converse with him the nov
aroused himself somewhat and complained of
being Ill and wretchcd, and the woman Cooney
said that she had given MIN three drinks OF gin
that morning. she aud another woman. col
oreu, both bearing bad regulations, were living
In the same room with the hoy, aud were regu-
latlng his financial disbursements.
His condition was deemed critical 10y the phv-
sicians, and even now they scarcely hopo for
his recovery. lie was suffering with acute de-
lirium tremens and an enlarge ment OF the liver,
Induced by AN excessive use OF alcohol The
emaciated, his eyes are dull, and he seldom
speaks lie Is utterly prostrsted, and can be
Dr. Karl Zandt of the hospital testified yester-
day that the maladies under which tue boy suf-
Tered could not have been produced by any
thing less than prolonged course of excessive
dissipation, and could not have followed a
short carouse, which last was point which tho
boys counsel, MI. Henry, wished To establish.
Mr. Henry was appointed by Judge Robinson to
protect Henkeu's interests, and he wished to
save his client from the stigma of being declared
a habitual drunkard, maintaining that all good
resylts, In the way OF protecting the boy and his
properly, might be obtained 10y the ordinary
practice Of the Surrogates Court. But MIR.
Monelfs society was unwilling to 20 before the
surrogate, for the reason that Henken, being
guardian, and they feared to trust him while ho
was 80 thoroughly under the influence of de-
signing persons.
MIR. Jenkins the esuperintendent OF the society.
presented schedule of such property as ho
found belonging to the boy. 1t incluGed "A four
story brick house at 5s Barrow street, valued at
Sv,uOU; "a throe-stOry frame building al 81 Barrow
street, Naued at $500; two frame houses in
HoDoken. valued at $500; two vacant lots in
HobOken. valued al 500; 81 90 policy of in-
surance upon tue late Mrs. Henken's life;
Sl,bol.T In the Greenwich savings Bank, and q
quantity Of household furniture.
Mr. jenkins learned, moreover that the boy
hdd distributed much property among his dis
reputable lnpaulUna, and succeeded IN tracing
"a Tin box, which was believed to contain valu-
able papers, To the possession Of uin In the
neighbl lrhood hut the box when found had
been riiicu uf it, valuable contents
The tuTYs verdict was that ienken was
utterly uInt, because Oi hahitua drunkenness,
to he intrusted with tue control of property, and
they recommended that lie be placed under the
care Of guardian.
ine fees due tn the jury for their attendance
amounted to $lOJ. cnargeaho upBa uenkena
Wright, President of the Society for the Pro
Vcution OF Cruelty to Children.