Morning journal and courier., 1892-04-22
THE ALTERED FIGURES.

MT. VValdron Emphatic in His Denial -He Has Sent for Counsel-Judge Stoddard,s opinion.
 The charge against MT. Waldron to the effect that he altered certain figures in the records of the board of public works was much talked about yesterday all over town. The takers were very reluctant to believe | that there was any foundation for the l charge beyond the fact that alterations had been made in the figures. The general idea seemed to be that MT. Waldron was a man of too much integrity and of too clear a head to do such a thing, especially as it could hardly fail to be discovered and re- act upon him.
 MT. Daley when asked concerning the matter said that his attention was called to the fact that the figures had been altered. He looked at the book in the presence of witnesses and after satisfying himself that there had been alterations called in MT. Doolittle and together they studied the records and made the discoveries that were reported by MT. Daley Wednesday even ing. MT. Daley further said that at no time had the book been in his hands with out witnesses being present.
 MT. Waldron is emphatic in his denial of the charge and has already collected some facts in support of that denial. Furthermore, he does not intend to rest here. He has sent for Attorney Williams, of the law firm of Wooster, Williams & Gager, and will do whatever can be done to clear up the mystery. He says: q ex- pered with. There is no doubt of it. But I am not the guilty person. I did not do it."
 How the matter is looked at by several | good lawyers is expressed in the opinion of ex-Judge Stoddard, who says: "It is Q most serious matter for either MT. Daley or MT. Waldron. The way in which the charges were presented was supicious. It is evident that the counsel for the defense was aware of these things for several days, for they have taken the time decent thing for them to have done was to put their witnesses on the stand and prove these charges, but instead of that they permit the matter to remain quiet until the last moment and then spring them upon the board of aldermen in the closing argument without giving MT. Wal dron chance to explain or even be heard. That is not the way honest men do. say to me the matter looks suspicious. I do l sel had proof of the charges they preferred they would have kept it secret. On the other hand, they would not have hesitated to have brought criminal proceedings in court, which rested entirely in their hands, and have given the matter the greatest publicity. It would have been for their interest to do so. Honest men with faith in their cause would have taken this course as the best and only way of pro cedure. Men who had no faith in what they alleged would most probably consider the manner in which the charges were preferred last night as the best way ot presenting them. I have no hesitancy in saying that coming as the charges did ] did not for one moment believe in their sincerity. I had no chance to confer with MT. Waldron, but my estimation of his
 moral character was such that could moi
 conceive of his doing any such thing, and
 it was with no hesitation that challenged
 MT. Daley to prosecute him if he believed :; the charges were true. It was most un
 usual proceeding and is 8 most serious
 matter for MT. Daley or MT. Waldron."
 DEATH OF l.. F. COmsToCK.
 An old and Respected Business Man of New Haven Dies at His Home or
 George Street.
 Lafayette F. Comstock died yesterday
 afternoon at about 80 at his home, 33s
 George street, aged nearly eighty-three
 He had been in poorer health than usua
 for year or two, owing to advancing years, and for the past three or four weeki had been confined to the house. The
 cause of his death was debility consequent
 upon old age. He leaves wife and one daughter, Mrs. Dr. Nicoll, also one sister
 Mrs. Beach of Dixwsll avenue, to mourn
 his loss.
 MT. Comstock was the son of prosper
 ous farmer and was born in Kingsbury Washington county, N. Y., on the 29th o1 . August, 1909, and learned the trade of car riage making. When twenty one years ot age he came to Connecticut and settled a Plymouth, where for two years he worked , at his trade and then entered into co-part
 nership with his employer, MT. Luciu
 Bradley, whose sister, Hannah M. Bradley he married in May, 1888. He was largely , and extensively engaged in business ir
 Plymouth until the war, when he los of years, and for three years wal , disabled by ill health so that he could not
 attend to business. In 1862 he came t.
 New Haven and had been engaged in thu
 real estate business here ever since, unti January last, when he retired from activ. business, leaving the entire charge of it tt
 his part ner, MT. Charles D. Nicoll.
 Mir. Comstock was man of great busi
 ness capacity and integrity, as the fact tha l twenty years from the time he learned thu carriage making trade he was proprietor
 of the establishment shows. When at tn, time of the war he lost his property h. l was man of over sixty and despite hi years he paid off all of his outlawed debt to the last penny.
 7 He took the name of Lafayette from hit grandfather, who was an officer unde General Lafayette in the revolution. II
 May, 'S3, he celebrated the fftieth ami
 versary of his marriage. Mir. Co.nstocl
 was member of the College street Con f gregational church. He had been mem Der there twenty years.
 Rev. Dr. McLane will oficiate at thu funeral, which will take place on Sunda. . afternoon. The interment will be in Ever green cemetery.
 The deceased was man of high integ
 rity and sense of honor and his characte 5 throughout was estimable.