Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-10
that Senator Sullivan would be driven GU
of East Side politics.
Another Reputation Shattered.

that Senator Sullivan would be driven out
Of East Side politics.
Another Reputation Shattered.
The craze for Investigations which seems
to be sweeping over the city has badly
shattered another reputa ton. That Is the
name Of John w. Keller, the commissioner
OF charities. The scandals that have been
brought to light in his department during
the past month have been unprecedented
in the history of the city. The insane asy-
lums and the hospitals of the city appear
to be almost unfavorable places for
human abode as the East Side dens Of vice
if one-half the things alleged against the
subordinateS of Commissioner Keller are
founded in fact.
Mr.. Keller. whose name was suggested
by Richard Croker at the Kansas City con-
vention as New York's choice for Vice
President on the ticket with Bryan, Is an
ex-neWspaper man, and he has handled a
few newspaper sensations himself during
MS time. Just at present he is promising
reforms all along the line, and in addition
1t S said, he is running here and there and
promising the editors who are digging up
things sensational against his subordind ues
every day that if they will only give Inn
time he will see to 1t persona ly that 70
guilty man escapes. Keller is undoubtedly
badly frightened, and it is probable that
he ls doing his level best at the present
time to bring about much-needed reforms In
his department. Whether after the scare
is over he will live up to his promises OF
reform and Improvement is something that
time alone will tell. But it Is only SIX
months ago that president of the Demo-
cratic Club, Richard Cookers favorite 9Th
avenue organization, as a powerful political
leader in demo cratic circles. he was prom
lSed the nomination for mayor by the Tam
many Hall boss Since the exposures at
Bellevue and elsewhere keller's stock has
gone down at a pace so fast and furious
that he is about the last man in the city
that Tammany would dare to nominate.
Nevertheless, he was first choice for mayor
among the wise politicians of six months
ago.
To Redistrict the State.
If the Burleigh bill becomes a law the
present Legislature VIII at once take up the
work of redistricting the state to provide
for the three additional repres entatives
granted by the Burleigh bill The addi-
tional representatives will be elected IN
1902, but the republican leaders will have
the state redistricted by the present legls-
lature, in which the party has a large ma
jority. 1t is expected that the city will get
two OF the three additional members of
Congress and that the third extra district
will go to Buffalo or the north end of the
state. The local republican leaders are
confident that the new districts in New
York county can be so arranged that three
of them Will be safely republican at every
election.
The Burleigh bill provides that the new
congressional districts must be compact
and contiguous. The present districts We're
laid out by a democratic legislature ana
Tammany arranged the lines Of those IN
New York county. The city was gerryman-
dered in an effort to make every district
democratic. and the lines of some of them
z-gzag up and down town and across Man
haitian Island in a remarkable way. The
fourteenth district, which now contains
more than 10000 voters, includes three en-
tire assembly districts and small portions
of eight other districts. The republicans
say that the laying out of compact districts
Will make the present eighth, thirteenth
and fourteenth safely republican. Under
the provisions Of the Burleigh bill New
York will have thrty-seven representa-
tfves, thirty-nine electoral votes and seven
tyeight delegates n national conventions
The republican leaders believe that a proper
redistricting of the state will insure the
party five or six additional members at the
next election.
j. j. S1lIiman Heir to an Estate.
An estate is waiting for ]. J. Silliman,
formerly an employe at the Hotel Endicott,
this city, as soon as he turns up and can
prove his identity The estate comes to
him through a grandfather, who disappear
ed nearly thirty-five years ago. The entire
property Is situated in Washingt ton, D. c.,
and is worth from $4,000 10 $4,000.
Silliman, who is described as very we'll
educated man, visited Lawyer Thomas Nc
Adam. in 1889. and told him that his grand
father, Timothy Gleason. had disappeared
from Washington in 1866, leaving consider
able valuable real estate in possession Of
his second wife, and that he was the sole
other heir. Mr.. McAdam investigated the
case and found that Silimans claim was
good. The lawyer, through his Washing
ton correspondents, tried to get Mrs. Gea-
son to agree 20 sign papers recognizing
Silliman as the direct heir of the prop
erty. he in turn to allow her to have d
LIE interest in the property. She declined
to enter into any such agreement, and as
a result it was determined to wait until
her death before any claim was made to
the property. At this time Silliman was
employed at the Hotel Endicott, and he
rcma ned there until 1898, when he left sud
denly. Mr.. McAdam heard nothing more
either from Siliman or from Washington
until March. 1899, when he was notified
that Mrs. Gleason was very III and would
die at any time, and that Silliman had bet
ter go to Washington ready to claim his
property. Mr.. McAdam tried to find his
Client at the time, but could not do so.
Last fall Mrs Gleason died. Like his
grandfather Silliman has disappeared, and
advertisements and letters of inquiry to his
former friends have yer failed to locate
him. The last trace Of him ends when, in
1894. he had charge as ianitor of apart
n,ent house on upper Broadway.