The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-19
ESTATE l. DWINDLED AWAY
 FROM DECHERTS
Former Politicians Fortune, and Wife's, Too, Is Al
 mdst Gone.

xk4O0U 0OAOs
 Waterbury, July 1s.-The removal last week in the Probate Court of De- Witt c. Flanagan of New York as ex- |ecutor of the estate of his sister, the late Lillian F. Dechert, at one time a resident. of lMiddlebury, recalls the story of the stay in Middlebury of Ye1- lott Dashfe1 Dechert, one-time Tam many politician of New York, and his efforts to secure the Democratic nom- ination for Congress from the Demo- cratic party when Waterbury was part of the old Second District. Mrs. De- chert, wealthy in her own name, and MT. Dechert, also possessed of consid- erab1e wealth, were willing to spend considerable of their own money in their desire for MT. Dechert's advance ment in the political world, and when this became known to the politicians they were prepared to bank him to the last. But unfortunately for the poii- ticians. Mrs. Dechert died in January, 1899 leaving an estate of S300,000, and naming her husband, Yellott, as executor. Mir. Dechert himself died in December following, and under the terms of his wife's will, her brother, Mir. Flanagan of New York, was nam- ed as substitute executor, and as the document prescribed, no bond had to be furnished. fl ' MT. Flanagan, so the court papers say, handled $28O,00O of MrssN De- chert's estate, and later $78,000 as her shaKe of the estate of her father. Jas. F. Flanagan, also of New York, was turned over to him. Now it is claim ed that all of this money except $20,- 900, is gone, and most of it, it is claimed went with the failure of the Cape Cod CanaI bonds of which, it is claimed, were purchased by the execu- tor and paid forl from the Dechert estate.
 The only Dechert heir, James M. Dechert, filed the petition for the re- moval of his uncle as executor The executor made no protest, and as he failed to, file an accounting, as called for by law, Judge Ells promptly re- moved him. Not until the papers were filed in the local court did it be- come known that the greater portion of the Dechert money had been spent, and that there was very little left for the surviving son.
 MT. and Mrs. Dechert first came to Connecticut in 1898, and located in Middlebury. where they intended to spend their summers. MT. Dechert had figured to some extent in New York politics, and was extremely anx- ious for seat in Congress He ar rived in Connecticut about the time the Democrats were looking around for suitable candidate in tre Second District. MT. Dechert happened to be in New Haven, and after making va riops inquiries was introduced to Miles F. Connolly of this city. The former New Workers requested Mr. Connolly to bring his name before the conven- ton. And MT. Connolly brought his name before the convention. The Wa bterbury politician said in his nomina- ton speech that he desired to nominate
 MT. Yellott Dashiel Dechert of Mid
 dlebury for thei exalted position of
 Congressman from the Second Dis
 trict"
 | Mir. Dechert wasn't nominated, but he afterwards held d reception at
 which he, entertained many of the
 politicians of the district and state, in-
 cluding nearly all the delegates who
 had attended the convention. | Boys" he said to some of them. q
 didn't expect you to vote for me to-
 day. but I do expect to have you
 on my side next time"
 Few persons other than MT. Con-
 molly knew much about Dechert, but
 it is the opinion of MT. Connolly and
 others that had he lived he would
 have become one of the prominent
 figures in Democratic politics of the
 state.
 | The belief was general Is years ago
 that eventually the Dechert es-
 tate would go beyond 1000, 900. The
 estate was settled in Connecticut be-
 cause at the time of their deaths MT,
 and Mrs. Dechert were classed as res
 idents of Middlebury, which town is
 in the Waterbury probate district.