The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1920-01-05
Historical Society
Has New Row Over
Missing Antiques
Members ATTACK Leaders,
Demand Accounting of Funds
as Election NearS.

4. f-f
limitations that valuable objects OF are
and antiquity have in some unexplained
manner disappeared from, the quarters Of
the New York Historical Society and tnas
the accounts of the society might well, be
investigated are contained In circular
letter that has been sent to members by
supporters of the faction opposed to the
reelection of the present officers.
The annual election OF the society Is to
take place tomorrow night. and the letter
asks those who have already given their
proxies in support of the present admins
trafion to withdraw them. n
such is the terrible crisis that confronts
the society that it is on the Verge of either
a scandal or shipwreck," the letter re-
marks. The accusations that an officer
appointed his own brother and two other
members of the governing board to inves-
tigate themselves and that. unfavorable
reports by outsiders on the investigating
committee were suppressed are repeated.
The letter continues -
Changed the Bylaws. e,5 81
Immediately after this when thegboard
realized that the members were organizing
to investigate for themselves the condi-
tons OF the society and especially the
finances and investments. why did the
board revise and completely change the
bylaws and force them on the society.when
the country was at war and most of the
active members were absent and SO I'M
able to protect their rights?
why were these laws so framed as to
create a lf-perpetuating board that
elected itself on the spot for three years?
Why did those laws give full powers to
this self-created board to dispose of the
real estate investments, relics. art and
ca ofA1U ftxrtf
OF the members? Why were these laws 80
framed as to prevent all business meet
ings of the society at any future time ex-
cept at the call of 100 mem bers when the
membership was limited to 1000 persons,
which immed ately fell to 700?
ASK yourself why the board issued lists
of members with honored names on II
when many mentioned had been dead for
ten years or more. Ask yourself why
pictures disappear from the walls, jew
elry and papyri from the cases, which the
catalogues prove to be the truth. Ask
yourself why the accounts of the treas.
urer are not audited by public account
ants and no bonds are given by the treas
urer. ~
1.-The opposition candidates promise re-
forms in every direction and department,
with reverson to the old bylaws that had
peacefully governed the society for more
than one hundred years and which were
drawn. up to represent the best interests
of the society and not few seif-favored
members"
Famous Egyptian Papyrus.
That the present officers have under
their control in the society's Egyptian
collection a papyrus antedating ,yv hum
dreds of years the oldest known hero
glyphicS in the possession of the I.ogvre
or the British Museum and Keep il from
public view is one assertion of the men
and women opposed to the present re-
gime.
Its great value was borne upon the
members of the society by Or. Felix Oflo.
chemist and physician. whose Laboratory
is at No 326 East Fifty-eigsth street. lie
told them that he had learned that the
wonderful archaeological Specimen was in
the possession of the local society as long
as two years ago and has been trying
ever since to get look at it. tr-...,
He understands, he said that the papy-
rus bears n writing different from the
more or less well known hieroglyphics Of
the Egyptians. a writing he himself un-
derstood through years Of research. and
he was anxious to inspect it, as he be-
lieved it concerned in some manner the
ancient practice of medicine. Every time
he went TO the socety's building at NO.
10 Central Park West, he said, no met
rebuffs and was told to come again an
other time. r.. o., 49,