New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-16
INVESTIGATION ny THE NDERMtNIC
COMMITTEE on FRAUDS.


The Committee of the Board Of Aldermen 70 whoR
was referred the subject Of alleged abuses in the Stree,
Department also the subject Of fraudulent assess
the property owners Of the city he'd another
meeting yesterday afternoon, for the purpose OF
taking fun her test mOny in reference TO the same.
Evidence relative 70 the alleged irauduer assess
ments on the contract for grading and paving Fifty
second street, between sixth and Eighth avenues.
was first received
VIM. a. Dooey. being sworn. said that he one
OF the Assessors Of the work Of grading and paving
Fhy-second street, but he had nothing to do with
with making up the assessment roll eXcep So tlr a.
concerned the section. which il MS duty TO attend
to- although he signed the roll with others a. j, Gus
tomary H. would not have had time to look after
the Whole. Mr. McNel made up the assessment list,
and he presumed II was correct. ~ long a. L was
prepared by of his associate Assessors lie bad no
hcSitancy in signing he paper.
John y. Dodge, sworn and exam.ned-lfe said that
he was the surveyor in the matter OF grading and
paving Fi,y-second street, between Sixth and Eighth
avenues: he attended to the work OF surveying the
work himself, and the return he made he knew to De
correct; he had no memorandum with INN OF the re-
un he made not having expected 10 testify IN TINS
case he bad not brought with him; he did not know
at the time whCthe contractor was was none ot Ms
business 10 know he had idea that Mr. Farley was
the contractor the work appeared TO be done by hlm;
he wa. nj work on the Fiji avenue by AZ the
time: witness appoi ted surveyor oi the work
about year ago. and supposed that he was over the
work twenty or thirty times; he was not othciady
informed who the contractors of work were Mr.. Far
lev called upon him 10 get Information, aud
al the same time informed him (witness) that Nc
Grave had done the work this wa- a few weeks be-
fore the close of the work allhe twness) had "a do
was to mark out the work where the line of the street
had to be eNcavated, and where filled in and finally
prepare map Of the property. list ot the owners
and statement of the work done.
John j. Sere called and sworn, but not having
completed his survey directed by Controller Flagg
he asked for further time to make his return, which
was granted.
Eben s. Young sworn and examined-I was the In
Of the work done Fiity- second street. |
served as Inspector on the work about 80 days /
was paid for I20 days at al 20 per day; there
alrnOst every day, except when II stOrmed; did not
count those days; ! understood Farley the
tractor. but ] never saw him exceeding half dozen
times; don know Mctirave; think the work was
finished il june ] gave certlfcae-l think the pa
per shown if something like II; certified that.the
work was done according TO specifications; had no
specifications with mel never saw them went ac-
cording TO the directions of Mr. Dodges survey; the
work was staked where it was 10 be excavated and
fl.l; ! the culvert; II was built with stOnetwo
walls and large Hat stone laid on the top.
Joseph {. PinckDey of the Controllers Office was
next called, but in consequence of being unable 10
produce some books which were locked up nothing
elected from him. He WAS requested to be- prepared
to furnish the desired information a the next meeting
The matter of grading Seventy.nnth street, be-
tween Broadway and Hudson River, was next taken
up. Charles Edwards esq.,, attended counsel for
sundry prCpert yowners on this line of improvements.
George Fulton, sworn and examined-l am Il prop
erty owner in Seventy tyninth street have been upon
working il; my property is AT the corner of Eleventh
avenue and >eventy-ninh street; the last time bat
one / was there, | counted over sixty broken flags
which had been put down. but since the remOnstrance
was presented 10 the Common Couuc against the
manner IN which the work being done, many of
them have beer removed, but there are still many
broken gutter-stones left | consider that the cOndl
tons of the contract have not been complied with
the contractor took earth from places where he had
business 10 take il from, and had it cared away to
widen Broadway with, where there was a man to take
of tf. tfTnl. nf sfp. .l.s
was paid for and then rock filed in where it was
not required and in many places i reached near the
surface, and IN some places the pieces of rock pro-
ected above, where there ought to he, according 10
contract, not less than two feet Of earth; the con-
tractor had made culv,r without being re-
quired either by circumstances or the contract, and
be wished to be noted, lest the contractor should
bring in an extra bill for the work upon il then iR-
stead of putting down the tagging on bed of sand
according to the contract, no sand had been used
merely earth from the front of the lots had been used
for that purpose. Mr.. Edwards here read the pro-
poas for the contract, which set forth that no. less
than two feet OF earth should cover the rock and that
the bed Of the sidewalks should BE- OF good and
John ONcil, sworn and examined-I wa foreman
OF the work in grading Seyentynnth street until the
llth Of November last; there was mistake in estab-
lishirg the profile of the road which rendered ne
cesSary for the removal of rock and earth backward
and forward; IN some places there are two feet OF
earth over the rock but not in all; in the grade OF
the street they governed by the stake marks put
down by the surveyor.
J. C.. Bunham, eSamined-Wi.h regard TO the
grading of the street beDg done according TO
tract, know nothing; have seen large NUMBER Of
broken flags put down, and others set very irregular
"; do not think there any sand whatever put
under the tagging and do not think the work has
bten done according Ia the specification
Mr.. Dodge, Surveyor, recalled-l was the surveyor
in the matter Of Seventy yninth street; have not yet
made a return of the work done; it !. now nearly
completed; think there about two feet OF earth
an average in some places the rock may b. very
near the surface.
Aid. TrcKIR remarked that the contract called for
not less than two feet in any place.
Mr.. DoDGE replied that he had nothing to do with
that point; that he had done bis duty IN the matter
and intended 10 do 20.
AID. ADAns-lf all had done so, there would have
been necessity for the appointment Of the Commit
tee.
Mr. Twine was called, but did not answer, where
upon Mr. Colyin OF the Street Commissioners office,
said that Mr. Twne had made his return TO the Office.
At this stage Of the proceedings the Committee adj
iouIned until Thursday afternoon next, when the al
legged fraudulent ssments III the matter of grading
Third avenue, between Sixty-frst aud E.ghty-,xth
will he taken