New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-14
CALLS FOR PAYMENT
Of S|CKLES SHORTAGE
Attorney General Notifies State
Monuments Commissioners
They Must Make Good.
HOLDS EACH RESPONSIBLE
Generals Successor as Head
If Monuments Commission
Thinks Property Enough to
Square Obligations.

InlUhS lORNA "
Square Obligations
albany. Dec. 13.-Attorney General
-.-roodv wrote TO the members OF the
veo York Monuments Commission to-
AS. that unless the shortage OF va
-,e.a in the commissions accounts Is
.,ade GOOD forthwith it will be his duty
- ~pursue the remedies provided by
:, 4, such cases" Although the word
.,or,huith" is used. Mr.. Carmody ad-
.,+,ad that he would take no action
mill after December 20. which Is the
.x,.,sion Of time already allowed the
commission by the state authorities.
q, vour demand is not, complied with
-. that time" the Attorney General
,r.s asked. what action will you take?'
% shall bring civil actions against the
-hors ~ the commission individu-
,llv." he replied
Az Carmody said no distinction
would be made in the case or Generai
nsniel T. Sickles. the chairman. who Is
A.,d directly responsible for the short
az. as the state turned the money over
- the commission as a whole and not
"a snv one Of its members.
OF, &c ND 10 the commissioners 70
..te what action they see fit concern
ing General Sickles's responsibility ne
added.
REPRESENTATIVE T. w. Bradley. one OF
81. commissioners, has recently held
conferences with the Attorney General
over The shortage, and from what ne
,sid II e understood the commissioners
,s.o1nize their responsibility and are
willing TO make UP the shortage. For
that reason 1t is not believed Attorney
G,neral Carmody will be called on 10
bring any civil suits.
Commissioners Resentful.
The members Of the commission are
rssentful against General Sickles. feel
ing that he treated them "shabbily" In
mixing up the accounts Of the commits
sion with his own. They think he
ought TO be Inundated for it. Among
them are several wealthy men. well
able TO make up the loss to the state
but they have failed TO do so hereto
fore because they thought every eHor'
sbould first be made TO force General
sickles TO make good the shortage
The deed of trust on Fifth avenue
rrouertv which General Sickles sent 10
the state Controller as security until
he could raise the money has been re-
turned TO him on the advice OF the Al
iorney General it being believed that
IL would be difficult, II not Impossible
10 collect the money due the state on
tho property. This was considered
General Sickles's last resort. For that
reason. it is said, the other commits
sioners are now ready TO make up the
shortage. and will do so within the
next few days.
The members Of the commission, az
given out by the Attorney General.
are: Daniel z. Sickles, Adjutant Gen
erai William Verbeck, Charles A
Richardson, T. w. Bradley, Horatio c.
King, Lewis r. Stegman, Clinton 3.
Beckwith and Arson q. McCook.
It is possible that General King and
General Verbeck will not take part in
making up the shortage. General King
has written to the State Controller that
ne has been a member OF the commits
sion only a year. and that as the short
age occurred before that time he does
not consider himself responsible.
Vsrbeek gx.offieio Member.
Il am only an ex-officio member OF
the commission by virtue Of my office"
said Adtutant General Verbeck. ''Be-
sides, the shortage all happened before
my time"
The letter written by Attorney Gen.
eral Carmody to the members Of the
commission follows:
Inasmuch as the shortage in the &C
counts of the New York Monuments Com
mission, now amounting TO t25,746 a.
has not been made good, a. has been re-
peatedlv promised, il becomes my un-
pleasant duty TO demand that such sums
be forthwith paid into the treasury or
the state. IL this request Is not COM
piled with forthwith IL will become my
duty TO pursue the remedies provided
by law IN such cases. / trust that THIS
may be avoided by the members OF the
commission taking immediate action to
restore these funds TO the state treasury.
Charles A. Richardson. one OF those
10 whom the letter was sent, recently
filed his resignation with the Secretary
Of State.
There is no statement TO make SAID
Daniel P. Hays, General Sickles's law
yer. last night. III the Attorney Gen
cral Is going to bring suit ! suppose he
VIII. Nothing has been done about the
matter II is just as it was yesterday.
Nj. HAYS did not know the Attorney
General had written letters notifying the
members Of the commission. Neither old
General Horatio c. King, who said: 1
think this thing has been played up
enough by the newspapers and / DO not
care 10 say anything Tonight.
Daniel =. Hays. who has represented
General Daniel T.. Sickles I'm all Of his
recent legal troubles. declared yesterday
that an unwarranted uproar had been
laised over what he termed the generals
'inGebtedness' ia the state on account or