New Britain herald., 1928-03-07
CHARGES AGAINST
 WOMAN DROPPED
To Be No Criminal Prosecution
 Of Mrs. Knapp

Albany, \. Y., March ! tP - Criminal prosecution Of Mrs. Flo renee E. $. Knapp, former secretary nf state and New Works first elect tl woman slaic official, recom- mended after the recent investiga- lion into her conduct ot the 192 , fs,atc census, has been discarded District Attorney Charles J. Her rick found he could not obtain sui .'cicnt evidence on which to obtain
 conviction,
 Was "lndia'rtrt'
 Although Mir. Horrick helievea frs. Knapp was ''indiscrcet and reckless in her administrations ol che enumeration. which involved
 Npendi,ure of Sl.2oo,ooo, he re- ported 10 Governor smith last night that he had been unable 10 ind any evidence to sustain the charges of crime set forth in the report of Morelanu Act Commission ur Randall J. Lc Boeut. jr., named ty the governor to inquire into Mrs. knapp's conduct of the census.
 she was indiscrect in the en- ploym.nt Of her relations" said the district attorney. She was still more reckless in the manner in Hhich she obtained and used their { 11, ,.,t1 rom the iniamy that has been iioapcd upon her, she had no one to blame except her own reckless or wilful behavior.
 '"The evidence indicated that her work was well donr, but her eN- pcnditures undoubtedly were cN- travasant and waStcful. Wether this could have been avoided by more experienced and practical Of icials must be determined by oters But there is no actual eyi- dence that Mrs. Knapp dishonesty took money that didn't belong to ner.'
 The district attorneys action of lirially brought to a close q dra- matic chapter in the history of the tate, which began last September when Dr. Walter Laidlaw. secretary uf the Cities Census Committed inc. a private organization inter ,st"d in the gathering of census @tx,istics. laid before Gov. Smith charges that Mrs. Knapp had failed properly 10 administer the last ,.latoscensus.
 : le I8Oruf Named
 Tn" governor immediately named Mf.- Lo Bo"uf. a young Albany at tJrney. to make an investigation of lle charges. During the inquiry con- .lorablc spectacular information "garling Mrs. knapp's census ad- mjnistraticn was gathered. some Of G purpor,ing to show that she had ohpfoyed relatives, whom she knew lid no work. that she had removed md wilfully destroyed important acsIds having to do with the cen us. snd that, sbe, hll wasted largo turls of money in various ways in connection with the census work. ..nu the basis of evidence gathered
 r. t'r--tcarflrcs. held under au- horization Of the Moreland acl. t commissioner t.e Boeuf in q report 10 the governor on January oo of rhis year recommended that Mrs. Knapp be prosecuted on charges of rand larceny. forgery. Hilful re- moval and destruction of state rec nrds. and false audit and certitica- ton of payrolls. Mr. Le Boeuf also recommended criminal action trainst several state employees who were associated with Mrs Knapp turing the taking of the census anI also against Dr. Laidlaw.
 Tn turning the report over to the district attorney for study as 10 the possibility of presenting the Knapp case 10 the grand jury. the gov "rnor suggested the elimination Of 'io names Of the state employees He tool, the ground that they were ,uboriinates of Mrs. Knapp md had Ione her bidding. They were Mark stern, first deputy secretary of state Anna X. Little. auditor in the department Of state. and Julia M Ryan, chief clerk of the payroll di- vision of the state civil service com- mission.
 Miss Ryan recently resigned iron, the state service, whlc under q rs- cent organization of the depart Hlent of state both of the other nn,- nloycs held over after Mrs knapp's term Of office expired. arc 10 be dismissed from inc service. Their names are mentioned in no "ay in the report Of the district at torney.
 Considerable responsibility wa, placed by Mir. Hcrrck on Dr. Laid law, who he said he believes was cngaged in the census work for his own personal advantage and that of his committee and whose charges placed the worst. construction" 'lpon "the follies and mistakes Of Mrs. Knapp"
 An accusation made by such a man, declared the district attor- ney. "and prompted by such per sonal motives. deserves no consid- eration unless if is supported by strong trustworthy evidence. No such evidence has been produced in this case. The charges rest sole ly on suspicion and wide yocjfera-