The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-02-18
ACCUSED OF PLOT TO
GET HERM|T'S WEALTH
Continued from First Page.

refused admittance. After police shields
break down the door Decker finally opened
the door and let the party In.
Inside they found house full OF dirt
and soot the accumulation OF years. Two
doctors were there with the nurse. They
were DR.. J. T. Deyo OF $3.50 Ocean Park
way and DIR. II. +. Turner Of l2Y Ninth
street. Brooklyn. These doctors ex-
planned that they had been hired by Gard
ner. who had shown them his power Of
attorney. They had just been called
into the case yesterday.
Upstairs Magistrate Kempner found
Haslett In bed, too weak to got out. He
was questioned about his second power OF
attorney. which Gardner had. He said
he did not remember having signed any
such thing. Mr.. Lord was emphatic
in declaring he thought Mr.. Haslett's
signature had been forged to the power.
but Magistrate Kempner. after examining
Hasletts signature, said he didn't think
10, but that it amounted to a crime to get
such a sweeping power from a man who
was in the condition Mr.. Haslett was.
Decker was Questioned He told the,
Mr.. Haslett 3 doctors three weeks ago. and
since then had acted as night nurse. He
said he had knownG Gardner for three weeks.
He said that he had brought Gardner
to the house to meet MIR. Haslett. and that
the latter had told him he was dissatisfied
with Mr. Lords work. Decker said he
suggested to Haslett that another lawyer
lie employed, ard when Mr.. Haslett
agreed he brought Gardner to the house.
always at night.
Gardner first came on February -. and
since then not only got the power Of attor-
ney but also drew will for Haslett.
Decker's arrest followed the admission
that he had brought Gardner to the house
and had Joined with him in getting the
power OF attorney and in getting up the
will
The will was drawn on the second day
that Gardner saw Mr.. Haslett. Gardner
has this in his possession. but Decker said
he could tell Magistrate Kempner the sub
stance of it. He said it provided for all
of Mr. Haslett's relatives in a small way
and also remembered heavily the nurse
himself. 1t made Decker resituary lega-
tee and Gardner the executor. he said.
is an old style brownstone dwelling and
in very good part of Brooklyn. Magis-
trate Kempner believes the house and its
contents must be worth at least 100000.
i On February Mr.. Haslett's sister.
Miss Mary Sullivan Haslett, died at Corn
wall. n. Y. She left to him her Brooklyn
house at Clinton and Joralemon streets
He closed up this house completely. just
above it is the Packer institute for girls
Below it is an Episcopal church. 1t is
rectangular and has big pillars in the
front In the rear is a conservatory.
The house in which MIR. Haslett lives is
solidly furnished. The interior was
covered deeply with dust. and ancient
ornaments. dirty and dilapidated. were
in the rooms.
Last night at 10 o'clock a ring at the
Remsen street house brought a young
man to the door. He said that a new
nurse had been placed in charge of Mr..
Haslett. brought there by one of the
lawyers: which lawyer he didn't know.
The warrant on which Decker is held
phrases the charge this way: -One George
H. Decker did conspire to cheat and
defraud one Samuel Haslett out OF his
property by means which in themselves
are criminal in that he. with -Frank j.
Gardner. did obtain the signature of the
said Haslett to an alleged power of at
torney giving said Gardner control over
the property Of said Haslett.-
Chief Magistrate. kempner said last
night that Mr.. Haslett was incapable.
mentally and physically, Of making a will
or a power OF attorney.
Decker WAS held in g.. 900 bail and was
locked up in the Raymond street Jail in
default of it. The power OF attorney
which prevented any of John B. Lord g
representatives from seeing Mr.. Haslett
is described by Magistrate Kempner as
being one OF the broadest in its powers
that he had ever seen. 1t empowers
Frank J. Gardner to draw. indorse and
sign checks. drafts, notes or other evil
dences Of Indebtedness and to take charge
Of all my real and personal property
that he may deem for my best interests
and protection, hereby revoking any and
all other powers Of attorney either gen.
eral or special heretofore made by me-
The name Samuel f. Haslett is signed
to the document. 1t is dated February
IS and was taken before a notary public
in New York county on the following day.
The signature of the notary public is
illegible.
Mr.. Hasletts S father. DR.. John Haslett
was graduate Of Harvard, and of the
medical school Of the University Of Penn
sylvania, was an ardent Southern patriot
during the war; and is thought to have
lost much Of his money in Confederate
bonds. The house at Clinton and Jorale-
mon streets was his home
DIR. John Haslett had one other son
besides Samuel. DR.. Audley Haslett.
in his day one Of the best known men
socially in Brooklyn. He dropped out
OF sight years ago, and ten years ago
notice of his death in Tuscany was printed.
His body was brought home to the Clin-
ton street house and after the funeral
the house was shut up. Since then,
except for wor kmm on one occasion.
the house has never been opened The
large garden around the house has been
kept up. the grass trimmed and flowers
planted and cared for.
While Mr.. Has letts wife was alive
he became known as an amateur collector
Of pictures and bronzes and other objects
of art. In the house are said to be thous-
ands of dollars worth of these articles.
and when Magistrate Kempner and his
party got into the house they caught
glmpses of tapestries paintipcs In cold