The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-16

Tor that purpose.
In witness whereof, the parties to these presents
and year first above written.
For the Mayor, Aldermen and Com
monalty Of the city Of New York.
g. ~ tne commissioner Of Streets and Lamps.
pressnee Of N - "
The Alleged Changes Of Corruption against
the Cooperation Attorney.
The investigation Of the alleged charges Of cor
ruption brought against Afr. HaskiAs was resumed
yesterday before the special Committee Of the Board
Of Aldermen consisting Of Nessrs. Blunt (chair-
many, Lord and KeIy. This investigation has now
lasted week, and but little light has been thrown
on the subject-the time of the Committee being
use,essly taken up with ordinations and recrimi-
nations, that have freely passed between the aceu-
sers and the accused. The charges against Mr.. Ha,
kins have been presented in tho following form -
The Corporation Attorney is charged with com
mencng suit. on his own complaint, against Charles
{. Folwell merchant tailor, late Of Fulton street.
this city, and discontinuing this suit and paying
tie DEFENDANTS COSTS and charging the same to this
city. Thus the city lost the amount paid the de-
iendsnts attorney, and also all the disbursements
incident to the suit
Second-The Corporation Attorney is charged
with paying money belonging to the city to per-
son not connected with his Office for the perform
ance OF duties that should have been performed in
bis Office, either by himself OF his clerks, regularly
appointed for that and other purposes. and who are
paid out OF the city treasury. He (the attorney
paid to person named ID. T. Walden the sum of
twenty-five dollars Tor taxing q bill of costs that
should have been taxed by himself or clerks, and
thus saved the city's money. The motives and cir
cumstances attending this wrong and corrupt use Of
the city money will be shown when proof of the
truth of the charge is offered.
IhiId-The Corporation Attorney is charged with
deliberately ard knowingly making false report to
one branch OF the Common Council in the month of
October last. The resolution calling for the report
and the false and corrupt reply to the resolution
published in the proceedings Of the body calling for
the information. Had he, the attorney, made true
the office Of Corporation Attorney would have been
known to the legislative power OF this city long ago.
But he wiifuy and knowingly made false report,
and thus concealed frauds OF gross character, by
which the city treasury was plundered, and still is
plundercd, by a continuance of the same corrupt
practices which the design Of the resolution Of the
Board was to check and prevent. This false report,
offered in proof Of the truth Of this charge.
Four,h-The Corporation Attorney is charged
with illegally compromising suits. both before aud
after Judgment and A. wrongly and corrupsly pocket
These suits, 80 illegally compromised, and in which
the moneys received was illegally and corrupty
pocketed by the Attornt y, are very numerous and
as will be shown in the proof, embrace O series OF
frauds every imaginable description that could be
practised in that Office
The particular cases that we win now name as
illustrative Of these gross frauds those in which
the detendants are, Erastus G. Sanderson, Lewis
Lyman, james 7. Bertine, George p Fox Garnet
/. Derickson, John Benson. and J. H. & A. +.
Ockelshausen.
Most Of the frauds that have been practsed in
| IN .ttnA Aro1 9th
and indeed are the general practice of the Office
and in other respects these cases have peculia
frauds Of their own applicable to no other cases.
All of the corrupt circumstances connected with
these cascs will be shown In Offering the proof ap
piicabe to each.
Fifth The Corporation Attorney is charged with
general practiceof deirauding the city treasury Of
which are paid by the defendant but are not paid
into the city treasury by the Attorney.
Sxth-.The Corporation Attorney is charged with
wiiiully and knowingly violating or dsregarding
every ordinance relating to and enacted for the
government of his Office.
Seventh-~ The Corporation Attorney is charged
with the commission Of perjury IN swearing to the
correctness Of his returns, when he knew they
false and made false by the alterations Of his
pen after they had been made out by his clerks.
We promise TO sustain each and every one OF these
charges, by unimpeachable testimony, taken from
the books and returns Of the attorney himself and
from the parties whom he prosecuted, and the
clerks in his Office.
At the meeting Of the committee yes.erday-Mr
Lord not being present-the chairman asked the
parties whether they were willing to proceed in his
absencel
Mr.. HAsKiS said that II was impossible for him
to consent to proceed with the investigation unless
all the members Of the committee were present.
The charges were serious and he wanted full com
mittee to hear the whole evidence.
The CHAIRMAN would also rather have a full com
mttee present, and would allow nothing but what
was strictly fair.
Mr.. HAsxIs wanted most thorough nvestisa.
tion of the charges brought against him, and for
that purpose would prefer that Alderman Lord
should be present, az there might possibly be ma.
oy and MINORITY report ns SAID - sas nat ne mad
yesterday, because they were not sufficiently def.
mite; and in relation to them the committee had
been divided in opinion. Knowing the motives Of
his prosecutors and from the excited state Of his
own feelings, he had employed Mr.. Smith az coun.
sci TO attend to his case on this occasion, out Of re-
| spect to the committee.
The CHAIRMAN said that the committee would not
| proceed until Alderman Lord came In.
| Alderman LORD shortly after made his appearance,
! when
| Mr.. HAsKrS rose and said--I stated yesterday,
when Mr.. Glover spoke Of the receipt book in the
| Court OF Record cases, that had no other in my
possession. wish now to correct this mistake; for
| on going to my oface, learnt from my clerk, Mr.
| Smith, that book had been recently opened con.
tanning two receipts, one dated the Sd June aud the
| other the 9Th Of July, 1854.
The CBAInMAS--Are there any Others besides
those already producedr
| Mr. HAssiS--NoDc to my knowledge.
| Mr.. ISGRAHAM--I shall be able to prove The exis
| tence OF yet another.
| Mr.. HAsKIN--T said knew OF no other.
Alderman LoRp-It seems to me that this investi
| CATION should not take the form OF a dialogue be
! tween the parties.
Mr.. IYesAHAM--It was asserted yesterday, that
since Glover left the Corporation Attorneys ONCE,
there had been no Common Pleas receipt book II ID
admitted oday, that there s one. now state, and
am prepared to prove that there ia yet another re-
cept bookand before going on with this investiga-
| tion must have these books.
Mr.. HAsKIn--Make that charge.
The CHARNAS-we will now hear what Mr.. Has
kin has to say.
| Mr.. SMITH, counsel, said that Mr.. Haskin had
stated already why he had selected counsel in this
matter and perhaps II was 81 iudicous q course ~
| could have been adopted. He found that the speci
fcationa Of chargcs were loose and imperfect, and