The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-06
A DBATHBED SIGNATURE
Tom Ryan's Interest in the
Park House Given Away
at a Secret Conference.
THE DOLLAR BILL OF SALE.
Was He Improperly Influenced to
Make It?--A Suit to Set 1t
Aside.

The fact that Counselor NJ. T. Newbold
Is about to institute proceedings to set
aside the bill of sale by which Tommy
Ryan, while he was dying at his home,
surrendered his interest in the Park
House and in Pat Hayden's old saloon on
Eighth street, to Billy Madden, his part
ner, for dollar, brings to the surface a
story of much interest
Madden and Ryan were known to all
the sporting fraternity hereabouts, and
the Park House became, under their man
agement, the most noted resort in the
county for sporting men. A little dash of
religious disagreements invests the narra-
tive with peculiar interest, and the will.
If no novel question of law is involved in
the contemplated proceedings, will be
enough to command the attention of the
lawyers
A MYSTERIOUS VISIT.
When Madden and Ryan,went into part
nership together, six or eight years ago, it
was as equal partners Ryan was stricken
with consumption year or two ago, and
died recently. While he lay on his death
bed Madden was a frequent visitor at the
house.
A fortnight before his death Henry
Lembeck visited the house one day with
Madden. They went into the sick mans
ROOM, after, as she alleges, forbidding
Mrs. Ryan to intrude,upon them, and had
half hours consultation with him.
Ryan died soon afUer and it was found
that his will made his father, Thomas
Ryan, well-to-do grocer on Park avenue,
H0hOkan 0fN nj
guardian of his children He had an in
surance of $1,000 upon his life, but his
children alone were the sbeneficiaries, and
the only provision made for Mrs. Ryan's
support was that which might be made
out Of his interest in thes Park House and
the Eighth street saloon.
The elder Ryan waited upon Mr.. r.
Madden and asked for am accounting as
to these properties, and Madden surprised
him by flashing before. his eyes bill of
the trifiing consideration OF single dol
lar, and Mr.. Ryan learned that his son
had signed the document at the time
when Madden and Commissioner Lem
be beck made their ei mysterious visit to
consulted with Counselbors John
Linn and Newbold about commencing
suit to have the instrument set aside, but
delay has been Occasioned by the fact that
there is no money in the estate to pay the
SISTERS OF CHARITY AND MAsoNs.
This delay has given opportunities for
the growth of ill humor between the
widow and her father er-in-law, and the con-
test presents just now the aspect of
three-cornered contest for the possession
of the dead mans property.
Ryan had been reared in the Catholic
faith, but he was $50 little a churchman
that he married his wife with the full
knowledge that she was Protestant and
permitted her to bring her children up in
her belief and himself was so active in
Masonic circles that ihe rose to the thirty
second degree in them. While he lay in
the last stages of his disease kind hearted
members of the ord er watched over him
till the elder Ryan and Madden insisted
upon having the Sisters of Charity at his
bedside, and then the Masons retired, and
the other influences surrounded him so
completely that before the end arrived he
renounced Masonry altogether.
These religious. differences had led
during his lifetime to, trouble between
Ryan and his wife, andsshe was once in
carcerated in a lunatic asylum on his COM
plant. They are presumed, too, to have
prompted him to take the control of her
little ones out of her hands and to in
duce him to make his father their
guardian.
They undoubtedly Ned to arrangements,
after his death, between his father and
his wife; and Mrs Ryan, who was inter
viewed in Hoboken day or two ago, de-
clared that In oppos htion to her wishes
her children are fore ed to go to parochial
schools, and to attend the Catholic service.
particular that he hrs found much fault
with Mrs. Ryan this week for not sending
the children to church last Sunday, and
she fears that in tlael end he viii take
them away from her. They are now in
her care at her home, No 26 Bloomfield
street, Hoboken, and by order of the
Court Ryan allows he $50 per month out
OF the insurance mqleys for their sup
port
WHY THE SUIT'wAs DELAYED.
1t has been suspected by Mrs. Ryan's
family that Mr.. Ryan IS delay in institut-
Ing the proceedings - set aside the bill of
sale is due to these diff ierences. Mrs Ryan
father-in-law is presumed to be indiffer
ent to her welfarel But Lawyer New
bold says this is not4so
"One reason" he said i'll conversation
ne had with me Yesterday, why the suit
money of the deakE mans to pay the ex-
penses. Another is that we do not want
to go into COURT Eunprepared. A safe
ground to go intoi count is with proofs
that the bin of sale was gotten by fraud
offer. The fact that ex-Mayor Collins
drew the bill Of sa1eiand advised it gives
rise to the presumption that there was no
fraud.
THE BILL OF SALE EXPLAINED.
"And Mr.. Madden makes q reasonable
explanation concerning It,. The bill of |
sale recites that 1t is made because Mad |
den supplied all the money that started |
the pair in business, and because it had |
been discovered that he had overdrawn |
his allowance about "a 600
Madden says that the books show the !
overdraft to be alfact, and that Ryan, in |
consideration of it, and of the fact that he |
had put no money In the business, was
easily persuaded that asrennquishment of |
his partnership interest for a nominal con-
sideration was the fair thing for him to
do. Mr. Lembeck, who saw the bill of
sale signed, says that mo- pressure was put |
upon Ryan, nor any advantage taken of /
him, but that everything done in the Sc
cret conference was square.
Madden has further disarmed suspi-
cion by allowing US the freest access to I
the books; and assisting us In every possi-
BILE way with our investigations. But,
then. even if Ryan may seem TO have
overdrawn his allowance, how do we |
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