The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-24
SAYS CHARGES ARE UNTRUE
JUDGE PARKINSON ON CASE AGAINST
 CLINTON SCHOOL TRUSTEES,

Circumstances in the Case-An Account ing of Trust Funds Asked For-Moneys Alleged to Have Been Impr ,erly DI- verted.
 A bill in equity has been brought in the name of the states attorney for Mid dleseX county upon the relation of Leon H. Hurtt, Horatio Kelsey, Charles w. Wellman and John F. Bacon, all of Clinton, Wednesday, against the trus- tees of the Mongan school of Clinton. The writ was served by Sheriff Spiegel of New Haven county, acting as a deputy sheriff of Middlesex county, and is returnable to the superior court in Middlesex county to be held at Mid dletown on the first Tuesday in Janu- ary.
 The parties summoned are George F. Eliot, Andrew J. Hurd, Elisha K. Red field, Charles A. Eliot and James M Wellman, all of Clinton, and Mary Eliot (wife of Charles A. Eliot) who is the executrix of the will of John D. Lef- flngwell late of Clinton.
 accounting by the trustees, and also to obtain judgment against the estate of John |. Lefingwen, on account of cer- tain moneys said to have been improp- erly diverted from the Morgan school fund, The writ issues from the office of filling, Webb & Morehouse, attorneys, of New Haven. It is dated December 6, 1897, and signed by John w. filling, a commissioner of the superior court of New Haven county
 Charles Morgan was the famous own CT of the steamships and railroads in Louisiana and Texas. he died in New York in May, 1878, leaving an estate of between $15.0G0,000 and $2O,0O0,000. He built and endowed the Morgan school in his native village. There has been much uncertainty in regard to the accounts of the trustees, and in January, 1896, a town meeting, after sharp discussion, voted not to demand any account of past transactions. The minority, how ever, were dissatisfied and suit is the present outcome of the affair
 The complaint relates to the land MT Morgan bought for s, 7O0 and some $24O,000 placed in the hands of the trus- tees for the erection of the building and investment for the benefit of the town of Clinton. The document alleges that George F. Eliot took from said trust funds $7,000 and used about half of it to pay a private debt to John D. Leffing- well, who was at that time a trustee, and used the other half to pay private debt to the Clinton National bank of which Leffingwell was president A mortgage was made by Mr. Eliot to the trustees on real estate in Clinton, but it is alleged that the mortgage is not ade- auate security and that large part of the s7 900 is lost.
 It is also alleged that the trustees made statements at the town meeing calculated to conceal the fact that a certain bond had been pledged as collat- eral. and to induce the people of Clin- ton to believe that the funds, so far as invested in the bonds, were safe. It is alleged that $5,000 prize fund is lost or impaired, and children who have been encouraged to compete for prizes and have earned them, have been refused payment or compelled to wait many months before obtaining them.
 The plaintiffs aver that about $100, 00C of the trust funds were invested in bonds and mortgage secured upon real estate in New York and Brooklyn, and that, under the management of the trustees, there has been a loss on these investments.
 The trustees recently published cat alogue of the Morgan school for 1S96-1 in which, it is alleged is published the first accounting of the funds of the school that the citizens of Clinton have ever been permitted to see. The income is given as S11, ,39oS2, and after deduct. ing expenses, a balance of $2275 is shown on January 1, 1897. It is alleged that the amount of funds given by MT Morgan and placed in the hands of the trustees was not less than S225, 900 and that the income shown is less than per cent. on $1O0,000. Also that, were il not for the income derived from tuition for non-residents, the trustees could not have met their expenses in 1896
 The plaintiffs aver that the income from the fund If properly managed would reduce the school taxes; that George E. Eliot and Charles A. Eliot are brothers, and Elisha A. Redfield is a brother-in-law of George F. Eliot and Andrew J. Hurd is a brother-in- law of the wife of Elisha K. Redfeld; questions the financial standing oi George E. Eliot, the managing trustee and of A. J. Hurd; sets out that Charles A. Eliot is not of sufficient financia, responsibility to be trustee of said funds; that Elisha K. Redfeld has re- gently resigned, and James M. We'll man has been appointed in his place and that the board of trustees is unfit to have the management of the trust funds of the Morgan school; that the town of Clinton has refused to bring any suit against the trustees to compel an accounting with reference to said trust, and refuses to become a party plaintiff in this suit, and, therefore, it is made party defendant.
 The plaintiffs claim that the trustees should be ordered to render to the court a full account of their trust; that the court take said account and require the trustees submit proper vouchers; that the trustees, or their successors, be or dered to collect by foreclosure or other.
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