The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-13
BURCESSES CORPS ATTACKED
At SENATE HEARING TO RE-
PEAL CHARTER.
AdJutant.Generai says IT'S List OF Hon.
orary Members IL a Fake-Mayor
Woodward Replies That List IA Gen.
uinc and That King George v. Il on II.

Orary Members u q Fake-MayOr
Woodward Replies That List IA Gen.
uinc and That King George v. Il on II.
ALBANY. July i2.--The Senate Commit
tee on Military Affairs to-day gave a
hearing on Senator The McManus's bill
repeating the charter of the Albany Bur
gesses Corps. Adjutant General Verbeck
and Commander DeKay. military secre-
tary to the Governor. appeared in favor
of the bill and Commissioner Andrews
of New York. counsel for the corps. and
its commandant. James Otis Woodward,
defended the organization.
Commander Delay said that Adjutant-
General Verbeck was prompted to seek
legislation TO abolish the corps az a mill
tary organization as result of letter
sent 10y the commander TO the Adjutant
General, in which the latter was asked
TO look up the present record Of the corps
and find out II IL was fit organization
for Gov. Dix to accept an invitation from
to attend the corps dinner at Martin is.
New York. early in the present year.
Adjutant General Yer beck. he said looked
around Albany, could not satisfy himself
that the Burgesses Corps actually amount
ed to anything and as result Commander
Dekay wrote the BIrgcsses Corps not
only declining it's invitation but warning
the corps not to get the Governor a name
mixed up with its affairs in any way.
The Adjutant General read a long list
OF names of men. including Cardinal
Gibbons. Gen. Sickles. j. =. Morgan and
Grover Cleveland. who had been repre-
sented as honorary members" of the
corps. The Adjutant-General insisted
that the corps should submit its books
and muster rolls of active and honorary
members to the committee before open
charg ges could be made that the use of
most of these names was without au-
thority. Commissioner Andrews had
letters from Cardinal Gibbons and Gen.
Sickles accepting membership in the
"honored organization"
Gen. Verbeck read letters from George
Fred Williams Of Boston inquiring of
Frederick F.. Wadhams. secretary of the
State Bar Association Of Albany. what
kind of an organization the Btirgesses
Corps really was and asking for advice
as to whether he should accept honorary
membership in it. Mr.. Wadhams's let
ters were not read. but Mr.. Williams g
final reply to the Albany lawyer express
ing appreciation Of the timely tin and
notice that he had declined To become an
honorary member Of the corps was read
In his last letter Mr.. Williams said he had
been lured into considering the Bur
gesses' proffer of membership by "a re-
markable and conglomerate list of dis
tinguished citizens said to have accepted
the honor of membership.
Roth Gen NprbcCk and Comma pder
De Kay agreed with the corpss repre-
sentatives that the organi zation had n
creditable record years ago. hut said that
during tho last four years il had been
living on representations of its past and
posing as a military OF ganization Of stand
ing. when il was nothing of the sort.
Commissioner Andrews and Ma jor
Woodward insisted that the corps had
been guilty Of no Misrepresentation.
that even the late King Edward and the
present King Of England were bona fide
honorary members, Gen. Verbeck said
this really made him mad. and he de-
clared: I'VE don't want any kings in
our military organizations anyway.
Commissioner Andrews said that Col
Asa Bird Gardiner was another honorary
member.
we regret his inability to he here to-
dav to oppose this bill said Mr.. Andrews
but il was impossible for him to get here y
That's too bad" replied Commander
De Kay. but six weeks ago at the Execu-
tive Mansion Col. Gardiner told me the
Burgesses Corps ought TO be abolished"
And he told me the same thing" put
in the Adjutant General.
Assemblyman Cuvillier. chairman of
the Military Affairs Committee of the
Assembly. could not get to the hearing
because of the close call of the House
on the income tax. but he hurried To the
Senate Military Committee rooms soon
after the hearing closed Mr.. Cuvillier
got Mr.. Andrews, Woodward and other
members of the corps in corner and
declared himself He said some one
had given it out in New York that his
interest in the Burgesses' 8 Corps bill was
merely for "blacknailing purposes
If ANYBODY made that statement to
me. Id kill him" declared Mr. Cuvillier.
The Assemblyman then went on to
say that he had no personal interest in
the corps He said that the Adjutant-
General had urged the bill
And furthermore" said Mr. Cuvillier.
"a Supreme Court Justice in Albany told
me that the Burgesses Corps or it's repre-
sentative tried to get President Brown
Of the New York Central to accept hon
orary membership in the corps and that
this Judge told President Brown not TO
permit himself to be held up"
Held up for what" Cuvilier was
asked
Why for money" he replied.
The organization is n disgrace TO the
State" declared the Assemblyman, and
il ought to be abolished