New-York tribune., 1920-04-12
Children Drove
Him Penniless.
Asserts Croker
Fiat Broke in Palm Beach,
He Asked Richard Jr. for
$4,000 Loan and Was
Refused, ex-Boss Says
Lived OH Race Winnings
GIVES Second Wife Credit
for Present Fortune of
Not Above $2,OOO,OOO
Special Dispatch to The T,fbuae


Richard Croker, former Tammany
chief, whose children are taking legal
action in an effort to have him de-
clared mentally incompetent, gave a
long account to-day of his relations
with his offspring.
He told of the money he said he had
paid out for them; Of the social diff
culties out of which he had helped
them and of the tax 1t had been on
hiszinances to come to their aid, time
and time again.
He emphasized again and more spe-
cifically than heretofore his statement
that he is not "prodigiously wealthy"
At one time. he said, his family was! so
grea. a drain upon his resources that
he lived entirely upon the earnings OF
ond marriage, he added, he reached MS
winter home here "fat broke"
Asked Richard Jr. for $4,000
81 wrote Richard and asked him to
advance me S1000O," he went on, but
he wouldn't do it"
Mr.. Croker said that when he married
his. second wife she believed him to be
a 1oor man, and that most OF the
money they now have was made with
her assistance in Palm Beach real es-
tate.
Mr.. Croker withdrew from Tammany
Hall about twenty years ago. he had
been involved "in a constant domestic
wrangle," he said, and he finally came
to partial settlement b. ageeing with
his first wife through Richard, who rep
sented them both that they would per-
manently disagree, and that he would
allow Mrs. Croker and their children
an income of $4,000 year. He turned
over to his son as trustee at this time
hot
nual income of about $4,000, and the
remainder, $1,000 year due under this
agreement, was to be mEde up by him.
This sum, to a total - $4,000 annu
ally, Mr. Croker says he continued to
pay. Mrs Crokers' death occurred in.
1914. but before that time the strain on
him of keeping up the payments was
so great he called upon his attorneys
for an opinion of what position he
would be in if he could no longer make
them.
Derby Winners Kept Him Going
after that" said Mr.. Croker to-day,
"for at least ten years / lived absolutely
upon the earnings Of my stable. Ex-
cept for my investment in Glencairn,
my home in ireland. had turned al
most everything l had over to my fam
fly, and if it had not been for Orby,
my Derby winner, could not have lived.
my family in this annual allowance,
my children frequently asked me for
more money, and if l could get it
always gave it to them in accordance
with what had been my habit all my
life. My daughter Ethel's divorce alone
cost me $4,000 I not only put up
this money. But went to the Archbish-
op and got permission for her to be
married to the nice boy she now has for
husband. She had been married to
groom she met at riding academy,
named Breen. / don't remember his
first name, but I got her out of that
and arranged so that she could be mar
ried to Tom White. of Cedarhurst,
L. l., who is making her good hus-
bahd. He is good boy, good man.
"After doing all this for her, the way
she takes of repaying me is to furnish
Howard with lorg affidavit attacking
my mentality and attacking my wife.
In this affidavit she says she heard
through friend of Howard's that
was going to be married again. i
took her with me the first time ever
tration Of the little twists that occur
all through these afidavits Also this
man might have been friend of How
ards. hut he was more her own friend
ut was Ted Donovan's son who told
hef. He used to come every day to
fourth Street, which was kept open
expressly for her to entertain in. Ethel
complains in her affidavit of my not
telling her my affairs. She told me
little of hers. didn't know even
whom she married. In 1915 she cabled
me, I'm married. and we didn't know
who the man was until we got back to
this country in 1916. I thought of
course it was Donovan, because he came
every day, while White came only once
a week. She asked me one time which
one to take and l told her, If you
marry Donovan, he'll be the boss and
you'll sit in the corner. If you marry
White don't know whether you'll do
any sitting or not She evidently
wanted to keep moving.
., "Flat Broke" in Palm Beach
"sAfter I was married and got down
to Palm Beach there was one time when
/ didn't have cent ! could put nv
hands on, and ] wrote to Richard and
asked him to advance me $4,000, but
he wouldn't do it,"
"Did you pay any personal attention
to your financial atfairs?" Mr.. Croker
was asked.
"Not much then. At the time had
settlement with my family through
Richard l simply turned about every
thing had over to him, for him to
manage the estate, and then | went to
vantage, England, and next year went
over to Ireland and built. was lucky
and for the most part lived on nv
stable. Orby alone brought me from
$4,000 to $4,000 every year. II it
hadn't been for him l don't know how
would have gotten along. He gave m
all my ready money.
i had luck with my other horses.
TOO. There was a mare called The
s,snshee that l bought for $4,000 and
cleaned up $4,000 on in three months.
\ wa fiiiy, and was going to race
loY " 800 stake had horse
ensersa, ] went to the owner and said
my snsey was certain to beat his. but
20 make sure would buy his horse 80
a. 70 own them both. She showed 40
well that ! withdrew my horsc ana
ven $1,000 with her as a 2o-to-1 ahot
Thsn J sold her for big price. She
was dslicate, high strung and would
leaye her oats, but she was rood for
thW enc time if she was handled ripht
tc1d the Jockey to jump off in from,
en4 set let her be headed, and he did
Ju6f - | told him, and won. She never
W. smother race. But, OF course.
dt1nt care, as was no longer her
e~1ey." ''
Asked About New Wealth
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