The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-30

.
After hr. Vansindcren the lawyers the cousins and
the crowd had gone anil the dray hal carried away
his ELECTS Mr.. Wells tottered into Mr. Swans office
and SAT- down perfectly exhausted.
Cheer up. old friend. said his host. ''Youll be
all right. What's the matter q
ION. they say can't attend 10 my own affairs"
ooh. that's nonsense. See your lawyer. Here, III
send my man along with YOU"
Not now; III see him tomorrow But, say. ism t
II little strange? had wit enough to make IL v
money and sense enough 10 keep it. and still
haven't tho ability to hold on to it till die
last long"
''oh. don't know. don't know" said the old
man. and. gathering himself together, he went to
the entry. looked sadly at the brass paddock
the door and fecbly passed down the stairs. home
account checks and other business testimony win be
concealed destroyed At the petition of Mr. Sibley
several banks where Mr. Wells dealt and also ON his
counsel, Messrs Crosby Kent, of No. 20 Nassau
street.
WHAT THE RECEIVER SAYS
The receiver sat in his easy chair and regarded the
question with undssused aston!sllment. when he
Mr. Wells, J. Il. p
Removing his glasses, the lawyer regarded the
qucstoncr with increased anazement and then after
quietly closing the door, said. Certainly. certainly
What do you care to knowy -
What is your connection with the Wells mat.er.?"
"Only that am the receiver of his estate"
Isn't it rather strange to appoint receiver while
proceedings i'll iunacy are pending?'
Under ordinary circumstances 1t is. but there
seem to be peculiar reasons why this should be made
an exception
How were you choseng"
"Mr. Sibley, the petitioner. 10 lawyer in this
building. He asked il would After declining,
consented, and, being appointed gave the demanded
bonds"
Have you seen Mr. wels?"
"Yes. The morning was appointed conceived it
locksmith open the door. 1t needed but glance to
see the necessity of something radical. Next day
met Mr. Wells. got his keys and opened his safes and
drawers. found everything in confusion and EVIL
dences Of an unsettled mind everywhere. told him
must take the things toa safe place. lie consented.
felt sorry for him and asked IL he had consulted
bis lawyer. He said he had. then that he had not,
then that he had Just left him and had another APP
pointment in the afternoon. could get no idea Of
what he had, none of where his property was. His
money and vauables exposed in unsafe places,
and wonder he was not robbed long ago OF all he
had"
at Is said you are a partner of Mr. Sibley?'
THAT'S not He has an Office here. that's all"
''And that you made his brother the accountant
His brother was my accountant in the suit against
Tilden and others. and found him so useful that
put this in his hands. as matter of course"
"Do you consider Mr.. Wells lunatic!'
~ decline to answer that. He does not talk ration
ally commercially. He contradicts himself contnu
ally, and this proceeding in friendly hands and
in his best interests l regard 1t as benevolent and
kind"
WHAT THE SECOND COUSIN SAYS
Just here the conversation was interrupted by the
hurried entrance of white bearded individual with
a tall hat and something on his mind. 'This, said
the bland receiver. "is Mr. Sibley, the lawyer and
second cousin
Mr.. sibley bowed. and sat on box full of the old
mans deeds.
what was your motive, Mr.. Sibley, in putting Mr.
Wells in this position?
We'll. said he. he pushed back his tall hat and
smiled through his beard, '.Iu tell you and if 1
could tell you all you'd be surprised. AS it is youn
be interested In the first place Mr.. Wclls--he
always calls me George. and I've known him always
once in the straw business He never married.
He was the last of five sons, each OF whom--
Eyes. know; but how came you to think of the
lunacy proceedngsw
We'll, as was saying none of the five sons ever
married: Mr.. Wells. who is very fond of me (al-
don't see how can be benefited cent by his prop
ery under the State aws) in the straw line
and he made money very fast. lie is regular miser
You've no idea OF his peculiarities. We don't mean
to let him suffer. He shall have the home he
always had Why, Miss Ruckel is as kind to him as
if he her father. He lives pleasantly there and
all the Ruckels are very good to him..
'Did you hear from them anything Of his habits?"
well. Mr.. Rolston. President OF the Farmers
Wells. who was friend aud dealer in the bank,
ought to be cared for knew then OF no near rcia-
a young man named Clapp-'
what BUSINESS?
Hes travelling salesman when he works. He's
o second cousin, and he made the petition We don't
propose any harm to Mr.. Wells, but he doesn't know
how to take care OF himself AS for his property he
doesn't know where 1t is or what it s."
HE seems to think he does.''
"rhat makes no differepce There's an inside his
tory to all this and sooner or later we will expose
property. His check books show extraordinary re-
cepts and outlays. He has bought all sorts and
bonds-Portage Lake bonds. Ship Canal bonds and
perfect raft of Cuban bonds. asked Mr.. Wells
where his other bonds were He thought they
in the bank. but they are not. Where they are he
doesn't know"
"How about his relatives?''
cit seems / was mistaken when I said he had none.
He has relatives in Connecticut by the name of Taft
but they arc now in harmony with us. We shall not
send him to a lunatc asylum He can have the home
he has had for twenty-five years He is great care
and burden to Miss Ruckc but she likes him and Is
willing to keep him. The fact is the old man gone.
nEnal .v ola oil
and when left Mr.. Wells this morning he was the
happiest man living
''Can he have what he wants TO spend?"
"He never spends a cent When he hurt his finger
he wouldn't spend fifty cents for bottle of medi-
cine because he thought he could work it through
wholesale druggist for twenty five cents"
"Can he have what he wants to spend %
"why. certainly. He'll be well cared for but we
can't ind his bonds. The registered bonds all
right, but there others. He is worth half
million dollars"
did he make it all p
Every cent"
Certainly
"Crosby x Kent were, but an injunction was
served on them as we'll as AL the rest"
COUNSEL SAYS.
The elegant offices OF Messrs Crosby & Kent were
throngcd yesterday morning, but the HERALD repre-
sentative found speedy audience with Mr.. Kent.
whose Byronc makeup is as near fac-simile OF the
late lamented poet as one can find in whole years
walk. In response to question he said:-"Yes
are Mr.; Wells lawyers, and propose to take carly
proceedings in his case p
"Do you consider him crazy?'
We'll. whatever impression he may make in ordi-
nary conversation, 1t wouldn't be safe you 10 do
business with him on that sapposition."
Then he understands the value of his money!
'Indeed he does"
"How was it possible to have his property put in
the hands OF receiverT'
"It was done, as always cx parte hearing"
"And could edone to any oneY
Certainly
when did you last see Mr.. weilsY'
The day the receiver called on him.
"Was he straighty
"Perfectly."
when do you purpose movingg'
Eat an carly day"
"And WHAT
Two havo not decided whether to move for q
moval OF tho receiver or 10 meet them the main
issue OF linpcy think it will prove difficult task
to show that the old man. queer aud eccentric he
professionally IA, cannot take good of thc prop
erty he accumulated 30 carefully
'HEs he relatives 70
Sc TINY In haa Init hcv mia