New-York tribune., 1912-02-20
Relatives File Petition in Kings
County Court as Gardner Is
Held on More Serious
Charge.
WILLS FORGED, SAYS LORD
He and Ex-senator Enjoined
from Using Any Power Of
Attorney - Cousin Tells
of Aged Mans Mental
Weakness.

force which may count toward the
peaceful conservation of his large estate
and fairer treatment of the person Of
the aged and infirm recluse, Samuel r.
Hsslett, of Brooklyn, whose fortune
Frank ]. Gardner, the former State Sem
stor. was doubly charged yesterday with
conspiring to obtain. Unexpectedly cana
into the case yesterday when some Of the
Haslett relatives filed petition for the
appointment of a committee Of the old
mans person and property.
The petition was filed before Judge
Lewis L. Fawcett, In the County Court,
Brooklyn, by Eugene A. Philbin. former
District Attorney, head of the law firm
of Philbin. Beekman. Menken & Gris-
com, of No. "a William street. on behalf
of Ellen Haslett Samuel. cousin OF
Hasett. 1t carried a request for cons
mission to inquire into the sanity Of the
old man.
Judge Fawcett issued an order to show
cause why the petition should not be
granted, returnable before him on Feb.
ruary 23 The court also granted an in-
junction. pending the hearing on the Pc
tition, restraining Gardner and John b.
Lord. whom, 1t is charged, the former
State Senator sought to displace az
counsel for Haslett, from acting under
any power Of attorney they may have
obtained from the old man and attempt
ing to interfere with his estate
The petition asks that Brooklyn
trust company and one or two responsi-
BILE persons be named as the COMMITTEES.
Lionel Samuel, husband Of the petitioner,
made an affidavit in which he described
the demented state in which he found
the old recluse and the deplorable con-
dition Of his big house In Remsen street
upon several visits he made there re-
Gently. Mr.. Samuel is vice-president of
the commission house Of Rojas G. CO.,
with offices in the Whitehall Building.
The Samuels live in Maple avenue,
Staten Island. They were in conference
with s. Stanwood Menken, Of the Philb.n
firm nearly all day yesterday
About $1,OOO,0Oo involved.
Mr.. Menken said, after the petition
had been filed. that Mrs. Samuel hal
acted impartiaIIy In the matter, with the
idea of preserving the old mans inter-
ests and that Of his relatives, without
regard as TO who would ultimately get
the property. He said that the Haslett
estate would probably amount to more
than S1,0OO,0O0; that a fortune Of that
size had been left him by his young
wife. who died about twenty years ago.
Gardner was arraigned and rearrested
in the Adams street police court yester-
day. While the first charge of conspir-
acy against him was only misdemeanor
he was charged yesterday with a felony
in violation of Section 932 Of the Penal
Code. II was alleged that he obtained
Haslett's signature to two wills and
power OF attorney under false pretences.
John 3. Lord, who has acted as counsel
for the old man for some years, made
the complaint. The bail was raised from
SO. 900 to $4,000, which Gardner furnished.
| The former Senator evidently had not
|
he appeared in court. He seemed some
what confused for few minutes when
another warrant was served on him, but
soon got busy and secured the additional
| bail. He declined TO discuss the new
feature of his case except to promise
some sensational exposures before It had
been thrashed out.
Gardner's Counsel 8Iames Others.
| Max D. Steuer, Gardner's counsel, gave
out statement at his office, No. lis
Broadway. in which he intimated that
instead Of being an instrument Of crime
his client apparently got into the Haslett
matter at an opportune time and had
probably prevented the consummstion of
what appeared to be dlabolical plot.
Mr. Steuer said he had discussed the case
with Gardner yesterday, and that the
story he told him was a highly probable
one. He expected to verify it through
many reputable witnesses. and be able
to prove Gardner's innocence II he wsS
brought to trial He added
"If my present notion Of the circun,-
stances develops TO be the real one. there
are people who ought to be prosecuted
but Senator Gardner is not one Of them"
Following the second complaint. which
| he lodged against Gardner yesterday.
Mr.. Lord issued statement In which he
declared that the Haslett signatures to
the two Wills In question and the power
of attorney were all forgeries. He said
! that he had been Haslett's attorney for
! twenty-five years and his tenant for
twenty years, and was familiar with his
handwriting He said that Haslett's es.
tate would probably not amount to mora
than 100000. He declared that the old
man had mo- near relatives and that his
physical condition and the condition OF
the ''house of mystery in which he
| lived had been greatly exaggerated lie
said the aged recluse was able to walk
unstairs by himself yesterday. and that
he was In charge of competent attend
ants and the house was being thorough
| ly renovated.
"Mr. Haslett is not the great recluss
ho is said to be. either" added the old
mans lawyer HE has been very char
luab,e: during 1911 he gave several
thousand dollars to various charities
A neighbor of ''the hermit" as he
waa called, confirmed yesterday the
charitable tendencies of the old man. de-
sp,te his peculiarities He said that ne
kn.w of Mr.. Haslett sending three $1,000
pswEy's puRz GRAPE JUICE