The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-28
CITY ATFA X ,.
Highly Important Presentmsnt OF the srsnd
jury OF New York-Two OF the Aidernneh
Indicted. &c. Sc

coraer lou and Aldermen Wesley Smith, OF the Eleventh
ward and J,mos Il Bard, Of the Fourteenth ward, the
Grand Jury announced through Of the officers that
tbey were ready 70 their business for the term and
wished h be hard The Recorder them word that
tbe Court vas ready to receive them sLcty after the
Grand Inquest appeared and Mr. Eroeu, their foreman
,,.seuted several bills Indictment 10 the Court ana
Jbeu stated that he heil "a his band present
eut made hy tie Grand Inquest, which he requested
might Ia read ~ Clerk in open court. The Recorder
,ook he document, east his eyes over i, ani then
handed tie same % The clos1 to read; and that
funcsonaey passed from page 10 page great excitement
Was manifested By the people court there being Large
number present, anticipating the disclosures that were
to b. made.
Among the indictments presented TO the Court were
swo bills against tho very Aldermen sitting the beuch
and this extraordinary coincidence tended 70 increase the
excitement.
The following is copy Of the document presented by
the Grand Jury -
THE PREsPNTMESr.
The Grand Jury in closing their delbera for the
February term Of the Court OF General Sessions respect
fully present 10 the Court the result OF their abors In
the charge the Recorder at the of the
term the attention OF the Grand Jury He'd to
rious public allegations of fraud, corruption and NAL
practices tbs part Of public officers connected with
the city government and this body officially charged
with the duty of investigating the subject Having dis
with crimes the Grand Jury at the earliest possible
nnent proceeded discharge OF the duty deyoyed
upon them. From that time they have been daily
aged investigation and wAle they regret that the
termination of the term OF the court prevents fuller
confirmation OF their Abors they trust that their
tons as presented in this report have not been without
beneficial results.
Many witnesses have been summoned, some Of whom
having been regularly and personally subpened have
-.
testimony had before the jury independent of that with
held by the voluntary absence of the witnesses
ferred to- the moral conviction has been irresis.iby
forced upon the minds OF the Grand Jury thai gross
and supendous frauds andwifu violations of their Off
members Of the heads q Departments and the Common
Council indictment for which against individual
bers has they have believe been prevented by
their wul dsobedenee the Court the
part of those absent witnesses Other witnesses who
have examined, have refused answer; and the
of necessary to enforce the proper
has been fully fell and TO certain extent has succeeded
IN preventing final action certain cases Enough how
ever has been elected from the lips mainly of unwilling
witnesses to warrant the conclusions herein embodied
and to sustain the facts here presented 1t painful
and Notifying reflection that the Grand Inquest of the
atty and county are compelled bya regard to their
official obligations and the duty which they TO their
fellow citizens, to present before the community state
Of facts affecting the moral and official integrity Of high
public functonares, and of startling enormity They
have, however alternatiyethe evidence warrants it,
duty enjoins it, and the law commands il.
The investigations Of the Grand Jury mainly d.
Frst-The grant of public property real and personal
to different parties for alleged inadequate and improper
considerations.
second-Charges of direc, bribery and corruption the
part OF public officers
ThirdAeged violations of the leth and 25h sections
Fourth-mproper and corrupt legislation in regard
certain railroad grants.
LAstly-Geuera and mn rovdent ani expenditure
Under the head witnesses called and
examined the result Of whose testimony that in the
month of December last resolution referred 10 the
Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, directing them to
price for certain property, known the Ganseyoort
street property That after various motions for publ
cation Of the proposed sale and for determining ads
qsate price BY public competition had been put aud lost
the property finally determined 70 be sold to Reuben
Ioveoy for the OF sl60 900 $40 600 TO he paid in
cash and the balance to be secured by uorag toe
property That Mr. Loveoy proposition accompanied
by written communication from &c = oso. ape. II
he would take the deed pay the necessary aud
execute the mortgage 1t further appeared that the
executed and by Nr Draper the latter Of which il on
record in the Comptroller Office duly acknowledged
the 2sth Decem Der that mortgage was also executed
by Mr. Draper, which is record in the Registers
Oce and far the Transaction independent OF tho fact
that Mr. Draper Was one OF the Governors Of the Aims.
house and by implication embraced within the outeenth
section Of the city charter, closed IT, however,
further that another deed Of the property
bearing date the 9th December and acknoH lodged the
30th December, executed TO and for Mr. vsrnum-
the latter Of which s record in the Comptroller
written in the margin Cancelled Dee = 1885," This can
collation. proved by Mr Laurence, former clerk in
III
and have been done BY direction of the former Corpora
ton Counsel Henry h. Davies. There evidence
TO show the sanction OF the OF tho sinking
Fund TO this change and cancellation AMI no nemoan
dunn their minutes, Of such proceeding There does
NOT appear 70 DC any mortgage on rsco.a from r.
and the only apparent security 10 the city fund
to be the mortgage from Dir. Draper, while the
= quit claim deed to Mr.. yarnum, who would thus
10 enjoy complete title free from iacumbrance. Evil
Sence was given tending 70 show that So 600 would
have been given by another applicant and $500 By
applicant who desired the property and that
notice to that effect given previous to the sale to
the Mayor and Comptroller without Intending 70 i'm
pute any improper motives to the majority Of the
6ers of the Sinking Fund the Grand jury authorized
10 say that there undue hasta want OF proper
publication, and apparent want of judgmen-in the
proceedings and sale deserving Of and tina.
the cancellation Of the record wanton assumption
Of power
the water right in front of the bukhead at or near
the foot of Hammond street. the adjacent upands
longed TO Arthur Quinnhat Mr. Quinn, the party
titled to the pre- pon right was srous OF procuring
the grant-that finding difficulties in the way applied
TO Alderman Sturtevant OF the Third ward who demand
ed 81 900 for that purpose-that $1,000 was offered
which refused upon the ground that Alderman s.
would have divide, and that there would be nothing
eft for him. and that Mr. Quinn obliged to sell and
did sell his interest in the upland to third party.
1t further shown before the Grand jury, that the
sum Of $500 was paid BY Mr. Thomas ?. stanton, to Al
derman James NJ BARD OF the Fourteenth ward for and
towards the prevention Of any Interference with certain
existing privileges at the pier south side Of Wall street
further proved that in the year 1851 Dr. Cockroft
made application for the Catherine street ferry and az
ter the grant had passed the Board of Aldermen and
was sent 10 the Board OF Assistants Alderman Smith
Of the Eleventh ward then assistant Alderman,
ceyed the Of $500 towards the furhering Of favor
able action IN the Board Of ASSISTANT upon said grant;
and that after the Of the grant DR. Cockrot
called upon by Assistant Alderman W. smith for 50 600
for ehecting the passage Of the grant which Doctor
Cockroft refused to pay
II clearly shown Tint Of money have
been expended and towrds the Of railroad
grants in the city and that toward the decision and
procurement Of the Eighth avenue railroad grant
80 large that would startlc the most credulous
expended but in consequence Of the voluntary absence
of important witnesses, the Grand Jury LETT without
direct testimony Of the pal tcular recipients OF tho
different amounts
In the spring Of 1852 resolution offered in the
Common Council to reduce the fees OF the Coroner Alder
man w smith called the Coroner and agreed 20 sup
press the resolution for the Of $3.50 10 be paid upon
receipt OF his quarterly report and the Coroner has paid
$2O0 OF said amount. To report the Coroner's
blu ON the 3oh september Alderman smith said that Al
derman Barr. Of the sixth uan.ed L. ronon.