New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
w. S. ANDREWS ACCUSED
A CHARGE OF DEFRAUDING A PENSIONER
MADE AGAINST THE COMMISSIONER.
TIE DEAD SOLDIERS DAUGHTER BRINGS SUIT
FOE 81 ,5oO-EXPLANArION AND DENIAL
.I1IE DEPENDANT

FOR 81 EXPLANATION AND DENIAL
or THE DEFENDANT.
II must have been in accordance with the
principle from him that hath not shall be taken
even that which he hath" that Leila Grace
Toplanyi has brought suit against Commissioner
William s Andrews Recently he testified in
supplementary proceedings that he had no bank
account and indeed had only few dollars
in his pocket and was unable to pay judg-
ment obtained against him. In view Of this 1t
may seem that Miss Toplanyi has little chance
of getting any cash from the Commissioner
should she win her action She may believe II
possible however that he will some day be-
come possessed ~ sufficient funds to meet her
/ claim.
The complainant IS the daughter Of n Union
soldier who died about five years ago. She
declares that Andrews dcfrauded her father Of
1927 Of pension money. which he obtained by
false representations. Her lawyer is Theodore
Won Brcmsen. of No. 2i5 Broadway. Papers in
the suit were filed I'm the Court of Common
Pleas yesterday Miss Toplanyi alleges that
| prior to September. lSS3 Andrews was the agent
of her father Alexander :. Toplanyi in securing
a pension for him. In September. lNs3. III" appli-
cation granted. The soldier was To receive
$50 month from the tim" when he was
wounded. His back pension money thus
amounted 10 1921
FALSE EEPRFSTTTATT rs ALLEGED.
The complaint alleges that Andrews accom-
panied Toplany to the pension Office in canal-st.
where tho paid to him in four checks.
II Is charged that by trick and device Andrews
persuaded his client to indorse the checks over
to him. Topianyi believing that T. was merely
to enable Andrews to collect tn" money Tor MN.
Andrews. however. it IS alleged. Kept all TN"
proceeds for his own use.
ON April %. 1856. Tuplanyi signed an order
directing Andrews - pay $1,000 "i the money q"
Edgar K. Bydcnburgh. Tho Counsson"r r.
fused TO give any sum - Biydenburgh. The
order was assigned to Ms Topinnyi for value.
end now she brings suit on #.
Commissioner Andrews did not know. when
! Tribune reporter him in his Office IN tn" n"w
Criminal Courts Building whether 1t was worm
while 20 say anything about the suit. Finally.
he gave the following explanation of his dealings
| with the pension"r:
| Il first met Tuplanyi in North Carolina during
the war. He WAS captain Of company 81 coi-
| ored troops. Toplanyi was a Hungarian by blr'n
and a man Of splendid education. VI" talked
| Latin nuently and was master Of several mod
crn languages. including French. German. Eng
lish and Italian. After the war ! saw him from
time to time He was victim of ihc drink habit
His appetite for liquor was at times unc'h-
| trOllable
SECURING THE PENSION.
| "1 was practising law at the time and thought
would try TO get pension for him. thought
I, would take only n short time. and gave him
money overy H.tc while. The claim. however.
Jagged for several years. and I'm tho mean time
| looked after him. | pni1 his board AZ one place.
I could not give him any money, for II dii. IL
would 70 for drink. ] gave him checks 10 pay Tor
! his board one time took him 'n'o clothing
| e,orc and bought him complete out SUIT
/ underwear linen and everything. The next
| ,r,r,ing ne appeared a. my oillc" IN rags. NJ
| thnugh ne had "A boarding place. a. hai g'n" -
| a ,.hnon lodging near the Battery, whore hr was
| r,,lc1 ~ his clothes he said. This happened on
| ono nr two other occasions.
! 'aVhcn the pension was awarded I'pIaI,H
,,or, tn visit his relatives I'm Hungary. Ills
! fa,niIv was one ~ Importance. his brother being
| Minister of Education. ToplanyL however. "'4
| q ,horouchlv patriotic American lie SAlh u"
,,antod tn die and be- buried Ia tn" United states
! ca he returned here. The trip cost him -" OF
/ sq00 which was paid ont ~ his pension money
! aiso gave him money for his daughter, VINO
,,oe ,,keu care. of hy ncr mothers people.
| "Jt was ToplanyIs habit To- sign orders on me
for money when hc got drunk. | would rciis" T."
| nav thnm and when he got sober h" would deny
| iiI tnowlcdgc Of having signed them. When
! ,he uenslnn was awarded 10 him. several people
! NM I'm claims against him. tn" sam" H"!rf
! Inn Hrernseu brought suit against ~" IN iho
/ cunroruc Court on one of thcs" orders. hut IL
| vas dismissed He made charges "f iiauh
! ,,,.iret me and | demanded an investigation by
| ,h. p.nsinn Bureau. An examiner was SOM
! haro and I showed the checks which ! had
! ,aid for Toplanvrs expenses He himself tesii-
/ Ged ,n my uayments for him. ana IN" examiner
/ reuortod tha, instead Of my having any OF the
| rrneioncrs money he owed me $2ll.