The New York herald., 1871-09-13
NJ A CO r E G. o R.
Alleged Blackmailing in the Department
Of Buildings Bureau.
Dividing Money with Judges a
Pretext of the Peculat0rs.
An Injunction and How Judge Bar
nard Dissolved 1t.

messed ptlmations that q decayed condition like
that once affecting ancient Denmark, pervaded the
Department Of Buildings under the charge OF
James Macgregor. Not until yesterday have these
intlmatons taken the tangible shape Of sworn
avowals in court OF justice. Whlle Judge Barnard
was busy in the great Injunction case applt.
cation was made to him to dissolve an
Injunction obtained at the instance Of the Super.
tntcndent OF Public Buildings, preventing exJudge
Tappan from going on with the completion OF two
buildings in Fifyseventh street. The history OF the
case has already partially appeared In the HERALD,
and tue rest Is best told IN the adavits submitted
In the application yesterday. The opening afldavi
sets forth succlnctly
THE PRESCRIBED PROGRAMME
pursued at The headquarters OF the Bureau, and is
Is follows;-
In August las! ne applied to The Building Depart.
dent for PERMISSION to put two stories upon build.
sng; permission was refused, and Mr.. Armstrong
60 to one Robert Murray, TO have the necessary
papers papers drawn and papers Obtained from the Court,
Pine and William streets and Tie lie Prepared pr
papers and Obtained the order, and asked deponenI
Sh ans 70 SaVna % nU
aa lnsp to saa vas ss ad mot get all the money ne
'isressi
regard to such buildings The application Itself was
any such expense. Deponent has been an architect
East Forty street. an! osN y IN %
: Sworn before me septembee r. ls7l.-RIcHARp
y. bEAMIsH, Notary Public. New York.
The next affidavlt, which is that OF ex-Judyc Tap.
pan himself is further revelation Oh the interior
Workings OF tho Bureau, and proclaims Its
DAMAGING ALLEGATIONS
In the following terms:-
B. cg TnpDsn ara Of Gosy Ss canfy q =, zee Ko
sworn, says that he Is the owner of tho two dWeliin
Sors sSses wc ~ ir street. n the c Of New
BY uncon Of The Court prevented dcnonegSs mas
his builders from finishing. That the houses are
and safely y built So far tney
tects and others ned In another action. That
deponent is finishing the walls OF said houses In the
Court duly made, and which orders The snpsrInien.
dent OF Buildings refuses to comply with and With
nolas nc sne certncate which the Court directed him
That the Superintendent has commenced tnree
intunctions and two actions against deponent~one
for injunction and one for penalty. That while he
quality Of wcrk he permits twelve.inch party walls
to e II $ Ss
Only Only egnieen rect seven and half inches wide.
pursued deponent and the men IN deponenrs en-.
O Stated IN Of r actions as
that %S the sancon aad n .Se
order @ attacks e this S tSs Ssn a SSS
attaches Of the Building Department. and iSs others
OBTAIN large sums OF money from builders and own.
ers Tor obtaining exemptions ana ceriincales and
settling 4 frivolous suits Deponent asks that the
further enforce its own order heretofore made and
,gnored 10y the superintendent, and viii command
said Tappan, bis builders or workmen. in any man.
ner. or In any Court, or by any proceedings and
said buildings, upon the ground that such prosecu.
Sn ,n and interference are contempt Of 1nls honor
Here Is another AFFIDAVIT OF Judge Tappan giving
the most
DECISIVE SWORD THRUsTs
or all against the present head Of the Building De-
partment bureau.
NEW YORK COMMON PLEAs.-Departn,n mt of
counly-to wit--Abraham b. Tappen OF said county
Delng duy sworn, says that he Is the owner OF two
city. now in course OF Construction by the defend.
81 a9 as builder Tor deponent That he is informed
statements and by advice OF counsel he submits
them 10 the Court:-
One Macgregor. filling the ONCE Of superintendent
OF Buildings. seems to be that hybrid known as a
Tammany republican holding oiice under either
party and probably faithless to each In political
principe. That to show the manner In which Mac.
gregor prostitutes high Office, and to show why he
should not longer be permitted to abuse IT'S powers
diately communicated to His Honor the Mayor:-A |
few months ago the superintendent tolerated the |
stories high, which eII to the ground before It was
completed and carried death to family living on |
erecuon of wooden buildings within the Are limits
In defiance OF law. That at this day party walls
buildings just started In the city, aud that almost
al the new dwelling bouses now constructing
to garrett an which the superintendent
knows, although he unblushngly denies the same.
That he pretends that In few sucn instances such
walls are permitted because the plans were out be-
fore the act OF 1871 was passed, when truth and
bought and buildings started by owners long after
the passage OF such act. That the superintendent
s ~ Dos e APP I'M Sy po
attorneys attached to mis- Office, one OF whom is NJ j.
tarrel said to be an adopted son Or proege OF Gov
raj years ago by political power and not by merit and
deponent believes Governor Fenon to be ignorant Of
his unpro essi0na conduct toward the builders and
owners and other good citizens drawn to his Office.
Ihat Of another attorney 1t Is reported that when
ylaiionsrD he asked for a box Of cigars, saying 1t
was done SO cheap That one Murray, having an
with the onice and yielding large returns In the
matter of penalties" exemptions" and ''devia-
That the iron men Of the city have been aroused
70 actoa by the monstrous provisions OF the law IN
csngaha desnoss esns cooac r0Ss nor
In the matter, for wnich see T,iSNne a fortnieIt
The thirty -nrst section Of the act authorizes the
supreme court TO grant an order permitting the law
10 oe moulneu anu devlations thereirom IN respect
70 any building. and directing tue Superintendentt 10
issue certilcate accordingly, anu similar bower
seems 70 De conferred on the superintendent In
consequence OF this peculiar provision authorizing
sll manner OF exemptions and deviations this re.
markable law Is not law TO favorites ana those
who make their peace, but Is a law to All oaSsr
persons. And some builders VINO mean to build OF
poor material are voluntarily source OF large profit
to the Superintendent's employees for exemptions
and dcvla,ions while large aud respectable class
OF good builders and owners-some oil the best men
0nn0Ve0 at.S
charged with violations and penalties until they are
also compelled to make their peace, and pay out
construction II
The law was surreptltiously passed by Leaisla.
ture which passed ten or twelve hundred 0cts which
clearly are not the Acts OF the Apostles, because
Governor HOFFMAN vetoed or refused to sign about
TWO hundred OF them, they were so Objectionable.
As proof OF this statement deponent states rnat
Q BILL passed me Assembly authorizing each