New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-27
BROOKLYN INIQUITIES.
AN ALDERMAN's PHILANTHROPY.

FITNESS FOR MEMBERSHIP IN AN INVESTIGATING
. COMMITTEE QUESTIONED.
According to the statement of Alderman
Ropes he retained in Office the chief clerk OF the Health
Board for year after the latter had confessed hmse
20 be defauer and forger. aud compromised Win .ne
culprit who restitution or the amount he stoe y
paying back $50 a month, which paid through mr.
Ropes into the City Treasury, and credited 10 'no
"restitaton fund" 1t will be remembered now
Enormously Mr. Ropesurged that his conduct lh win
holding the knowledge of tho frauds ON tne Guy
Treasury by sprague was inspired oy Pni"u''i
motives. and induced by an indisposuon 70 49,
useless alarm, but the facts elected yesterday uo"
ho had previously shielded cuiprit from ueoei''
punishment The facts Of the fraud are as ioi'o"s'
In the beeinning OF 1874 Alderman Ropes, oy virtue
os his nositon IN the Health Committee OF the Common
Council became a member OF the Health boaru oi
BROOKLYN and while acting IN that capaclty MS 49,
lion was drawn the monthly pay-Toh OF inc he"'n
OfBeer and his subordinates Beside the monthly sal
ares NJ the Health Department officials these payros
on,o,,es items for dsenfectants which Dr. SquibD ana
Others had supplied 20 the city. Upon examination
Alderman Ropes discovered that John O'Conner che1
clerk OF she old Health Office had repeatedly lhcreaseu
The amount Of the bills sent in from Dr. squloo ana
poceted the difference between the true and false stae
mcnts.
The manner IN which OCOnner carried out his plan
was this He went Dr. sauibbss office and introduced
himself 10 one OF Dr. SQubbss clerks and told him that
on account OF much sehseless crcumOcuton and need
less redtape IN the Health Board he was required to
furnish duplicates OF the bulls rendered TO the members
OF the Board In this manner he became possessed OF
numbers Of Dr. squlbbss blank bilheads upon which ne
proceeded TO make out fictitious bills for each month";
and in each case far OF the actual amount as
rendered by the chemist The correct bills were received
by O'Conner who kept them, wheIthe forged bills were
presented 70 the Board which ordered the amount caed
for 10 be paid OCOnner who was authorized 10 make
the payment TO DR.. souibbs. o'Conner paid the
amount of the true bill and retained the difference
between 1t and the face of his forged bill In order 10
carry out successfully the whole scheme IL VIII
he seen that the bills had 70 be forged the
vouchers had TO be forged, and the receipt
OF Dr. sQmbbs to the city for The Forged
bills had TO be forged. These things were all
done promptly by OCOnner TO cover up the theft Inc
clerk carried his scheme successfully ior seVerdi
months during 1871, and how much money was actuahy
stolen could be ascertaned by TRIBUNE reporter
who vaInly endcavored to ascertain the amount Finally
Alderman Ropes who was then member of the Health
Board discovered the fact OF the theft out instead Oh
having the culprit, who prOessed 20 be peniteht at
rested he agreed with him that he would say nothing
about the matter II he would pay go month into the
city treasury On account OF O'Conners influence as
ward politician, and through Mr. Ropes's efforts the
clerk was retained in his position for nearly year after
ward In NAV, 1873 the Health Department was reOr-
anized and OConner lost his place but before the new
organization perfected O'Conner presented hnseh
before the new Commissioners armed with a
letter OF recommendation from Alderman Ropes
who asked as a personal favor that OConner
might be retained in position in the De-
nartmest Tbes Health Commissioner referred TO was
informed regard the case, and promptly ordered
OCOnner to leave the Alderman Ropes not sats-
fed with breaking an express provision OF the la"'
under which Is liable to be indicted for shielding the
culprit set about hiding all traces Of the crime and
of TN whether
true or false are part Of the archives Of the Health De-
partnent This fact was certified TO yesterday by
DeputytController Rich and Mr.. Scuy, who examined
every pgeOnSloe and place whore they should be- but
without success They stated that Alderman Ropes had
called at the Office several times and examined Them
since which time they had been missing As to their
preseDt whereabouts they could say nothing except
that Mr. Ropes must have taken them away. Upon the
discovery of the facts above stated 1t was supposed
that Mr. Ropes had been guilty OF compromising a
felony and the following law cited in supposed sup
port OF the theory. isee page I'll, vol 2, Revised
statutes)
sgc u. Every person having knowledge of the &C
tua commission OF any Oense punishable by imprs0n-
state prison, for any other term than ior ne,
who shall take property OF another or any
gratuty reward, or any engagemeht or promise
therefor upon any agreement or understandings express
implied 10 compound or conceal any sueh cIl,ne vi ~
abstain from prosecution therefor, OF 10 WIN
me- FINISHED NV Imprisonment in State prison not
ceeding three years. OF in county jail not eAceeng
SEC. 10 Upon the trial Of any indictment for any
oense specified in the two last sections tine HIN secoh
relates to compromising capital crlnes u sha ho pe
necessary 10 prove the conviction OF any offender for the
offense relation 10 which any agreement OF uuuer
standing therein prohibited shall have been made
The word, who shall take any money or property OF
another or any gratuity reward, any engagement
or promise therefor" show. however, that reward Tor
conceament must received to make the crime, which
is also the general legal definition Of compromising
crime
Alderman Ropes when applied to for information, yes
terday in regard the matter and asked what he had
TO say about attitude pleaded guilty in the following
words All l have TO say is that what did In that
case did with the knowledge Of the Mayor and Con-
troIer. have made attempt to cover anything up.
O'Counor only took 200 belonging TO the CITY, nearly
half of which he paid back at the rate Of $50 month";
which you will ind credited in the restitution fund ac-
count IN the Controllers Office. desireiexpicitly to
say that made no attempt to raise OConnOr's salary
after found out he had been doing all reports TO
the contrary Notwithstanding What have done IN this
case is simply to protect young man. who during the
war fserved with Commodore Dupont who was pro
noted who lost his father and came home 10 take care
OF a widowed mother / did what could TO save him
and he was never aferward in position OF trust where
lie could take dollar"
The question asked yesterday whether Alderman
Ropes who is chairman OF the Committee appointed
under the new charter 10 investigate the financial cond
ton of the different departments, is qualified to serve
when his sensibuues as 10 the unIortuhato posiIloh
which exposure would place defauters IN is so acute.
Mr. Ropes claimed that Mr. OCOnnOr had lost father
and had a widowed mother, and on that account the
Alderman deemed him fit object Of pity, and the city
whose Mr.. Ropes swore he would look atter
was permitted his showing to be robbed and the
cuprt to go free 1t is asked whether persons in like
circumstances may be discovered to be defauers
will not be similarly treated 1t is urged that the case
of OConuOr should been brought TO the attention
OF the DsrictAttOrney. That Official however, stated
yesterday that he had no knowledge Of the facts 1t
also appeared evening that Alderman Ropes in like
manner screened Daniel DOwney, Registers clerk, who