The evening world., 1895-08-16

to the American Museum of/,Natural
History. Manhattan Square. West
Seventy seventh street, a collection Of
specimens worth $4,000 vas pointed
out to him and he was told that it had
been a State exhibit. but had been
purchased from the venerable James
Hall. NJ. D.. who has been State
Geologist to the Board of Regents for
fifty-elght years.
Secretary Dewey also stated that he
saw another collection of stones and
minerals at the University OF Pennsyl-
vania. which was said to have come
from DR.. Hall. and necessarily the
State. since the collections made by
DR.. Hall as q salaried officer naturally
and By law belong to the State. and he
had nj right to sell them.
1t was fact, which Mr.. Dewey said
ne noted with pain when he first entered
the service Of the Regents as Secretary.
that there was a regular police service
to watch the white-haired DR.. Hall. and
when the geologist desired specimens
from the great collection he had him
self made, he had to get one Of the
watchful subordlnates to unlock the
door of the case, for he was not per-
mitted to carry the keys himself.
These charges were made with evi-
dent reluctance, and DIR. Hall was ac-
cused Of misappropriat!ng vast sums
Of money given to the State biologists
Department.
Chairman Abel and Assembymen
Finn and Cutler have been investigat ting
for q week she manner in which Secre-
tary Dewey conducts his department.
and an early discovery was that OF dis
sension between the State Biologists
Department and the Regents.
DR.. Hall was put on the stand yester-
day and he was allowed to ramble on
In defense Of his department. but he
seemed to evade all essential points In
reply to Prof. Deweys charges while
he dwelt on minor matters with en-
phasis and Querulous persistence.
He made no effort to sustain the
charges that Editor Hazelton testified
were derived from him. and even ex-
cured the Regents and exonerated
Dewey.
lie told how early in his Official career
an assistant named 9eecher was set as
a spy on him by Chancellor Pierson, and
how later Beecher was promoted to be
consulting psleontologist. He denied
that he had ever accused Dewey or the
Regents Of keeping oack part Of his
salary, and then the old man said he
was too Ill to 60 on with the examips<
tion.
On returning to the stand Secretary
Dewey said that DR.. Hall.-As delayed
the publication of the Paleontology
more than forty years. and had so tied
up the matter with the Van Benthuysen
Printing Company that the work could
never be published by any other con-
cern.
He characterized Dr. Hall as "a verit-
able Old Man of the Sea, hanging about
the neck Of the Regents ever since
before I dewey was born" He said
Hall had kept one name on his salary
list long after its owner had fled the
city to escape punishment for disorderfy
conduct and that the Regents were
compelled to pass rule obliging that
all bills from Dr. Halls department be
presented promptly, as 1t constantly
happened that bills seven or eight years
old were being presented from that
department.
almost eiEhty-four years old. having
been born at bingham, Mass, Sept. IL.
ISL. His early education was got In
intended at first for the medical pro-
OF the most famous geologists In the