The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-11-03
THE rAmMANY FRAUDS.
Report of the Committee ofSeveuty
on the Frauds of the New York OF
fiCialS

NeSugaDe L0e PUBIC accOuuLh OI tu5 OiLl anu
County of New-YorK:
The Committee invited by the
Committee of the Board of Super
visors and the Board of Alderman,
to undertake an impartial investi
CATION OF the City and County ac-
counts" would further repprt that
they entered upon the labors with
out any knowledge of the extent of
the City or County Indebtedness,
and without definite opinions in re-
gard to the charges of corruption
and fraud, alleged against those now
holding prominent offices.
In this investigation, your com
mittee have reached the following
conclusions.
/. The debt of our city is doub-
ling every two years.
2. $3,2O0.OO0 have been paid for
repairs on armories and drill-rooms
the actual cost of which was less
than $250,000.
8. Over SI1,OOO,OOO have been
paid for outlays on an unfinished
Court House, for which bnilding
completed, an honest estimate would
be less than$3,000,000.
A. Safes, carpets, furniture, cabi-
net work, painting, plumbing, gas
and plastering have cost 81, ,2S9,4 9,46S.-
81, which valued by competent per
sons, after careful examination at
$614,lSO-4O.
5 $46O,OO0 have been paid for
$48, ZOO worth of lumber.
s. The printing, advertising, sta
tionery, ETC., of the city and county,
have cost in two wears and eight
months, $7,I68,212 %. s
Z. A large number of persons are
on the pay-rols<f the city whose
services are neither rendered nor
required.
s. Figures upon warrants and
vouchers have been fraudulently al
tered and payments have repeatedly
been made on forged Endorsements.
With these facts before them, your
committee are compelled to report
to you that, in their judgment,
frauds and robberies Of the most in
famous character have been com
miJted with the connivance and CO.
Opel alton of some of the officials
who were appointed to guard the in
terestS of the DeODle
The condition Of the City and
County finances, as shoWn by these
taveSt6gatioag, has serped to deStr q
all the confidence IN the management
q the present CSty c6IciaIs,
While not desiring to arrest the
important improvements now in
progress, your Committee still deem
1t absolutely essential to the credit
of the City that expenditures in all
departments be reduced to the low
est possible limits; that every off
Ger and salaried employe whose ser
vices are not indispensable be dis
charged, or requested to resign; that
contracts be subjected to the most
rigid scrutiny, and all expenditures
be reduced to an amount clearly
within the financial ability of the
Treasury.
The demands upon theCity Treas
ury will necessltate the borrowing OF
large sums of money at an early
day. An appeal must be made to
moneyed Institutions and to capital
lists. Besides the $2,000,0O0 due as
tages, $1S,0O0,0OO are required to |
meet current expenses and obliga-
tions maturing on the 18th of next
January. After that, $1S,0O000O |
to 20,000,0O0 will be demanded for |
the first ten months of the ensuing
year, under the most economical ad
of the city finances.
Your Committee regard as futile |
any attempt to 6OrrOtc these large
Sums Of money a0htIe the city is con-
troIted 6y its present management.
The eqisting debt of the city is en-
tirely within the ability of the peo
pie. But if the expenditures and
frauds of the past two years and a
half are to be longer continued, your
Committee cannot but view with a
larm the consequences to the credit
and prosperity of the city. They
are, however, of the opinion that the
tax paying citizens and moneyed in
stitutions will cheerfully respond to
the Treasury. if confidence in the
of the city and coun-
ty Government can be restored.
Your Committee have accomplish
ed the object of their a jpointment as
far as possible, without the addition
Ol power to send for persons and pa
pers. We had reason to hope that
Jhe Committee would be invested
with this power, but that hope has
been disappointed.
Nothing, therefore, remains for us
)ut to submit the results of the in
which are embodied in
)ur successive reports. We have
,ndeaVored to discharge, with fideli-
y, the duty of trust committed to
'ur charge, and we deeply regret the
necessity of exposing to public view
record of such unexampled and ap-
falling municipal frauds.
Respectfully submitted by order
f Committee. :;
WIN. A. BooTH, Chairman.
HOW THE STEALING WAS DONE. {
Accompanying the Committees {
were the reports of the 5
arious- Subcommittee to whom
le investigation of particular frauds
as submitted. We subioin few
T these:
PARTIES NAMED IN THE ACCOUNT.
Statement showing the list of ac- s
,unts, collected from transcripts :
,pied from the Controllers books. 2
,ys4r s. C S2O81 O57 % =
gersoll & Co 3.369 i93 90
D. Bollar & Co 95I9I1 "a !.
a. Smith 8O9 2gS e5 =
g. Miller 925 Sa6 70
orge s. Miller I.797' '73S 80 u
]. Carver and others 3105 s95 20 =,
L. Schuyler q Co 62540S 81 =:
Heb. Davidson 81 Co 43e705 20 =:
Jones & Co 34i' 'SS3 IL z: