The Washington herald., 1907-01-17
TRUST FUNDS SHORT
Late Congressman Adams Ac-
cuSed of EmbeZZlement.
COMMITTED SUICIDE HERE
Mrs. Charles Moran Takes Case to
Court in PhiIndeIphin-AmOu In
vOIved Is said to BE $4,000.
Believed to Have Had Something
to Do with UntimeIy End.

Philadelphia. Pa. Jan. l6.-Charges in
dicating that a shortage in trust funds
had something to DO with the suicide Of
Congressman Robert Adams. jr-. a.
Washington last June. were made in the
Orphans Court to-53zy by Mrs. Charles
Moran. stepsister Of the suicide
Since the Gay OF the suicide. Congress
man Adams brother, II. Carlton Adams,
although mental and physical wreck.
has been making earnest efforts 70 keep
hidden the scandal Again and again
Carlton Adams attorney, Thomas Lean
ing. had urged Mrs. Moran and her
mother. Mrs. Clara II. Adams. TO refrain
from bringing the case into court. SO
that there would be no further public
stain on the dead Congressman's name.
Their reply was that $70,c0 had been ap-
propriated and that the co-trustee of the
estate, Carlton Adams. himself, should
be held accountable
Nevertheless, although it is alleged he
embezzled. $70060 held in trust for his
stepmother and stepsister, and an addi-
tional 5000 from his brother and CO.
trustee, Congressman Adams last act.
as shown by me testimony to-day. was
one Of reparation. Before he killed him
self he made over two of his life insur-
anCe policies 10 his brother Carlton. and
wrote a letter 10 a second brother
Francis adams, begging him in despair
ing, pathetic terms. To clean I'D the
financial mess" The letter read in
Orphons Court to-day is as follows:
Last Letter to Brother.
Frank: Sorry to make you clean up
such mess. but there is no one else.
l asked the family not 70 hold Garlic
for what I took from the estate. He
knew nothing of it, I have assigned two
policies to him to help to make good
The only explanation Of what I have
done is that l could not pay my debts.
The bill passed to-day, so my public duty
ends
Garlic was the COngressman's nick
name for his brother Carlton He wanted
to make it clear that it was he, the Con-
gresham, and he alone. who took the
$4,000 from the vault OF the Adams estate
in the Western National Bank, and that
his brother was n no way responsible.
At the conclusion Of to-day's hearing II
was stated that settlement would prob
ably be made in the case.
Recalled in Washington.
Robert Adams, jr, shot himself in his
apartments at the Metropolitan Club on
June ], 1906, the day after his pct civil
service consular bill became a law. He
was taken 20 the Emergency HosDitaI
where he died a few hours afterward
Financial ruin, fear of losing his seat in
the House, and a cancerOus growth in the
mouth We're given as the causes of sui
eide. Adams was serving his seventh
term as Representative from the Second
district of Pennsylvania He was fftv-
seven years of age.
Il was stated ut the time that the Con
gresham was without funds. ONLY a
short while before his death he had bor
rowed 5000 from a friend in the House
He planned the deed and wrote several
letters, one Of which was to Speaker Can
non This note had been mailed some
time before the shooting. and was opened /
by Mr. Cannon at the Capitol Just about
The time that Adams died.
Letter to Speaker Cannon.
In the letter to the Speaker, the Repre- !
sentative stated that his obligations were /
greater than his resources, which PROMPT I
ed the steps he was about to take Fur /
ther, Adams said that while he was /
willing that his body be buried at the
expense Of the House Of Representatives.
he was never in sympathy with the sys- /
tenn.
Shortly after Congress convened, June
|, the news OF Adams act reached the 4
Capitol Later Speaker Cannon read the I
dead mans letter from the rostrum to the /
Representatives. out of respect to the
dead Congressman the House adjourned
fer the day
Adams once possessed a fortune. but
bis was lost by unfortunate investments /
The day before the suicide he had been |
cheerful, and never intimated TO any of /
ais friends that he contemplated takins