New-York tribune., 1897-08-04
THE CHARITIES SHORTAGE.
COMMISSIONER FAURE MADE TREAS
URER OF THE DEPARTMENT, TO
PREVENT FURTHER THEFTs
IJKE sTUARTS.

,.,..,. =, the accounts Of George K.
Stuart the former property c.erk III t"e Dspa.
ment of Charities, who disappeared o" June 1O' nos
been In progress several weeks. put 'he ~o.is
sioners of Accounts were not READY yes'eioa' ="
-. -.nort The irreguarities In Stuarts ac-
counts were discovered Immediately AFTER ne ois~p
reared and II has been reported that MS 'ne,es ~
money In his custody amounted 10 aoou' s''v
The American Surety Company was on MS ooha ,ol
e an Agents of the company have been search"s
hish and low for him, but he has not peer Io"i"'
stuart was a political friend OF Sias Z. Croi'' 'he
nresident OF the Department OF Charities.
The money that Stuart stole belonged 10 nun
dreds of and women who were in'".''es ~ ~
hospitals and asylums under the care o' .,c I'm I'm
rnissioners Of Charities A lax system OF heePi"e
custody Of such money made Stuarts theits pos
sbie He was in a position 10 help himsei " ''e
money without danger of immediate oiSco'e.!' w
he did help himself literally. as the inVes''suoo"
has shown already. The Commissioners OIL |n"i
tie. Yesterday expressed the hope that his ooho
nonld cover tho amount OF money he stole, put the
r,orrt NAV he several thousand dollars In excess
OF the bond A., r,,,,s
After the horse has been stolen 'he Coni,'''s
sioners of Charities have taken measures 10 ioeN
,h. stable door. Commissioner Faure has been
made treasurer Of the Department ana mas ii""
,u,sd a svs,em of checks and balances which may
ynake thefts in the Department Impossible IN future
The Commissioners however hau warning Vi ''e
danger of the former system before Stuart "as
In
v,eIded to temptation in practically the same piace'
ror many wears the money belonging TO patients IN
che HOSPITALS and asylums Of the Department hau
been kept in a safe in the Office at Thrd-aVe, anu
reventh-st In each case the property OF pa'le"''
consisting Of money jewery or o'her Va'uaoies,
was placed in envelope. marked Win name "',
date and the envelope was put into the saie' II
r. na,ient recovered and claimed his property the
envelope was returned to him. If he died the prop
erty was supposed TO go to the PUBIC Ao'h'''iS'"
TOR Many patients. however, became inmates VI
the asylums for the insane. ana were ios' ""o" 0'
for years ,.. -.o,,,oa an
occasionally the Public Administrator received en-
,.,ones from the safe, but the system of keeping
rack of the dead insane owners OF properly n Al
~. .afe was imperfect tnat for years Heoise
p,,ton who was secretary Of the Department Oh
os.r,ie. and Correction. able to help himser
=. ,he contents of unclaimed envelopes ne s'oie
Lonsands of dollars in that manner, ana ne Ios'
,cb Of the money at the racetrack When nc was
S,,,g his dishonesty was discovered. and there was
nartial restitution of the money ne nao s'oiei' '
died about year ago. after being allowed 70
.nother man who made acting secretary anu
ca nh.rqe Of the safe stole nearly 5000 and ran
away ,,..oaa \, changing the system, the Com
iafnnars made a place for Stuart as custodian.
The ony Improvement was 10 compel hifn 70 give re
bdnd He began 10 steal from the safe ana Iva IL was
repSrted that he also lost money at me race. NJ
he ne Mr. FanTe
Induced 10 take the office of treasurer only w''hin
a fortnight. ., .ha. he ala mt see
how II was possible to invent system for keeping
Charge OF the property of patients in the hosPoas @
and asyums without trusting somepooSc inc f Wr
Faure. and he said yesterday that he had gwen a
hond and meant to that there was no more ste"i
ing from the safe - ,-,..,..z 1,,,ra and
President Croft and Commissioners ka1re ana ana
Oeirne Of the Department of Charities haa long
consnitation with Mayor Strong yesterday afternoon
but they said the Stuart defaeation was nor
.ione5 AZ the interview and that the conversation
deal with routine matters affecting thelr Depart
ment. -. .,.os 4, on anartment-
house al No 2i62 Fifthave His fiat WHICH Is on
,be fourth foor OF the building, was IN oarkhess
ia. n;vht and no response could be obtained TO re-
Of the bell rsosta T6e nt Mr. Gi and
Mrs Stuart had been living in the country 1or TWO
or three weeks but she said she ar an not furnre
cd effects have not been removed from the nat