Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-10

1t not been that he wanted to stand trial
and get a settlement of the affair. All the
detective could have had with him was a
police court warrant, and he knew he
could no; be compelled to- return upon such
a paper. I'm satisfied that he had become
tired of jun ping from place to place and
is glad that the suspense is over.
Lawyer of Ability.
''Tom" Fields. as the attorney was famii-
iarly known, is regarded in legal circles as
a lawyer of ability. He had many friends
and admirers, but. it is stated. lost some
of them when his matrimonial troubles
were aired N the courts. He associated
with many people who were prominent in
sporting circles and had appeared as conn
sci in many gambling cases and other
cases in which intricate legal problems
were presented.
Mr.. Lipscomb Advised by Mail.
It has been explained that the first that
Mr. Lipscomb knew of the alleged wrongful
acts of his co-receiver was the receipt by
him Monday May 80, 1894 of the following
note:
Dear Andrew 1 have drawn and used
the W. B. f. a. money by checks signed by
you for other purposes, and others to which
/ have signed your name You are not in
the least to blame for what I have done,
and legal or moral responsibility at
taches to you about my use of this money.
I shall greatly regret if any one should
attempt to make any trouble for you over
this matter, with which you have had
nothing to do. Hastily. t. NJ F..
The note, it Is stated. was in Mr. Fields
characteristic handwriting. and was found
in Mr. Lipscombs letter box in the Stewart
building. The communication did not
reach Mr.. Lipscomb by mail. but had mere
1y been dropped in the box by Mr. Fields
or some one representing him. Accom-
panying the note were a number of can
ceed checks.
The last money withdrawn from the fund,
it is said. and all that remained of 1t,
amounted to $4,000. and was withdrawn by
1T NJ. Fields, for Fields & Lipscomb.' and
was deposited to the credit of Mr. Fields
personal account in a bank other than that
where the receivership funds were kept.
Mir. Fields is said to be also wanted here
to explain the whereabouts of $500 placed
in his hands attorney for Mary Ellen
Burke. Action was taken by Attorneys Cole
& Donaldson. now representing Mary Ellen
Burke, to have the court require Mr.. Fields
to show cause why he should not pay over
the sum mentioned. 1t is further said tina.
Mr.. Michael Scanlon is loser to the extent
of $500 by reason of the faith he reposed in
Mr.. Fields.
Nj Lipscomb and Mr.. Fields each gave
separate bonds in the sum of $4,000 in the
Washington Beneficial Endowment Associa
ton cases Raphael c. Gwynn and Fred
erick Steinle qualified sureties for Mr..
Fields and Frank Hume and James w.
Radcliffe for Mr. Lipscomb.
Did Life Insurance Business.
The Washington Beneficial and Endow-
ment Association did a life insurance bust
ness IN the District for many years and
fiourished until 1897, when it began to lose
ground and finally became insolvent In
1887 Ms. Henry Ann Stuart entered suit
for 5000 IN the policy the life of her
husband and in the spring of 1894 secured
a verdict in the Supreme Court of the Dis
was entered until the following fall In
the meantime, Lawrence Gardner, the then
president of the association, executed 4
deed of conveyance of the real estate Of
the association to the Commercial Alliance
Association of New York.
Following this, efforts were made on be-
half, of AIRS Stuart to subject the property
that had been conveyed to the settlement of
her judgment, and i'll October, 1894, the En-
dowment Association filed an equity pro-
ceeding to set aside the conveyance to the
Commercial Alliance Association, alleging
initheir bill that there had been fraud and
Misrepresentation in connection with the
transaction.
It was at this point that about 600 claim
ants some representing benehciaries under
policies OF deceased persons and others rep
resenting living policy holders, appeared to
assert their rights against the association
The case was decided in the Equity Court
by the late Justice Cox and was appealed
to the Court of Appeals and TO the United
States Supreme Court
The Amount Saved
After the failure of the endowment as
seciation about $4,000 was saved from the
wreckage, and by order of the court was
placed in the hands of Thomas NJ. Fields
and Andrew A. Lipscomb. as trustees.
The stockholders Instituted proceedings.
and the case was in litigation for a long
time. once being passed upon, as stated, by
the Supreme Court of the United States.
The 9th of May 1904. Justice Gould, IN
Equity Court No. . signed a final order.
oSerrruling exceptions to a report by the
auditor, and directing the receivers -neI-
toned TO forthwith make distribution in
accordance with the report OF the auditor"
The charge is that Mr.. Fields succeeded
in transferring money from time to time
from the association funds, deposited in
the Washington Loan and Trust Company
to his personal account with the Second
National Bank.
Mr.. Fields vacated his offices in the
Equity building on John Marshall place
about the 1st of April 1904. sa ying that he
would move his offices to the Colorado
building Ii was stated by the agent of the
Equity building that he had not paid rent
there for several months prior to the date
mentioned.
Mr. Fields told a number of persons that
he was IN the employ OF the Northern Sc
curities Company. and was travelling about
the country for that concern.
Distribution of Assets.
BY the terms of Justice Gould's order of
May ). 1904. in the Washington Beneficial
Endowment Association case all but four
OF the 1000 claimants who had liled their
claims were cut out of any participation in
the distribution of the assets of the en-
dowment association.
The parties among whom the funds
should be divided and the amounts allotted
to each are Mrs. Henry Ann Stuart widow
OF Charles Stuart @925; Howard l.. Nor
rison, 50, 100; Mary NJ. Cassin 81 23I and
the Virginia Trust Company. 1868.
The claims mentioned represent the first
death claims for which the endowment
company was liable. and the payment of
these four claims would use up all the
$4,000 placed In the receivers hands from