The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-05
RUINED BY W. C. BARRETT.
TWo ESTATES HRECK ED ny PASS
mo THROUGH ms HANDS.
Ills s,epmo,hcr Loses about $4,000 chus.


Ills stepmother Loses about 100000 Chas.
q. IInIpine's Daughter impoverished Fla
grnnt Abuses of Implicit Confidence.
In behalf of Miss Ilalpinc, daughter OF
the late Charles @. II ilpine, known more gen
orally as Miles Oltellly, all OF William G. Bar
reits property that can be found has been at
tached. The fugitive lawyer was the custodian
Of Miss Hapine's estate. and by bis dishonesty
the property thus ntrustod. in anne unit about
$1,000, Is a loss. Halpine held the lucrative Of
nce OF Register at the time of his death, and
the Income during the unexpircd part OF his
term was secured to the widow and daughter.
Barrett had been an intimate friend Of Hhpine,
and he, az a labor OF love, according to the be-
lief then. received the money and afterwdrd in
vested II. The confidence in him was implicit,
and he was never asked for any account Of the
money. At regular Intervals he turned over
fair sums as the profits OF investments, and pa
pers presented 10y him for signature were signed
without examination or question. IIo was APP
pointed guardiln to Miss nalpne ana In that
capacity had added opportunities Tor abusing
confidence. After his recent departure for
Europe, It was found that the property mad been
appropriated entirely by him. His method, In
general. had been to induce Miss llapine 70 sign
assignments ignOrantly, and then to sell the
property.
Barretts present abiding place may he known
TO some Of his friends. but they do not divule
II. the swindlcd persons doubtless would, II
they could, TRY TO procure MS arrest ana return
to this country. They are left with no money,
however, and 40 clnnot conduct expensive pro-
oeedings. The case has not been taken into the
District Attorneys ONCE, probably because
hopes Of compromise are entertained.
The statement that Barrett was insane when
he absconded Ia pooh poohed by those who have
suffered at his hands. They hold that his mis-
management of their property required the pos
session Of his mental faculties unimpared. As
to whether he took the money with him In his
High. or mad lost 1t In bad speculatiOns, Ia only
conjecture.
One of the worst OF Barretts crimes was to
cheat his stepmother out OF about $1,000 every
dollar that she possessed. She married the dis
Graced lawyers father many. years AGO. when
very Young. He lived only few months after
ward. Later she was welded TO the Rev. f. q.
Putnam, now pastor Of st. PauPs Episcopal
CHURCH. Jersey CITY. Mrs. Putnam and her
family are almost Frustrated by the blow, aud
nos more by the loss Of the money than by grief
for the duplicty OF trusted relative.
At the communion table," said the yenera-
bic clergyman, yesterday, 81 try to hanish from
my heart all resentment toward ANYBODY who
has mi red me. Mr.. Barrett has swept awav all
We have, what we depended on In our old ace,
and It u very hard to bear; but only feel sor-
row for him-recret that he could find 10 posi-
Die to do what he has done. do not wish TO
give the facts for publication"
The sympathy for Mr.. and Mrs. Putnam among
their friends in and out OF the congregation Of
IT. PauIs. IS hearty aud the pastors charity for
Barrett IL not general. The facts were not dim
cult to obtain from others. Mrs. Putnam put
her money unrestrictedly into her stepsons
hands more than eight wears ago. and thereafte r
| knew little about II, except that 10 Afforded a
reasonable income. She signed whatever he told
| her TO. without knowtni the uurport Of the doc
| uments Most OF tho SnuD was Invested in
| mortgages, and "A little In stocks, and neither
| Mrs. Putnam nor her husband mad, until after
| the exposure. any suspicion that the securities
were not In Barretts safe. Money purportins to
! be interest and dividends was paid regularly.
| Mr. Putnam was engrossed In clerical employ
! ment, ard had no taste for business. They now
! learn that the MORTGAGES and stock have been
| sold by Barrett, aud that not vestige OF the
money intrusted to him Is LETT A. Mrs Putnam
signed every per presented 10 her ov Barrett,
| n IL likely that she put her signature to assign
| ments. The holders Of the misapprOprlated Sc
curtics paid honestly for them; vet, the sale by
! Barrett being Illegal. IL II thought that they
might be recovered. Mr.. Putnam, however, dis
| flyors any effort to recover his wife's property
| In that way, on the ground that the holders
| ought not to lose
| There are other heavy losers, and the total OF
! the defalcation Is roughly estimated al $2;n.0O
That largo sum, II the guess IS correct l. prOba-
| bly, lost beyond recovery, excepting In tue case
| of Miss Hnipinc. The attachment OF the ittle
| property that Barrett left behind will reimburse
| her to a small extent. unless some earlier clam
] ts.T.