New-York tribune., 1916-01-19
Suits Reveal EX-InSpectOr
Mclaughlin as Collector
of CorOts and TrOyOnS.
$4,000 OF CLOTHES
ALSO LOST IN FIRE
Items Include $40 Pair of Pa
jamas Money in Real Estate
Did II, Is Testimony.

William ". Mclaughlin. retired po-
lice inspector. was mn ardent art col
lector. II has been discovered through
the suits of his wife, Mrs Mary A..
Mclaughlin. against four Are insurance
companies. The case is on trial before
q jury aud Judge Hough IN the Fed
eral court. The suits aggregate S'o'-
194O4, and are against the Royal, <ttna,
National and Orient companies.
Testimony adduccd at the trial shows
that the McLaughlins lost paintings,
etchings and other objects Of art and
clothes in the FIRE which almost com
pletely destroyed the Mclaughlin
home. NJ so East Eighty-third Street,
on February % last More than six
hundred paintings and etehings were
in the house whom the fro started,
valued. together with other goods al
close on 70 S25O,O0
Experts called by the plaintiff valued
the etchings and paintings nj far above
the prices fixed by Mclaughlin, who
himself testified that ho had been col
lecting the pictures for upward Of
thirty-hve years. He also testified that
he had invested in real estate while
working on New York's Finest" and
now owned nfteen parcels in Manhat-
tan.
While Mclaughlin was fighting HE
way up from the lowest rank in tho
Police Department 70 the highest
point that can be held by a member
Of the uniformed force. he bought Sir
Joshua Reynodscs, Turner's, Greuzes.
Mllets, Corots. Troyons. Dupres,
schreyers, Landscers. Neuhuytes, De
Neuvillcs. and ctchings after Meisso-
nier and others equally famous in
their craft Among the pictures de
stroyed. he testified, were two by
Sir Joshua Reynolds. which he pur-
chased for 81 900 and $1,000. a Turner
that ne paid sl,25O for; Corot, val
ued al sl.500. two Troyons. at 1900
each. and two Dupres. one Of which he
bought for $500 and the other for
$1,000
'T have been buying pictures for
thirty-fve years the former inspector
testified 81 bought them because they
pleased me that Is all"
And that he bought wisely and Vell
can he judged from the evidence. which
shows among the uninjured paintings
an oil. "The Game Hunter" By Land
seer. for which he paid 800; two De
Neuvilles, one for s75 and the other for
500: Jules Dlpre. for $50; two
Troyons, al $3.50 each Millet, "The
Peasant Girl for $3.50, and Della
croix. for $500.
Models q style in clothes tho entire
Mclaughlin family proved themselves.
The two sons. Thomas and Edward, and
the two daughters, Violet and Edna.
with their parents, suffered a total loss,
they testified. in clothes Of more than
1000 And what was left untouched
bv the FIRE was valued at S2,3OO. one
member OF the family owned pair or
mink silk paiamas that cost $40 whose
n wa. or they were did not develop.
Another. a Japanese pink kimono, At
Sl25. and dresses costing all the way
UP from $40 20 $500.
The insurance companies are con
testing the claims on the grounds OF
overvaluation and on the refusal OF
Mrs. Mclaughlin % appear and be eN-
a med subsequent 20 the filing of her
proof Of loss. Meeting the second
charge. physicians have testified 70 her
physical and mental incapacity 20 stand
such an examination Or 20 appear as a
witness in her own behalf. Replying
10 the first, experts have gone on the
stand 70 testify that the damaged prop
erty was worth more than the valua-
tions put on IL.
Distinguished counsel appear on both
sides. William B. Ellison, assisted by
Bruce Ellison and Andrew A. Fraser,
is counsel for Mrs. Mclaughlin, while
Edgar Nathan, % the hrm Of Cardozo
& Nathan, appears for the insurance
companie-.
he trial will be resumed tomorrow,
Judge Hough's illness having caused
an adjournment Of few days. A YER
dict for the full amount would mean
the McLaughlins, because Of the so per
cent coinsurance clause, would receive
IL sctu-i cash little more than $4,000