The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-16
FRAUDS UPON the CITY GOVERNMENT.
The RumOred DefalcatIons I'm the Registers
Observation-Disclosures for Frauds.


AS the alleged defaication Of Garrett Dyckman, the
Register is assuming very serious aspect we have
made investigations In the proper quarter with the view
of presenting reliable statement of the whole to
our readers appears that when Mr. Dyckman entered
upon the duties of his Office fees allowed him or
any Of bis assistants and that the salary of each officer
in his department fixed by the Board Of Supervisors
at the following amounts-Regster 5000; Deputy Re-
Rister 81 500; six Searchers each 81 200; Examiner
81 ZOO Collector, $780, General Clerk $3.50 There was
no alteration in this system up July 1863 when an
act was passed at extra session Of the Legislature
empowering the Register to pay his clerks from the fees
collected at his Office After this date great negligence was
apparent in the financial accounts of the department.
according to the statement Of the Comptroller, made
the LIST September, 1858, the Registers Office in
rears in its collections and payments TO the amount Of
$2,274 3d. This paid from the earnings Of pre-
vious years, and should says Mr. Flagg have been paid
from the earnings and payments Of 1858.
On the 9th of September the Comptroller wrote to Mr.
Dyckman, informing him that there deficit in his
accounts of COL a. and urging upon him the neces
sy Of collecting all the outstanding claims, and OF
placing in the treasury SUFFICIENT to pay his assist
ants On the goth of the month, Mr. Flagg again
called upon him to furnish In accordance with the 10th
section Of the act Of 1s47 statement of the fees
qusites and emoluments of his as iistants.
In reply to these demands the Register made state
ent to the Board of Supervisors which he alleges as
his accounts being in arrear that the clerks
are paid their services at the end of every month
although the fees not collected from the parties 70
many months afterwards
The Comptroller sen in another statement the Board
OF Supervisors the 9th of January last in which it
appears that at that date the deficit amounted to some
thing over Mr. Fagg further states that this
ONCE, prudenty and properly conducted ought to yield
surplus to the city of at least ten thousand dollars On
the Presentation Of these facts the Board appointed
committee, with full power to examine the accounts of
the Register and report at the earliest day when If the
whole matter 10 not satsac tory settled it must be laid
before Governor Seymour who is invested with author
ty TO discharge county officer due proof of his cmi
nalty being furnished Since the committee however,
commenced their Investigations Mr.. Dyckman has, by
the payment of 0OO reduced the amount to SIT
Thus the matter stands at present. the committee
have not yet announced the result their investigations
and will not, probably, for several days yet to come
Meanwhile, several rumors aoat with regard to the
conduct Of Mr. Dyckman who is of having dis
charged his deputy Mr.. Henry D. Johnson because he
circulated report that large number of conveyances
deeds, mortgages, &C., were never signed by him.
quired by law. This report afterwards confirmed by
letter from Mr. johnson, in which he says" Few if
any, of those documents which remain record,
and which constitute the title of the real
since January 1852 have signed by the Register"
This announcement has produced the greatest excite
ment among those who have fled Deeds convennnces
&C. in the Office, and who naturally feel alarmed about
the legality of their claims.
The committee appointed to make the investigation
are Messrs Mott, Herrick and Christy. Mr., Dyckman
when summoned before this committee, accused the
Comptroller of having made incorrect statement of
his accounts and said that he could prove by papers in
his possession that the coectabe fees sufficient to
Ill IsaI.s 90
informed he has not been able to make the re-
qured statement Under these circumstances his sure
4ies-Messrs. West and Asten-have requested still fur
ther delay and have placed Mr. Fleming who was for
merly auditor in the Custom House. to examine the
accounts of the Office 1t Is believed by Mr. Dyckman's
friends that this examination will result in complete
REPUTATION Of the serious charges which have been made
against him.
Benjamin L. Guyre clerk of Washington Market and
his deputy, James Reed indicted about two week
since on charge of extortng and receiving money from
persons occupying stands therein, in violation of law
From the testimony elected before the Grand Jury ap
pears that both the clerk and his deputy received
ferent times varying from fifteen dollars to
hundred and fifty, for certain market privileges, for
which he had no right to receive any money Nearly all
the witnesses, of whom there ten testify directly
in support of the charge, and of them Timothy c.
Kmba stated that previous to obtaining his stand he
informed that to get he must grease" the clerks
by which he understood he would have to make them
present The whole amount received by both clerks so far
a. learn from the testimony, about thousand
dollars appears to have been generally understood
among the occupants of stands in the market that every
privilege should be paid for according to its value As
this system has prevailed for considerable length of
time, 1t is impossible to form estimate Of the total
amount exacted from those persons The will soon
be tried by the District Attorney when the whole matter
will, we have doubt, be subjected to very rigid
investigation.
Another indictment has been made out against Isaac
Edwards for alleged fraud the city government, in
charging two hundred and twenty-five dollars .for
vices and disbursements in the matter of celebrating the
obseques of Henry Clay" whereas, in the words Of
the indictment, sthe true claim did not exceed the
Of hundred and twelve dollars and fifty cents which
was the only sum he had expended and disbursed.h
Discipline IN Schools.
IlvSr~r ESo.