New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-04
CHARLES DEvLIN I'm BUSINESS
AGAIN.

tor some time lelu inc OIlc6 O1 Dlreet
Commissioner under an appointment made by
Fernando Wood, was guilty, both directly through
his own acts, and indirectly by connivance with
other parties of frauds, robberies and fOrgeries,
periured returns and alterations of contracts,
whereby the City Government was plundered of
amounts certainly not less 10 the aggregate than
FIVE hundred thousand dollars. Not content with
the ordinary facilities for spOliation presented
through the machinery of the Street Department,
Charles Devhn was guilty of various forgeries on
the backs of fraudulent and spurious warrants
these warrants being themselves forged by clerk
in the then Controllers Department, who was
acting in collision with Devlin in a general scheme
for the robbery of the public treasury.
Should Nr. Controller Haws wish one particu
lar instance Of the forgeries committed by e.
Deylln, we may refer him to the warrant drawn
on the 18th day of November. 1857, for the sum
! of $500 81, in favor of John Fitzpatrck-said
warrant purporting to be on account of certain
sewers constructed on Forty-fourth street by
Fitzpatrick; whereas, in fact, the contract for
the Job had been given to other parties, who had
completed it and who had been paid in full for
il a. early as the year 1856. On the back OF
this warrant, G.. Devln forged the name of John
| Fitzpatrick, certifying underneath the forged
signature, Correct Charles Deylin'-this quoted
Enforcement being demanded by the Broadway
Bank before paying the warrant which was sus-
pected to be not all right. On the 4th day OF
! March, 1853, Charles Deyln's son, being exam
| ined before Mr.. Recorder Barnard, was Obliged
/ to confess that the signature "John Fitzpatrick
was in his fathers handwriting; and for this
case, as one of numerous deinquencles and
! frauds, Charlie. Desin is now under indictment,
though he has managed to postpone trial by arts
which can rather be guessed at than stated. 1t
should be known, however, that Mr. Recorder
Barnard was not merely connected with Devlin
| in the rigorous capacity Of Judge appointed to
punish guilt. While Deylin was still under In
dctment and likely at any moment to be called
up for trial, Mr. Recorder Barnard, on behalf
of Deyln aud "a his counsel, eDdeayored to
Z" fx up matters" with Fitzpatrick, and to this end
held an interview with the Hon. John McKeOn,
Fitzpatrick counsel at which various propositions
were made. Mr.. Devlin, moreover, has since
been fortunate in retaining the services Of Mer-
win II. Brewer, esq., as his legal adyiser-the
confidential relations subsisting between Brewer
and the Controller giving to this legal gentleman
all the facilities requisite for arriving at the true
state Of Deyln's accounts with the City.
But this instance which we have cited is only
one out of scores Of false, fraudulent, and forged
claims upon which Charles Devln has either drawn
money out OF the Controllers Department d.
rectly, or for which he was allowed to recover
Judgment by default or under the decision of
corrupt Referees appointed by Corporation
Counsel Busted. These fraudulent judgments
which were obtained against the City by
direct and cupable neglect of the City's law
officer to offer any opposition, were more than
eight hundred in number, and presented an
aggregate in excess of eight hundred thousand dol
lars. Every rogue in the service of Fernando Wood
was allowed TO carry of his share OF booty for
services during the contest against Mayor Tie
mann-De,lin certifying that these associate
thieves had acted as Inspectors on contracts
which had no existence, and as surveyors of
curbiDg guttering tagging, and regulating streets
which had never 80 much as been declared open
on paper. All sorts of scandalous and e1orbitant
judgments were allowed by default in favor Of
prominent city SPECTATORS, including one men,
Der if not more Of the Board Of Supervisors; and
80 fragrant were these illustrations Of the perver
sion of legal machinery to the sole purpose of
pillaging the municipal exchequer, that the Leg
islature of 1859 could not be brought to insert
an appropriation for the payment of these swim
dies in the Tax Levy of that year until, at the
suggestion of Mr.. Merwin Il. Brewer, who was
then the representative Of Controller HawS at
Albany, clause had been added giving the Con-
troler power to settle aud adjust these claims on
a correct basis, aud to open up all judgments
taken by default wherever he had reason to sus.
pect dishonesty through the neglect of the City's
legal representative to enter an appearance,
call witnesses or defend.
But, from that day to this, no one has ever
heard that single one of those eight hundred
fraudulent judgments has been legally "opened
Cup" or in any way contested by the Finance
Northumberland small reductions, perhaps,
having been made in few of the claims, noto-
riously based on utter theft, and without any
shadow of justification; but the great body of the
swindles being allowed to pass unquestoned-
Merwin X. Brewer, Richard Busted, and other
eminent advisers Of that class, being very gen.
orally retained on behalf Of the hungry Judgment
holders. Every year, there are inserted ia the
Tax Levy specific appropriations for purposes
which are never carried out; but the money 30
raised and not used for the purposes contempla-
ted, is, Of course, never returned to the people
hoo II IL amid hoinn uiiinfu