Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-01
Charge Against the Late
William S. Yeatman.
A RECENT DISCOVERY
THE DEFALCATIoN SAID TO BE
FOR ABOUT s1s, 900.
Announcement Made in the Probate
Court Today by District
Attorney Gould.

| sooHietulHB AKIN TO q SeISdtloH WIS
caused today by the declaration of Mr..
Ashley NJ. Gould, United States attorney
for the District of Columbia, that William
S. Yeatman. formerly disbursing clerk of
the War Department, was, at the time OF
his death. April 20, 1901, a defaulter. The
| announcement was publicly made by MIR.
| Gould in the Probate Court. Chief Justice
| Bingham presiding. The defalcation was
| only recently discovered, according to the
| United States attorney, and was effected
| through the manipulation of vouchers. One
voucher for s., 1t was explained. was raised
| to $4,000. Mr.. Gould was not willing to
say that this voucher had been raised by
! Mr.. Yeatman personally. 1t was found
among his accounts, however. SO the court
was informed
| SO far as Is now known, the alleged de-
| falcation amounts to about $4,000. The
| government means to take steps to recover
| the full amount.
| United States Attorney Gould was inform
| ed of the status of affairs late yesterday
| afternoon by an official of the Department
! of Justice, who called at his office In
| looking into the case it was noted that
! the administrator of the Yeatman estate
had been directed by the court to file
| an account today. Soon after Chief Justice
! bingham mounted the bench this morning
| Attorneys Hamilton and Colbert, repre-
senting the administrator, Mr.. Martin r.
| y,
Thereupon Mr.. Gould made the announce
ment referred to. He asked that no action
| on the account be taken by the court, and
| that the distribution of the estate be sus-
| pended until the government can prepare
and file it's claim. This will be done within
| the next few days. The claim of the gov
eminent exceeds the sum total of the assets
! ieft by Mr. Yeatman. By statute, accord
| ing to Mr.. Gould, the governments claim
| must be given priority. 1t is said that Mr..
| Ihorp, in addition to being administrator
| or the estate, was also surety on the bond
:. of Mr.. Yeatman as disbursing clerk The
alleged defalcations of the deceased dis
| bursting clerk. so explained the United
| states attorney, covered a long period of
| time.
| In Yeatman's Effects.
When Mr.. Thorp took charge Of Mr..
| eatman's effects he found cash in the
| safe of the deceased amounting to S14 80:
| cash in Riggs Bank, to his credit, amount
| ing to S773.30; collected salary due him to
the amount of S1O9.s9 and derived 81 143 Is
| from the sale of certain articles the total
| being SIG 2J6 "a. OF this amount the adj
| ministrator, by his account just filed says
| he has distributed S1O57092, leaving a
| balance of cash In hand amounting to
So,GS5. AZ. Against this bills have been pre-
| scented to the amount of S712.05. 1t was
! stated al the city hall today that in the
| event it should be held that the govern
| ments claim is entitled to priority, the ad-
| LiitliSlfdtoT WOulu De personally reSpGn-
! sible for the portion of the estate that has
| been distributed.
Mr.. Yeatman died suddenly at York, Pa
| He left as heirs-at-law four children, Will
| lam b. Yeatman, Florence May Benton,
| Edith NJ. Lecointe and Arthur H. Yeatman,
| all adults. To them part of the estate has
| been distributed by the administrator, Mr..
| Thorpe.
| A bill in equity, naming the four children
I and the administrator defendants, was filed
| in the District Supreme Court April IL
| last, the complainant being Nellie Farley
| She asked the court to direct the specific
| performance of a certain agreement The
| case is now pending. According to Miss
| Farley, she met Mr.. Yeatman January 15
| 1898, and a close friendship sprang up be-
| tween them. Under an agreement made
| April q, 1893, at his request, she said she
| saw him daily, went driving with him, did
his small mending, sent his lunch to him
| daily. attended to his laundry and the like
Furthermore. she says, he required and
| had her company each evening from
o'clock until about IL o'clock. All this was
| done, declares Miss Farley at Mr. Yeat-
man S request and upon agreement that he
| would execute a will leaving her everything
| ne possessed upon his death. In fact de-
clares Miss Farley. Mr. Yeatman said he
mad made Will leaving her everything;
that she was engaged to marry him No
Vember IA, 1901, and that his estate at the
time Of his death consisted of personal
property of the value of about $4,000.
The Administrators Answer.
Answering the bill filed by Miss Farley.
Administrator Thorp sets forth that April
| 10, 1893. and thereafter, until the death of
Mrs. Yeatman. In February 1896 Mr.
Yeatman lived at home with his wife, to
whom he was most attentive and devoted
The administrator intimates that Miss Far
| ley strove to obtain an undue influence
| over Mr.. Yeatman. The existence of any
such agreement as Miss Farley recites is
| denied by the administrator, who adds that
| even If such was made. it has no legal
| standing
Further answering the BILL the admins
traitor informs the court that Mr. Yeatman
purchased as home for Miss Farley house
| 1871 Adams Mill road, of the value of
$4,000; gave her large sums of money from
| time to time, and presented to her dia-
monds and jewelry Of the value of s4O0
These items, asserts the administrator
constitute ample compensation in satisfac-
| ton OF Miss Farley's claim.
A paper writing purporting to be a will
| of the deceased has been presented to the
Probate Court. 1t bears date of June 30
| 1873. but was neither witnessed not at
tested. By the terms of the paper Mr.
Yeatman bequeathed to his wife, Emily J,
Yeatman. all his estate. AS stated Mrs
Yeatman died several years prior to the
date of her husbands death.
Mr.. Thorpe refuses to discuss the Yeat-
man case except to say that personally he
! legged defalcation. He understood however
ha thnf