The New York herald., 1922-10-18
HEAD OF INVENTORS
INSTITUTE A FELON
Death Reveals Double Life of
Thomas Howard Alias
Henry Cohen.
HEADED BIG INTERESTS
Courts Must Decide Whether
Genius Left Fortune or
Pittance.
HEADED BIG INTERESTS

Thomas Howard, executive chairman
of the National Institute of Inventors,
whose resourceful mind proved in
valuable to many inventors, and Henry
Cohen, a feion, who fed from PeDpsyl-
vania in 1908 and was caught in 1913,
were one and the same person. accord :
ing to documents on file in the Sur
rogate's Court in Brooklyn. Cash bail
amounting td $4,000 belonging te
Cohen still is on deposit in a Phila-
delphia court
Howard was 40 years old when he
died June 10 last at his home. PA West
Thirty-first street, Coney Island. lie
vas director-general of the National IN
vestors Sales Corporation and chairman
OF the committee OH patents OF the
Motion Picture Engineering Society. He
had been secretary of the Motion Picture
Exhibitors League.
Howard's alleged criminal record was
revealed in a proce eding pending before
Surrogate Wingate for appointment OF
an administrator for his estate. no Will
having been found. Sidney S. Bobbe. as
trustee in bankruptcy, asked the Surro-
gate to make Charles +. Wilcox, n law
YER the administrator, and Mr.. WILCOX,
as a creditor, formally objected to the
appointment OF Mrs Rose Howard. the
widow. saying such action would be ad-
verse to the interests of the creditors
Estimates Vary Widely.
Bobbe was of the opinion that the
Toward estate amounted to mot more
than 100000" Mrs. Howard is de-
clared to have placed the value at $1,000,
a.. f.fs, acti inf1
of a material fact according to Wilcox.
He added
"Said Thomas Howard alias Henry
Cohen. was felon, having been con-
victed of two felonins in Pennsylvania,
He was indicted in 1908. fled the State
and resided in Canada several years
and in 1918 was opprehended and placed
on trial and was convicted on his own
confession. He was permitted to deposit
$4,000 cash bail on condition he would
reappear for sentence. He thereafter
changed his name from Henry Cohen 20
Thomas Howard and removed to the city
of New York about the year 1914"
According to information obtained at
the National Institute of Inventors at
East Fourteenth street. Howard was
connected with that organization for
eight years. He had genius for bring
ing into actual being. it was stated. the
crude ideas brought to the institute
offices. In addition, it was his custom
t. study intricate inventions submitted
and simplify them for market purposes.
Died in Bankruptcy.
In filing a petition in bankruptcy in
June, 1890, he listed debts Of about
SOC, 900. which. with other claims. brought
the deficit up to about Sl5000O. stated
the papers. The only assets listed were
three suits OF clothes. hats and shoes"
Up to the time of his death he had not
been discharged in bankruptcy.
The investigation made on behalf of
creditors is declared to have revealed
that he had engaged in the real estate
business with his wife and others as
II. II. Cohen & Co He, as executive
chairman of the National Institute. con-
troled the funds OF that organization.
il was charged, and drew upon the
same at will. 1t is charged that large
sums of money were drawn from the
bank deposits of said corporation and
turned over to said Rose Howard for
deposit on her own account. in fraud
of the rights of the members of the said
corporation: that by estimate between
$4,000 and 100000 was drawn from
the bank deposits of said corporation by
deceased for which he gave no true ac-
counting"
hearing will be had tomorrow be-
fore Surrogate Wlngate on the appoint
ment of an administrator.