The sun., 1903-12-09
ALDERDICE UP FOR FORGERY.
LAWYER ARRESTED AND MRS.
OLIVERS BODY TO be EXIfUMED
District Attorneys Office and Coroncr's
ONCE Both Busy Investigating the
Case-Four Deeds Mentioned In the
Forgery Charge as Fraudulent

FOfReTy 10 s'"""'''' Nv
James S. Alderdce who was counsel
for Mrs. Mary Oliver, the old woman who
was found dead in the Second avenue house
in which she lived alone, was arrested Tor
forgery yesterday on complaint of William
Miller Campbell, Mrs. divers grandson,
the administrator of her personal estate.
Campbell alleges, on information and belief
that Alderdice did "feloniously offer, alter
and put off as true certain forged deeds in
an ATTEMPT to defraud Hattie A. Camp
bell"
Hattie A. Campbell il the complainant g
mother. commission in lunacy in Brook
lyn declared Yesterday that she was hope
lessy incompetent and recommended that
a committee of her person be appointed
to look after her interests. AS soon as this
can be done, 1t was announced, the COM
mittee will begin proceedings to set aside
the alleged forged deeds, which convey
TO Mary Z. Alderdice, a sister of the pris-
oner, practically all of Mrs. divers
property
Alderdice was held by Magistrate Breen
in $500 bail for examination to-day. He
had no sooner been locked up in the Tombs
than Assistant District Attorney Krotel an
nounced that an attempt would be made to
have Mrs divers body exhumed. Along
these lines a subpoena was issued for DR..
John A. o O'Brien of 3O5 East l16th street, who
gave death certificate saying that Mrs.
Oliver had died Of pleurisy and senility.
Alderdice was arrested at his Office,
aO4 Broadway, by Detective Flooi OF the
District Attorneys Office. Flood waited
behind an elbow in the hallway all the
,ho 81 AlJarIi,a
carhe in. carrying a satchel He went into
s,oface and remained there for about two
minutes, according to the detective. when
he came out, still carrying the satchel.
Flood told him that he was under arrest,
and Alderdice, who seemed to be very
nervous, said
Il suppose this is in the Oliver case
Well, l guess it 3 all off"
Assistant District Attorney Krotel ex-
amined the papers which Alderdice had
in the bag. He said they were all papers
connected with the Oliver estate. but there
was nothing In them which he wanted. 30
he returned them to Alderdice.
Four deeds are mentioned in the com.
plant as the ones that have been tampered
with. BY them property belonging TO
Alderdice. Two deeds, dated March 23,
are for property in llsth street, near Sec
ond avenue Another, dated Jan. 1s, 1903.
is for the two houses at 229ll-2 and 2293
Second avenue, the latter being the house
Mrs. Oliver lived in. Tie fourth deed,
dated Oct. II, 1908, is for property at the
southeast corner of 1l7th street and Second
avenue.
The signatures to the deeds. according
to a handwriting expert, are rot MIS-. Oil
ver's. Mr.. krotel was asked yesterday
If there were anything wrong with the
deedsexcept the signatures, and he replied:
There are certain changes and erasures.
That is all I care to say. Alderdice says
that they were made Decause his stenog-
rapher was incompetent. His incom-
petent stenographer was his wife, Mrs.
Daisy Alderdice."
MI. Krotel intimated that Mrs. Alderdice
might be a witne 80 In the case. She is
living in Staten Island. Mary F.. Alder
dice, the prisoners sister, is living In Jersey
City and is out Of the jurisdiction OF the
State. Alderdioe g home is at S97 Summit
avenue, Jersey City.
Alderdice Is a son Of the Rev. James
Alderdice, superannuated Methodist
minister, who was Mrs. divers closest
friend and agent. He was found dying in
the hallway OF his home by his daughter,
and when she went to tell Mrs. Oliver the
old woman's body was found Aderdice
died in the Harlem Hospital the next day,
caused by apoplexy: No autopsy was
made, but Coroner's Physician OHanlon
has been asked by the District Attorneys
Office to make an investigation.
When Alderdice' 3 examination comes up
to-day two of the witnesses will be Car
valho, the handwriting expert. and Mrs.
Lydia B. Koch, real estate agent. Mrs.
Koch is said to have had something to do
with deed not mentioned In the complaint
against Alderdice.