New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-03
Head of the National Guard Re-
plies to Charges Made by
His Predecessor.
IT MAY BE A MISTAKE
Major General Declares That
Battery Can Do as 1t
Pleases with It's
Own Money.
tRv Telegraph to The Tribune.


Albany. Jan. Major General Organ
This afternoon said that he did not know
tina, the records of the battery in New
York Of which he was formerly i'm com
nand showed that he had received pay
from the funds OF the organization for
The same work and travelling expenses
for which he had been paid by the state.
as charged in a statement made by Cen
eral Verbeck. If they did il was a mis-
take.
But the battery" he added can do
as il pleases with its own funds. which
are in no way amenable to the state"
Major General Organ was directed by
Governor Sulzer to report at the Capitol
today. and he appeared in the Execu-
tive Chamber this afternoon, while the
Governor was giving his afternoon talk
10 the newspapermen. The Executive
spied the major general. The former had
lust been asked if he had looked into the
accusations made against Organ by Yer
beck.
"Ah. here's General Organ" he said.
''I'n let him speak for himself
Then, calling the new head OF the ma
tjonal guard. he told him that he could
answer any questions he saw nj. The
first question was: How about the
charge Of General Verbeck that YOU have
received money from the state and your
former battery for the same expense?"
The general. first told how the battery
had ACQUIRED its fund through the CIV
ing of entertainments and business enter
prise He started by saying that at first
the battery made in this way about $50
month and that later it had often added
1900 a month TO its funds.
Not Necessary To Have Money.
Sons people" he added have the
idea that in order to be an officer in the
national guard one should have money.
That is a wrong impression. 1t is true
that II. IL. Rogers was a member of my
company and that he is reputed TO have
a little money. but Informed men about
Ia become members of the battery that
the necessary funds could be raised in
other ways Some officers have had ex-
penses paid from the organization funds
General O'Ryan told how he had ena-
lied his battery 10 buy and stock farm
with horses and other equipment, In
which the organization now has an equity
If $500
Then GETTING down TO the question orig
inally asked him, he said the only way
ne could explain the presence OF vouchers
showing that he had drawn money from
the battery funds for the same purpose
ior which the state had paid him was
Icy a mistake i'm the accounts He might
u ia
TRANSFORMATION for some trip which he
had to make on official busnesA
The sergeant" he said, must have
charged this up TO the organization funds
instead of to my personal account. At
the end Of the month | generally gave
the sergeant check covering my per-
sona account and these items possibly
were not included in It. The fact is that
] had so many matters TO attend to that
] did not always look over all the items
as presented to me by the sergeant. II
the money was not paid it was "A mis-
take"
Calls Examination a Raid.
General Organ referred 10 the eXami-
nation made by General Nerbeck while
ne was adjutant general as raid on
the private books of his organization.
saying that the animus behind it would
probably be understood
But while the state has nothing TO do
with the funds Of the organization" he
said. the books were there II anybody
wished to examine them
Governor Sulzer would make no COM
me1t on the Verbeck statement to-day
further than TO say that General Verbeck
knew where TO come II he desired TO pre-
fer any charges Pressed for an. expla-
nation as 10 the investigation he made
before restoring Major General O'Ryan.
ne told OF the excellent record the general
had made as a national guard officer ana
the high recommendations given him by
Major General Leonard Wood, Chief OK
STAFF OF the regular army.