The New York herald., 1879-11-09
A VICAR GENERALS ESTATE.

SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST PRIEST OF BErRAY-
ING HIS VERBAL TRUsT-AN APPEAL TO THE
coURTs-REMARKABLE ALLEGATIONS BY THE
PLAINTIFF.
New HAVEN. Conn.,, Nov. 8, 1879.
A suit has been commenced here in the Superior
Court for the county of New Haven which
affects very seriously prominent priest
of the Catholic Church. Rev. Thomas j.
bridgeport and also involves the estate
of the late Very Rev. James Lynch Vicar General Of
the Hartford diocese. The petition is filed in the
name Of Miss Susan McCabe. neice Of the deceased
Vicar General and for many years his housekeeper.
THE PLAINTIFFS ALLEGATIONS.
She alleges that the late Rev. James Lynch. for
meriy pastor at st. Patricks Church. in this city.
was her uncle. and that short time prior to his
death he met with accident. which injured
his spine. paralyzed and rendered useless his
arms and legs and entirely prevented his using q
pen; that he possessed in his right of per-
sonal property Of great value. including money
on deposit in various banks and claims
and demands for money loaned and deposited
with individuals and corporations. the whole
amounting, the petitioner believes and therefore
AYERS to be not less than the sum of $4,000. And
Lynch was physically and mentally unable to CON-
pose and execute u written document to enable him
to make d1spO01tlOu OF his property; that
Thomas j. Synnott, Of the city of bridgeport in
said State, then. and for long time previous.
priest Of the Catholic Church and had long been
all intimate acquaintance of the said James Lynch
and had succeeded in inspiring the said James
Lynch with the belief and conviction that
James s Lynch and man ef Of the an ssr,c,est sea
fidelity. and in all respects honest and honorable
and in every way relisbe and As gentlemen Of such
safely intrusted with the property of said deceased
as trustee under verbal trust for the pur-
dsoe~,h ,h,.k.w
the relatives Of the said James Lynch in such
amounts the said Lynch should verbally specify
Lynch did then and there transfer and mako
over to and otherwise place within the control
of the said synnott. ,n III. II trust. trust: nearly the
the express understanding and agreement then
had and entered into by and between the
said said synnott would receive. hold. use
and transfer OF all said property. not for himself
for his the said synnott's own personal benefit. but
toned and directed by the said Lynch"
HOW TRUSTEE WAS
The petition goes to say that Father Lynch
held promissorv notes Of Father Synnott for large
amounts Of money, aggregating IN the whole many
Father Lynch acquired all his property while he
held the Office and performed the duties Of an ecce
siastic in the Roman Catholic Church. and preferred
property should not be made known to the
public. and it was then and there agreed
(Synnot should be discharged from his obligations
as the maker of the promssory notes. and that he
should keep and retain the amount of money repre-
sented by the notes trustee. and that he should
| use and dispose OF the same in trust for tho
sole and exclusive benefit of the relatives of Father
| Lynch in the same manner that be to hold. by
| said agreement and use and dispose of the other
property of Father Lynch. which given
does not know the amount of Father Lynch's
estate. but she believes and in the
and upward. and that more than four-hrths part
| thereof have been wrongfully retained by Father
synnott, and is withheld from her and other near
relatives who are entitled to the by the terms
| of the trust made between Fathers Lynch and
Synnott. The petition further says "that said
Synnott bv fraud and falsehood obtained said trust
estate. and is fraudulently misapplying aud using
| A PARTIAL PAYMENT.
The petition also sets forth that the said Synnott
has paid out for this trust fund, ting to
$4,000 to several relatives OF the deceased aud
| fully and iraudulently refrained from admitting
! that the amounts so paid and expended are
paid and expended from said trust estate and from
acknowledging that he merely acting as a trus-
tee in dispensing said money and has by fraudu-
lent inducements carefully endeavored to guard
himself against the possibility of furnishing those
entitled to said trust estate any evidence OF their
| title to the same. The petitioner states also that
she Is unable to name all those who interested in
this trust fund.- but she that the said Synuott
knows who they are, and that he has fraudulently
| refrained from giving them any information con-
| cerning their interest in said trust estate, and
| has restrained the same for his own purpose
and in total neglect and disregard of his duties
ana obligations as said trustee. That she has suf
fered great pecuniary loss and will continue so to do
AS will also all the other parties Interested long az
| said Synnott refuses to carry out the agreement
| of the trust estate, and she therefore desires
and asks the aid OF the Court to enable her to iuy
ascertain the extent of her rights aud Interests in
said trust estate, and to judically examine all tho
| accounts and transactions in relation thereto
| since the has been in the possession
| and under the control OF said Synnott
She desires that said Synnott be removed from his
Office and that some honest and capable person be
appointed IN his place. who should give good and
fallr of t,af "A
| estate shall be faithfully carried out.
| A DEMAND FOR fNvEsTIGArIoN