Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-11-11
THE GREAT DEFALCATION.

THE GREAT DEFALCATION.
The defaulter of the public revenue turns
out TO be james H. Ward, lately removed
from the Office of first Marshall to the May
or. Previous to enjoying this office, he
was Clerk to the Health Commissioners
and was receiver of the Hospital money be-
longing to the State.
The American gives the following ac-
count of this affair:
At length we are enabled to give our
readers and the public generally, the partic-
ulars Of the new dedication, to which we
alluded yesterday and the day before
The delinquent is Mr.. James II. Ward,
the Mayors First Marshal. This MIR. Ward
it will be recollected is the accommodating
person who furnished His Honor with the
$4,000 for cleaning the streets. This Mr..
Ward is the person whom the Mayor, in de-
fance of the Common Council, has kept
employed in his oifice-even, as we are in
formed, with the knowledge for some time
that he was criminally delinquent to the
State.
The circumstances Of the case are as fol-
lows In 1898, DIR. Hart was appointed
Health Commissioner, and selected Mr.
Ward his agent, for the collection of the
Hospital "head money" which belongs 10
the State. Mr.. Wards speculations COM
menced almost Immediately after his appoint
ment and continued up to the appointment
of the present Health Commissioner, DIR.
Turner who declined Mr.. Wards applica-
ton to be continued as Agent. The deial-
cation of Mr.. Ward far exceeds Ahern's for
the same period.
The indefatigable Clerk ofthe Mayor, APP
pointed by the present, Common Council,
r. Taylor, Esq. first discovered Wards defal-
cations, during his examination of Ahern's ac-
counts, by Samuel Willis, 81 Immediately took
the necessary measures for the arrest and
conviction of Ward, which were finally COM
pleted this morning and Ward was conse-
quently arrested by warrant issued by Jus
tce Merritt
The late hour at which these arrange
ments were completed, prevents US from
giving a detailed statement of the whole af-
fair, which, however, we shall endeavor to
do in day or two.
This is only another instance Of the utter
recklessness ofthe officers appointed to re-
sponsible situations by the Loco Foco party /;
and we shall not wonder if fraud on fraud
remains to be discovered, which may yet
convince the public, if further proof be
necessary, of the almost entire want of hon
esty of their late rulers
The manner of the defalcation is in this
wise. 1t may not be generally known that
every vessel which arrives here, is obliged by
law, to pay tax Of 81 80 per head for each
cabin passenger, and s. for each steerage
passenger which is called Hospital Money"
and is applied under the Iauthority of the
State, to defray the expenses Of the Staten
Island establishment.
This money Mr.. Ward would receive,
giving his receipt to the ship owners for the
full amount, and then making a return of at
times quarter, third and even a half of
the actual amount received.
In fact, in several. intances no retprns at
all have been made, and tho amount in one
of these cases alone, exceeds four huHdred
dollars. What the total amount of the de-
falcation may be, it is impossible as yet to
tell, for the confused manner in which Mr.
Wards accounts have been kept, designedly
as it .would seem, TO battle investigation,
renders it a very difficult matter to sum up
the result.
1t will not probably, however, be less than
fifty thousand dollars, and may even reach
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS thus put
ting Ahern completely in the shade hat
do the electors of New York think of this
new Development IN " Express.