New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-17
~ INCREDIBLE CONTRADICTIONS.

\ Transaction which was justly regarded rs
extraordinary when the facts were hrSt pun
ll>hcd is made TO appear far moro remarkable
bv the charges now brought against the late
Charles r. Chickcring by his surviving brother
After the death Of James Henry Paine in the
winter Of 1879. search was made for property
which it wa. supposed that singular person
might have left. and fer a will diSpOsing OF il.
lie had lived for years OH charity, but the
SUSPICION that he was rich existed. and found
expression in the sobrquct by which he was
commonly designated He was called q" the
misor'' in life, but after his death neither prop
city nor will came to light. and until Deem
her 10 1886, nothing was discovered TO JUSTIFY
the description. But on that date, in proceed
ings before the Surrogate, Charles /. CHECKER
ing. having been called AT his own suggestion
as witness took the stand and made Il Scn'a-
tional and unprecedented revelation. Opening
bundle wrapped in handkerchief he showed
a collection of gIecnbacks and coin amounting
10 moro than $500 900, and then told how
and when he came by II. Paine. he said, had
handed him the bundle more than twenty years
before, and asked him to put it in his safe,
without a word a. 10 its contents. Paine took
no receipt and never again alluded TO the
matter excepting once, when he asked if the
bundle was all right 1t lay untouched in
the safe all this time, and almost unthought
Of. until Mr.. Chiclloring. long after PaincS
death was reminded by the court proceedings
to examine it. Then he made tho amazing dis
COY cry which he promptly communicated to the
Surrogate. No living person except himself
knew Of his possession of the bundle on OF its
contents, and he might have appropriated every
dollar without the slightest risk OF exposure or
even suspicion. His honesty was universally
and heartily recognized, but he made no boast
of it., and those who knew him said that after
all, though the circumstances were eytraord
nary, it was inconceivablc that he should have
done anything else.
Five years later Charles +. Chcierng died.
In settling the Affairs # the company, the Sun
viving brother contracted t. pay - the widow
of Charles the sum OF $50. 600, in consideration
Of a sale to him Of stock in the company and
the release of claim for cash. On the APP
pointed date he refused payment and the widow
brought suit. In answer - this complaint i.
is now charged that Charles +. Cbiclcrng died
Il dcfaultcr indebted 10 his brother 10 the
amount of nearly 100000 and that he had
been continuously disappointing the money
Of the firm and fasifyng its accounts for iif
teen years before his death, from 1875 to 1890.
Certainly in view Of the transaction in the
Surrogatc'S Court in 1856 these allegations are
most extraordinary and hard t. believe. II
they are trnc, then a man whose financial con
dition was exceedingly prccarous, who was
steadily pursuing a criminal course, and whose
apprehension Of detection and punishment must
have been constant and keen. refused to keep
possession of a sum of money more than double
the amount of his dcfalcation. which had come
int his hands in the stiangeSt way IMAGINABLE
as if the power, Of evil were in league T. rescue
him. and of the existence Of which no other
human being knew. We bring no accusation
of any SOFT against the brother who makes
these charges. and we know nothing in detail
of the supposed proofs in his posi- sson. But
the truth is sure to be disclosed shortly. and in
the mean time it would be strange if the COM