New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-10-26
MAYOR HALLS TRIAL.
STARTLING DISCLOSURES OF RING MIS-
GOVERNMENT.

| HOW BILLS WERE AUDITED, PERCENTAGES
| ADDED, WARRANTS DRAWN, AND TIE sPOILS
| SHARED.
The trial of Mayor Hall, yesterday, was very
sensational and Interesting as Will readily 90 under
from the fact that Keyser and Garyey were upon
the witness stand The courtroom all day was croWueu
with curious spectators, and during tho testimony Oh
Gavey In particular, pin might almost have peeh
herd DROP absorbed was the audience III inc Pro
ceaiings, when sOme unusually starting uechi"
tiOa was boldly uttered by the witness, ana then WIS
pred "Ahsp and /" Obs - arose from the groups oil rs
teers instantly seconded by another long interyai Oh
sence broken only by the nervous tones OF the "ness
a. he narrated emphatically the shameful history Oh
Municipal corruption.
The first witness was VIM. g. Copeland, who.t VIII De
remembered occupied subordinate position In the once
OF the Controller in 1870 during the progress OF these
frds upon the County Treasury and first had his sus-
pidons excited that all was right IN the Office In tho
sumner OF 1870 whom he began 10 watch these vouchers
| which were floating about the Department ultimately
he resolved his doubts into certante and disclosed the
scda TO tho world. He is tall thin-faced, and rather
lo sely formed young man OF perhaps ~ or % years.
win dark complexion and hair. He gave his testimony
plany and without hesitation He was shown exhloitS
No o. H. TO- 20, q, and "a ofe tn papers and war
rats which passed through the Office and testified tha
th signatures of the Mayor Nos and 1e were doubt
flu but all the looked like genuine signatures war
rant No $3.50 also appeared to BIO entirely unereh''
Mayor Hall, who or0ss-examlnes all tho witnesses W
sf asked him why he did MT como and tell the ques
toner about 1t when no thought that there we're rauo
| COPELAND said that he was not acquainted Win tne
MAYOR. The only friend Of influence ho had was Mr.
| Olrien, and him he did tell.
Abraham L. Earle, the county bookkeeper' was tien
called and gave his opinion upon the commences Oh inc
MAJORS signatures on Nos. IL. u, 49, l6, 10, 30 h ~ anu
81 Garrant $3.50. He thought all were genuine eAcoP'
tba on No. o. which was warrant TO Keyser TO- ior
s12SS5. ,.-.-.. ...s
,Jtbn Mcbride Davidson the safe manufacturer was
tbepext witness against the Mayor. He was gazeu az
witt some curiosity, he sat on the raised PLATFORM W
| the groups of lawyers and others VINO arc i"nii",
thrngh the newspapers, with that little DaeA ounVe
male famous at the trial of the late Judge Barnard az
sato:o Mr. Davidson ia tall, portly gentleman, OF
fu habits with blue eyes, thin, curly light har' ana
bea,I and mustache neatly trimmed His evidence was
| eiyn In a quiet and transformations manner
| MR. DAvIDsoN's DISCLOSURES
O. Did you in 1870 make any claim against the county
| A. Yes, Sir.
| @. Did you receive any WARRANTS III pup ni0u' A ~
| A. Yes, Sir.
O Look at exhibit 49, and state whether that Is war
| rantyou recevedi A. Yes, Sir.
| o. is that your indOrsementf A. Yes. Sir ,.,.
o. viii you state how the bill was made for when that
| warrant VAS paid how much OF it was true and how
| MI sioughton~We are not going TO raise any objee
tiou but suppose this account In no manner anects
he WAS aware il was fraudulent fictitious. We only
know whether IL is their purpose TO connect 'no
Mayq with it otherwise 1t Is clearly lnadmsslole.
| Mir Tremain-We cannot consent 70 put the admlss
bty of this evidence upon knowledge OF the Mayor
but upon the ground that that Is part OF TINS particular
| case 1t was asked on tho other trial and allowed
| Tho Court know nothing of the former trial. and
propose decide questions Ia this case without REFER
enes TO that trial as counsel will not be likely 10 agree
as TO what took place there The question:, whether
| Mf ISemain referred to allegation in the indict-
men charging that The claim so presented 1 tbd I'M
defendant mad not audited this account. II an oieef
was TO audit account 1t presumed that he had
done his duty and II II was fraudneAt-n tne H h
was penorIned-its character would appear. ,, Iney
would by facts aud circumstances connect the Mayor
| with theimudulent character Of the account.
| Mr.. SOughtOn-Then we make no OtJcctlOn. 81. -
The witness-The bill was made mp 1t Slo9iOi ~ was
then handed 10 Mr. Woodward he sent word for me to
come and get my pay the phi was enaiged % "a %
Woodward retained warrant for s9,l7O AZ; Endorsed
1t, and lac retainedti know nothing Of tue auditing
Cross-exa mined by Nr. Buckley-I had very fire.
quenty had bills previously presented which were not
| the county for four years previously ,,,
O. During those four years were any OF your bills
Mr.. Tremain objected, and the Court sustained the
The witness resumed am confident that my dealing
| was with Mr. Woodward.
| TIE NEXT INCIDENT IN COURT.
The Grand Jury hero In with large batch Of In
dictmonts. This concluded tho examination Of Mr..
Davidson. and Mr.. Peckham called out, in his sharp
voice. John II. Reyser~ Instantly every eye was
roaming about the to catch glimpse Of this wit
ness and second later Mr. Keyscr stepped brisky for
his years. upon the stand As he stood before the
people, with his hand upon the Bible, no received
scrutiny second only that which greeted Garyey ON
the cther trial. but bore it apparently with perfect in
difference He Is a man probably 60 or 65 years of age
with gray hair and beard tho latter full, and both
trimmed rather short In stature he Is OF about the
I medium size, spare in FORM and with face long and
! thin aud an expression somewhat careworn.
| Mr.. KEYsERs TESTIMONY.
O Do you know the body called the ad interim Board
| Of audit A. 1 don't know II by that naine know
| thGe were two Boards Of Audit.
c At the time that was created did you have some
| clans against the city A. Yes, Sir.
| Q After that Board created did you make out
| clans against the county A. Yes, Sir.
O State whether this bundle Of papers which now
hand you consisting Of exhibits from to l6. are the
| bill that you made Outl A. These are the bills; had
| some other bills also.
o state how you made out the bills and all the Or
substances surrounding the transaction OF tho presena
toI Of these bills. A. The bills for accumua-
tio OF four or five years work. they had been before
theOld Board OF Audit and acted upon they
returned to the Board OF Supervisors and was called
| upd 70 make out new bills and render bills for what
ha accrued SINCE did So and added 33t per cent to
theaccouDts at Mr.. watsons suggestion; was called
notcerlan about that when called upon to make new
bib went the old Board of Supervisory office with
| WATSON and Woodward, and, portion OF the time
click OF the Supervisors, who, 1 think, Is dead; they
aidid Inc ia making out these bills
Mayor Hal-We simply content ourselves, your Honor,
| win taking an exception to this testimony.
| Mtness-These bills were made out In the shape In
Yhrh they now exist aud the additions were as near as
cnld mike them on the items where had the figuring
of hem; added the $50 per cent on the Items did not
audited didn't furnish any proof before any Board as
tak probably the Controllers office; portion of my
bill not covered by the S5t per cent addlt0n Dat
not any Of those in this bundle
| THE FORGED SIGNATURES.
| cross-examined by Mayor Hail.
O. Then understand these bills fictitious in part
A. Yes Sir; they not fictitious; waited five six