New-York tribune., 1911-01-15
HYDE ON HIS Way
BACK; HERE TODAY
His Secretary's Brother Finds
the Chamberlain in Florida
and Tells Him the News.
HAS BEEN ILL, HE SAYS
Chamberlain Says He Didn't
Hear of Bank Failures Before
Denies Race Bribe =,
FundiStory.
HAS BEEN ILL, HE SAYS
rBy Telegraph to r1he Tnbune.I

st. Augustine, Fla, Jan. 14-Charles
II. Hyde, City Chamberlain OF New
lyYork. who has been away from his Of
fee for nearly fifty days. started from
here sto-day for New York. and will ar
rive there tomorrow afternoon. He
gave out statement which'was the'hrst
authentic news OF his whereabouts since
December o, partly explaining his alb
sence from the city during the legis-
latipe graft investigation and answering
the storm OF criticism aroused by his
faih,re to be in chargesof his office when
two banks. holding nearly Sl.0Oo.0OO OF
city money on deposit. were closed ny
the state Banking Department OF New
York.
Mr. Hyde said hefhad not heard about
the bank failures. and that as soon as
H., did he left his hOuseboat at the head
Of the Halifax River and started TOT
Now York. He said he couldn't nave
nrevented the failures and didn't sup
pose he could reopen the banks 'Iho
Chamberlain added he had been ILL., ana
that he had left the city on the adVico
~ his doctor, to take complete rest
Mr tIvde did not explain why he ha1
not attended the hearing OF the iegisia-
tive graft committee. He said the story
that he had attended a dinner AT Del
r,oricos at whicn a corruption fund or
s5OO OOO was raised was $50 utterly
false and unfoundod" that he never
bothered about IL. That was the story
Robert H. Elder, Assistant District Az
torney of Kings County, told the COM
,ri,tee ex-senator Frank ]. Gardner hab
told.
Took a Rest for Health.
ct have not been well for some time,'
said Mr.. HYDE, "and was advised to take
coron,ete rest. There was not tho
| slightest indication OF bank troubles
nendinp when I left New York, and
had not heard of recent occurrences uh-
nj Mr.. Smith. my secretary's brother'
lovertook me on my houseboat en- route
to Palm Beach.
"As soon as 1 learned of the failures
left the boat at the head OF the HahiaA
n River and am Fastening home. IL Is I'M
| nossible for me to discuss these Things
4 now. as l am informed that charges
have been preferred against me. and L
must deal with them. officially
Il Mr.. Hyde said, however. that he sup
posed there could be little profit IN
/ entering into controversy with people
who always rise TO attack when ones
back is turned.
4 Then Mr.. HYDE was asked about the
tDelmonico dinner
"Oh. that was so utterly, false and un-
founded" said he, that never both-
! cred about It. l didn't even know the
l neople with whom / was supposed TO
dine I did not subscribe TO any such
fund for my client or any one. and every
Il newspaper man at Albany knew the rest
! of it was untrue. 1 am quite sure Sen
ator Gardner never told such faise-
hood"
With Mr. Hyde, was Dan" Smith, q
brother of Mr.. Hyde's secretary, Jonn
Y Smith.
"I left New York last week. said he,
"at the request of my brother. in an ef-
1 fort to locate Mr.. Hyde TO inform him OK
! things which were occurring in his alb
Il sence. I had no address, and 1t was
with great difficulty that l succeeded IN
locating him after almost weeks
l search.
| Discovery of Mr.. Hyde
"Finally found his houseboat on the
canal leading into the Halifax RIVER
lust above Ormond. Mr.. Hyde was
greatly surprised to hear OF all that had
been going on, and it was not until
mentioned the bank failures that he per-
mitted me to show him newspaper he
said that reporters and detectives had
followed him everywhere he went since
the campaign. even trailing him all over
Europe, and that he wanted to be free
Of mind and body.
MANY times he had thought OF re-
signing his public office and had told
his friends of IT, as this continual shad-
owing had been nuisance 10 his family
as we'll as to himself. He said that they
had even entered his law office and
rumaged through his private papers and
other documents, just what he did not
know.
when the situation was fully ex-
planned, however, he decided 10 abandon
his trip and come right home, although
he laughingly remarked 1 don't sup
pose could have prevented the failures
or that l can reopen the banks. Those
who have their own ends TO serve and
the financial power decide those ques-
tons"
| Mr.. Hyde escaped from his houseboat
In the dense fog which hung over the
Halifax River last night, and made his
way TO Harwood station. where he
tagged train and arrived here early
this morning. going directly 10 the home
of his relative, Miss Sherman, in Char
lotte street.
FooIing BIockader
Although one newspaper boat was on
guard all through the night. II would
have been possible for a rowboat to slip
away from the houseboat and take Hyde
to the Smith Creek drawbridge, where
short walk would bring him TO the iso-
lated station OF Harwood. About mid
night a distress signal was blown by
launch near by. and while the newspa-
per boat was In search OF this boat Hyde
probably made his escape.
II is believed that the distress signal
was ruse TO throw the newspaper men