New-York tribune., 1912-02-18
ARREST EX-SENATOR
FRANK ]. GARDNER
Former Legislator Charged with
Being in Plot to Get Dying
Mans Millions.
MALE NURSE SEIZED, TOO
samuel e. Haslett, of Brooklyn,
Says Power of Attorney Is
Forgery - Alleged Victim
Long Recluse in House
of Mystery.

Said 10 be implicated in daring con-
spiracy to defraud an aged and dying
millionaire out of all his possessions, ex-
State Senator Frank J. Gradner. Of
Brooklyn. was arrested I'm Manhattan
last night, and later taken to the Adams
street station, Brooklyn. on warrants is
sued yesterday by Chief Magistrate Otto
G. Kempner of Brooklyn.
George II. Decker. a nurse, OF No. 3o3
West 117th street Manhattan. was ar
rested yesterday afternoon and accord
ing to the police, has confessed his part
in the conspiracy to gain possession OF
| the wealth OF Samuel f. Haslett, OF NO.
1873 Remsen street Brooklyn. who Is said
to be dying at his home.
The facts in the case. which resemble
| in many respects the circumstances con-
nected with the death of William Marsh
Rice. the aged millionaire. some years
ago, and for which crime Albert T. Pat
rick is now serving life term In Sing
Sing prison, only came to light late yes
terdav when John b. Lord. lawyer, or
No. 1876 Joralemon street, asked Mag's-
trate Kempner for assistance in gaining
entrance to Hasletts home.
Lord has been the aged mans attor-
! nev for many years, but when he went
to the house to visit his client yesterday
morning admittance was denied him by
Decker and he later saw what purported
10 be a. power of attorney placing ex-
Senator Gardner in that capacity, sup
planting Lord.
SAYS Signature Was Forgery.
! II later developed. II Is charged. that
this alleged power of attorney In favor
~ Gardner bore the forged signature OK
Haslett. who told Magistrate kempner
that he knew nothing about Gardner, had
not asked that he be put In the place
formerly occupied by Lord, and wished
the latter, who has been his PERSONA
friend for years to be retained In that
capacity.
II was when Magistrate kempner
heard these facts from Hasletts lips that
he ordered the arrest of Decker ana
4 ,ssued the warrant for ex-Senator Card
ner.
Persons living in the vicinity Of Has
let's home were greatly interested yes
terday when they learned for the nrst
time that the aged and eccentric man
was lying at deaths toor. This was ne-
fore there was an inkling that there was
ANYTHING irregular in the case OF me
man who has long been mystery IN
that section OF Brooklyn.
The story of the life OF Hsslett and
his ancestors reads like a romance from
the musty pages of some oldtime volume
of fiction. The aged man-he IS well
on toward the eighty-year mark-nas
been a subject OF mystery TO his neigh
bors for more than quarter OF CEN
tury. The house in which he has liye1
for years IS an immense structure, Il
brick and stone, standing well back from
the street and Of Colonial appearance
Known as House Of Mystery.
Among those who live in the Brooklyn
Heights section Of Brooklyn the placs
has always been referred 10 as TINS
House Of Mystery" and IT we'll merited
tbe title. Longer ago than anybody no"
living near the place can remember the
first Of the Haslett family moved 10
prookIyn from the South. The pioneer
was DR.. John Haslett. ot South caro-
lima who went to live there in the early
.3Os He was a man of distinguished
beartng. a graduate of Harvard Dnlver-
sity and of the Pennsylvania University
Medical School and n former vice presi-
dent of the Brooklyn City Hospital. Hs
went to live at a big house at the corner
of Joraiemon and Clinton streets known
ever since as The Mansion"
At the breaking out of the civil War
DR.. Haslett closed up the house ana
entered the Confederate naval service
| as a surgeon. His house, which had for-
merly been a centre for the social gay
cites Of that section Of Brooklyn, has
remained boarded UP. with two or three
exceptions, ever since then.
When Samuel e. Haslett, then young
man. first came to Brooklyn from tho
South he went to live at the Remsen
street house He and his young wife
Immediately became general favorites IN
society, and gave many and varied
entertainments Some twenty-five years
ago. so the story runs, Mrs. Haslett.
while dressing in her boudoir before the
mirror allowed her dress TO touch u
light candle She was badly burned,
and leaped from the window IN her
frenzy of fear.
RecIuse After Wfe's Death.
The fall and her burns resulted In her
death few days later. and her husband
was so stricken with grief that he closed
up the house and became recluse.
Everybody understood that his wife's
death had wrecked Hasletts life. and.
although he still continued to live In ons
room of his commodious mansion, no.
body else ever crossed the portal except
Lord his attorney.
Haslett was an equal owner with his
sister. Mary Sullivan Haslett. Of the
house formerly owned by DR.. John Has
lett. and this place was also kept boarded
tup. summer and winter. On February
| 3 Mary Haslett died at Cornwall, on the
Hudson River, and in her will she left
| her interest in the place TO Samuel Has