The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-16
DECLARED A DRUNKARD.
THE CURSE OF A FORTUNE.

THE CURSE OF A FORTUNE.
LURED INTO BAD COMPANY, ROBBED AND DE-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. BY THE SOCIETY
FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO chill
DREN.
The curse of fortune was never more
forcibly illustrated than in tho following
sad recital from the New York Sun: A
sherff's jury, composed Of fifteen reputable
citizens, declared yesterday without dis
senting voice Henry A. Henken, boy OF
sixteen years, to be incapable OF taking care
of himself and his property, because of his
heing a habitual drunksrd. The investiga-
ton was set on foot primarily by
connected with the department OF
buildings, who, on the Goth of August, WIS.,
tied the house at So Barrow street TO exam
iDe into its stability, and found its owner,
young Henken, in a terrible condition, un-
able, through drunkenness, to comprehend
anything. Mr.. Lsbrun reported the case to
the Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty to
Children. and Henken was removed to the
German Hospital. Mr.. Mcneil, the counsel
tor the society, then petitioned Judge Rob-
inson, or the Common Pleas, to appoint
commission to see whether the boy was
habitual drunkard, and to report measures
tor the protection of the lads prop
erty, The statute requires that such
a commission shall be composed of a lawyer,
gentleman and physician; and Judge
Robinson, in granting Mr.. MOnelPs request,
appointed Delano Z. Calvin, Henry Bereh
and DIR. Ernst F. Holman to fill these re-
quirements. These commissioners sum-
moned a Jury and took the evidence in the
case, and closed yesterday. Young Hen
kenis father, who had been a grocer and
liquor dealer, died three years ago, leaving
iofn ~ n U AM nj
his widow and only son. Last april the
mother died without making will, and,
without any legal steps being taken,
THEBoY ASSUMED CONTROL
of his property, valued at about $50. 900, COL
lected the income thereof, and squandsred it
in dissipation. Before his mothers death he
decent morals, drinking no more than most
ofthe young Germans Of his acquaintance.
He bore reputation, indeed, ofsome worth.
After bis mother died he fell under the in
fiuence of woman named Kate COoney,
aged so years, and she moved to IS Barrow
street and lived in the same room with him.
Under her tutelage young Henken became
an inveterate drinker. Patrick McGOyne,
Henry Kugeler and others swore that they
had seen the woman purchasing liquor at all
hours of the day and night, which
I6SLln00
that during the past few months they had
| frequently found Henken intoxicated and
dellrious, and had taken him from the side
walk to his house. sometimes long after mid
night; and the liquor dealers acknowledged
that they had sold much liquor to the woman
and the boy. Mr.. Lebrun testified that on
his first visit to 90 Barrow street ne found
young Henken in condition alternately
stupid and deliTious. Upon endeavoring to
converse with him, the boy aroused himself
somewhat and complained OF being i'll d
wretcbed, and the woman Cooney said that
she had given him three drinks of gin that
| morning. She and another woman, colOred,
both bearing bad regulations, were living
| in the same room with the boy, and were
regulating his financial disbursements. His
condition was deemed critical by the ply ST.
clan, and even now they scarcely hope for
his reco very. He was suffering with acute
/ dellrium tremens, and an enlargement of
the liver, induced by an excessive use OF
alcohol. The delirium has passed away, but
the boy is much emaciated, his eyes are dull
and he seldom speaks. He is utterly pros
| trated and can be aroused only by energetic
approaches. DIR. Karl Zsndt, Of the hospital,
testified yesterday that the malades under
which the boy suffered could not have been
produced by anything less than
PROLONGED COURSE OF EXCESSIVE DIssIPA-
| TON,
and could not have followed short carouse,
which last was a point which the boys
counsel, Mr.. Henry, wished to establish.
Mr.. Henry was appointed by Judge Robin
son to protect Henken's interests, and he
wished to save his client from the stigma OF
being declared a habitusl drunkard, main
tanning that all good results, in the way of
protecting the boy and his property, might
| b obtained by the ordinary practice of the
surrOgate's court. But Mr.. Mouell's society
| was unwilling to go before the surrogate,
for the reason that Henken, being over four
teen, would have to chose bis own guardian,
and they feared to trust him while he
was so thoroughly under the influence of
designing persons. Mr.. Jenkins, the super
intendent of the society, presented a sched-
ule OF such property as he found belonging
to the boy. 1t included a four story brick
house at 5S Barrow street, valued at IS, 900
a three-story frame building at SO Barrow
street, valued at $1,000: two frame houses in
Hoboken, valued at $500; two vacant lots
in Hoboken, valued at $500; 81 900 policy
of insurance upon the late Mrs. Henken's
life; 81 ,651 81 in the Greenwich Savings
Bank, and quantity OF household furniture
Mr.. Jenkins learned, moreover, that the bow
had distributed much property among his
disreputable companions, and succeeded in
tracing tin box, which was believed &c
contain valuable papers, to the possession OF
a man in the neighborhood; but the box
when found, had been rified of its valuable
contents. The jury's verdict was that Hen.
ken was utterly unfit, because Of habitual
drunkenness, to be Entrusted with the con-
troll of property, and they recommended that
be be placed under the care of a guardian
The fees due to the jury for their attendance
amounted to sos, chsrgeable upon Hen
ken's estate, and this claim they assigned tC
Mr.. Wright, President of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
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