The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-27
ORPHANS MILLIONS.
Information Asked for ne 20 How Coruelias
Heany's Bcnefaction IL N anaged.
From fhe S,tad0v Culaen

A resolution was introduced In the
brooklyn Board OF Aldermen last week author.
ling tue Ltw Committee to investigate the
brooklyn Benevolent Society" We are sorry
Uat The proposed Investigation W Hunted TO a
mere question as 70 whether the society should
he compelled 10 pay tsEes to the city. for more
promising Held Tor asi 'undtnn developments "
or naLier more IN need OF thorough reform
never offered itself Many years aRo poor lad,
rnellus heany, came To this country I ON
ireland. He was wall, without r latives or
carved out for hin position Of iudep u ence.
ne became uartner with Old John jacob Aston
H. We Hudson liay { ar tr dc, and shared IN the
Pr"hte OF the lucrative busi less ON which WAS
iatu Tue foundation Of the Aston fortune. Heavy
snd tor quarrelled and dissolved partnership.
me iyrmer came " New York and set up tho
chandIery business In South street. One OF his
ctreedlIors' VINO owed him large sum, fsiled
AZ nc eou,d give iu Satisfaction II the debt as
II ueSSIL OF Lana now bounded bv Congress
ahd warren street and Court street and
the nyer, BROOKLYN Dir. Heany took IL
WIN great roluctsuce, hut tue proper
~ y now worth sever millions.
- Heaney was an odd person IN many wavs.
Despite his great wealth, be always dres sed In
the nieinest manner aud lived most frnsally.
He was jealous Catholic. had few iutimater
aud died bacuelor. lie loved children Of
bis Bronkivn property was ine orchara. and n
WIS the detight OF his dec ininx wears " luduoo
the Si-teIs WHO had ch trgo OF the orphan asy-
lums 10 permit their little ones o 70 ON pcntcs
his grounds. While he lived these los across
The waior-lor BROOKLYN was tnou part ~ the
Cahohc diocese OF New YOrk-weIe freq uently
recurring.
In 1876 Cornelius IIeanv diet, leaving most OF
MS lirD.er Tor an OrganiX II IN. to uC known
the brooklyn Benevolent Society. ANY resident
of tho diocese might be member ON payment
OF an annual Zee IL three d0llirs. The II enters
should vote ANNUALLY for Board OF Trustees, to
be elected 10y the majority, which board should
have tue management of the estate IN trust for
the xclusive bene1i Of the orphans. Protestant
rs well Catholic, " the diocese Of New
Yorkshire divided up into several dioceses.
Inc Mayor aud the ARCH ishop Of New York
and tho MaNor and Bishop Of BROOKLYN
were made er O1fctO members OF the society.
How has TINS trus, been managed? THIS IS tue
question that the Bro lklvn Aldermen should IN
.esugate. the wr er attempted few dave ago
70 get at the facts, but found every avenue Of
inform !tiOn closed to him. lie ascerfHined the
huue OF me present Secretary of the society, but
mat gentleman did not appear to have kept
minutes Of any OF its meetings. Nobody had
ever seen HnF annual report purpOrting to eman-
are from the socirty-iudred. II was freely
stated that none IA Il ever teen issued. the
secretary OF Site AT Albany said he had never
rece we'd one, although the law dIstinctlA re-
quires sucn to be fled yearly in mis- office, Here
- association, intrusted with LARGE sums
81 public money, to all appearances defytng
the law. and iefu ing to render an account
fact that In its If y sufficient to give rise 20 grave
suspicious. Hut II facts were scarce. rumOrs were
Ilcuty. While prosecuting his search, the
writer conversed VITA gentlemen OF standing
VINO Oponlr CHARGED that from almost the be-
ginning the society bad Deen In tho hands OF a
Ring who had cOntrived To elect themselves
trustees wear after year. At first this was done
~ asceriaining. AS they could easily do. the
number of genuine meulbers, and then paying
~ three dollars apiece for Large number OF
their own creatures. WHO, for a small cOnsidera-
ton, voted ns they were told. Latterly II has
not been necessary to resort to this trick. 4
number Of persons were named VINO at one n i'm >
or other had been connected with the manage
ment Of the society. aud who had suddenly
risen from poverty to great wealth, without a. e-
quste reason not traceatie to tue society it-elf
Among other, two OF the richest aud most
powerful railroad Presidents IN the United
states TODAY we're mentioned.
These assertions can only be proved. n at an,
through committee with power To send Tor
persons and paueIs:' wherefore we ask tho
brooklyn Aldermen to extend their investiga
lion. Ihere Is one thing certain, al al events,
aud that Is that The orph n are not deriving
from the lIeany estate anything like the bene-
FITS they should. 1t IL only few wears hack
tndt The Bro uklyn Otph Asvlum Society was
not re- ewing c. NJ from the BROOKLYN Benevo-
lent Society, rs the RECORDS OF the former will
show. The largest sum they ever got III single
yeer was <liVn Inc other annull receipts
Hoin ~ source were, IN round numbers,
5000. s. 90 and Ss.Ool. one ye r, we believe,
tue Protestant ASYLUM, after a hard hight, was
given Sl.pn. These sums represent the entire
Income derived in thirty Years from prop
cry. worth many miilions-enough to support
ever, orph anaee IN the state, without "A cent Of
extra cost 10 tue tax PAYERS.