Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-26
Warrant Issued for Arrest of
Civil War Veteran.
BEING SUED FOR $23,476
Held to Be Short in Accounts as
State Monument Commissioner.
WIFE NOT TO AID THIS TIME
Former Legislator and Diplomat,
Now 81 Years Old, Has Had
Picturesque Career.

NEW YORK. January 25.-Gen. DAME
f. Sickles sat amid the war relics in hi:
9TH avenue home tonight expecting mo-
mentary arrest in a suit brought by the
state to recover 500. 476 for which he ha:
failed to account. it is charged, as chair
men of the New York monument com
mission. Within his call were his sol
Stanton and an aged negro retainer
Save for them he was alone.
The order for the veterans arrest is
sued this afternoon by Supreme Judstict
Rudd. at Albany and copy of tn,
complaint We're placed in Sheriff Harburg
ers hands this evening by Deputy Attor
ney General Francis Kennedy, who
brought them here. Mr.. Kennedy an
nounced his intention of asking for i'm
mediate service. After a talk with Mr.
Kennedy. however, Sheriff Harburge1
said he would give the documents to his
lawyer to determine whether they were
properly drawn. This, he thought. woult
give the general respite from arrest til
Monday. he order cannot be legally
served Sunday.
Jail in Lieu of Bond.
Unless Gen. Sickles is prepared to fur
nish at once a thirty-thousand-do dollar
bond. Sheriff Hamburger said. he vii
have to go to Ludlow Street Jail until the
bond is forthcoming. There was no in.
king tonight as to who, if any one, would
come to the veterans aid
Gen. Sickles himself declined to see
callers or to comment on the charges
against him. His aged negro servant
met all cOmers at the door and turned
them away. But for the first time in
weeks the shades at all the windows OF
the house were raised; and in each win
dow there was placed an American flag
Some one who thought the general
would refuse admittance to the process
servers asked Sheriff Hamburger what
he would do in case he found the door
locked against him.
Il shall not break it down-of that you
may be sure the sheriff replied 81
shall have to station my deputies around
the house and besiege it. We have nc
right under the law to enter the premises
by force. We will have to wait till the
general comes out or surrenders."
Wife Not to Aid Him Again.
Mrs. Sickles, who recently pawned her
jewels to save her husbands war relics
from sale. will not come to his aid in
the present crisis, it is believed. She
said this afternoon that she would well
come him with open arms if he should
come to live with her, but did not feel
that she could put out all her money in
his behalf.
The financial affairs of Gen. Sdckles
nave been in a muddle for months, His
9TH avenue residence and household
effects, including many priceless relics
or his career as Union soldier and dip
lomatlst, have been threatened several
times by impending sheriff's sales tc
satisfy judgments for money loaned. but
on each occasion something has fore
stalled the sheriff. Not long ago Mrs
Sickles came to the old soldiers rescue
separated for more than twenty-five
years. Her act did not bring abc-t a
reconciliation and subsequent judgments
were obtained against the general.
The alleged shortage in the monument
fund was made known several weeks
ago. Loyal friends of the general said
1t was due solely to an error in book
keeping and would be Strengthened out
in time.
Has Had Picturesque Career.
The order for Gen. Sickles' arrest comes
as a climax of a distinguished and pic
turesque career. Born in New York in
1926 of wealthy family, Gen. Sickles
served as soldier, legislator and diplomat
The guest of honor for many years a,
gatherings of civil war veterans he was
recently refused admission to a local or
ganiZatiOn of civil war veterans on the
ground ''of military unskillfulness and
reckless sacrifice of the lives of his men, -
Congress, which in 1897 awarded him a
medal of honor for bravery, three years
ago refused to grant him a lieutenant
generalship In his old age financial
troubles beset him one after another and
his wife, son and daughter became es-
tranged from him.
Gen. Sickles was a member Of the
House of Representatives just before the
outbreak of the war and it was ir
Washington that he shot and killed
Philip Barton Key, a United States dis
trict attorney, for alleged attentions te
his first wife, the daughter of an Italiar
musician.
Lost Leg at Gettysburg.
At the outbreak of the civil war Gen
Sickles raised and equipped at his owr
expense five regiments of volunteers ant
as colonel of one of them went to the
front. He participated In most of tn,
great battles of the war, including Get
tysburg, where he lost a leg and achiev
ed distinction for bravery, rewarded b,
promotion to the rank of major general
From 1869 to 1873 he served as minister
to Spain, where he met and married hi
present wife. the daughter of a Spanisl
councillor Of state. Shortly after his re
turn to this country with her the coupl.
separated and Mrs. Sickles went back t,
Spain. where she remained until 1905
| Then she returned to New York. Their
were frequent reports of their reconcilia
| ton and for a year or more Mrs Sickle
| lived in a house adjoining her husband s
but it never appeared that they wer
really reconciled.
Alleged Shortage $23, ,476.
ALBANY. n. Y, January 25.-Th
| states complaint points out that from
1890 to 1912. inclusive, the legislature ap
propriated $5OO.141 for use of the com
| ,,,;coiou II .iS charged that 90 >l;