The New York herald., 1873-09-18
Who Are the Four City Fathers
Reported to Have Been Indict-
ed for Reception of Bribes?
The Mayor Said To Be More Guilty of Misde.
meanOr Than the Accused.
The Temptations Of Pat
rOnage.
RUMORS AND INTERVIEWS

10 TIE eHect tnaL lnIOrnaton DelleVed TO De WOr-
thy of credence, had been obtained looking to
the Indictment OF at least four members OF the
Board of Aldermen, who are in the ring formed to
leave the Mayors nominees for Police and Civil
Justices on the table. In the article the following
was given az
KEY TO THE MATTER.
II is alleged that some lime ago a certain party
having confidential relations with one OF the
city officials had quarrel with his patron about
at the time he obtained it, that the moneys were
wanted by the oniciai aforesaid 1t IS alleged
tnat the result or the quarrel was breaking or
OF the confidential relations between the
Two, tM cri1 ana d., the appearance OF the party OF
unbosomed himself OF all his confidential transac-
tions with the onlcal. The revelations he is said
Police Justices had made combination among
themselves by which certain sum OF money was
raised and that this sum or good part OF 1t has
been made the incentive ol opposition to the
Mayors Police Justice nominations with four men,
bers of the Board OF Aldermen, and it is these
four, IL Is alleged, who have been indicted Tor
bribery.
reporter Yesterday followed up the case as far
as possible. Having ascertaned that the city
Official referred to was likely to be Judge Cox and
the party who it is alleged, had appeared before
the Grand Jury was Frank Houghtaling late clerk
to Mr. Cox, he visited the District Attorneys ONCE.
Mr. Phelps smiled very sweetly and twisted his
blonde and gray mustache as he read the para
graph to his ASSISTANT, Mr.. Allen, and when asked
indictments had been found, urbaney remarked
that he could not give the names of the Aldermen
referred to, and then he had sudden call else
where. Considering that he had not been asked
to give the names this Information was entirely
gratuitous. Mr. Allen went further, declaring that
he had heard nothing 1t.
THE STORY AS CIRCULATED
about the City Hall is that the party who appeared
before the Grand Jury Is Mr. Houghtaling; that
while he was clerk for Justice Cox Mike Murray,
the ostensible proprietor of Eighth street gam
bling house, was taxed by high police Official
81, 200 per week to prevent his business from being
interiered with; that on one occasion Mr.. Houeh.
falling intmated to Mr. Murray that Judge Cox
wanted $1,000: that the money was paid to Mr..
Houghtang; thai subsequently Judge Cox met
Mike Murray, and, learning that he had paid
money TO escape from annoyance, u quarrel oc-
Cured between Mr. Cox and his clerk that re-
suited in severance of their confidential relations,
and that Mr.. Houghtaling finally appeared before
the Grand Jury and made a 'clean breast" OF GER
tain matters he had learned. This is, In brief, the
story that Rumor, so often ct fault, gives as the
basis Tor all the action taken by the Grand Jury.
With this knowledge before him, reporter OF
the HERALD sought out and found some OF the Al
dermen yesterday.
ALDERMAN KEHR DID NOT SEEM TO CARE PAR
TICLE,
and remarked :'I only wish had received some
of the money alleged to nave been paid by the
Justices to prevent the confirmation OF the
Mayors nominees. If there IS any money ioating
about would like to see little OF it,"
REPORTER-Shall make that statemen {, Alder
man? aa now interviewing you.
MIR. KEHR-Yes, If you ike. The statement has
been made and published that the Tax COmmis-
sioners paid the Aldermen S12, 900 to confirm tnem
| m G thar nj n
1t was collected or In place OF 1t, my proper share
OF patronage
another question. In the cauc1ses held by the
antI,Mayor Ring was 1t ever hnted that the Police
Justices had friend prepared to be used in infu-
encing the Board oil Aldermen
Mr.. KEHR-Never. The bribery, the corruption,
comes from the other side, as you know.
RErORTER-BeersY
Mr.. KEHR-It is not important to particularize.
This much will say-ii l had been open to the
receipt or corrupt money
COULD HAVE NY ROOM NOW FULL
OF 1t from that side OF the house. am ready to
meet anybody ana have n0thing to conceal.
Alderman Monheimer, who has just returned
from Europe, was met on the steps OF the City Hail.
THE LITTLE GIANT or APOLLO HALL
said :-"1 will tell you who ought TO be indicted
Falconer and Beers, whO during my absence, have
attempted to bribe my colleagues Kehr and Koch
with patronage, and Others who offered money con-
slderations."
REPoRTER-But, Alderman, let me ask you a
question; believe you Will answer 1t truthiully
in your caucuses on the question OF confirming the
Mayors nominees Or Justices, was it ever even
limited at that the Police Justices were going to
use money to enable them~to retain their places,
or did you ever hear that money was being col
lected for that purpose by the present incumbents2
of Aldermen. have heard that the present JUS
tees, who have reserve iund, paid William A.
Beach retainer OF $4,000 to test the constitu-
tlOnaty OF the law and carry The war into the
highest court. That believe. is all the money
either collected or expended in the matter.
subject, said that the first ntimation he had re-
ceived about the alleged indictment OF the four
GAS far as am concerned" said he, 'in this police
justice matter,
have done but my duty. II bribery has been
brought into play TO sway aldermen from one side
to the ether on the question, | would be more
easily led to suspect that 1t has come
FROM THE MAYORS SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
than from our side. do not know II money has
been offered but do know tell you, that every
possible temptation OF patronage has been offered
by the Mayors party TO induce Kehr and Koch To
go over to them. These two gentlemen have re.
sisted StOutly on principle, and have 80 far stood
firm. IL may be that where any amount OF patron
age has been offered money may have been offered
man in the Board who can be made TO ''weaken.'
Kehr ana KOCH | assure you, they are above
suspicion. There is not money enough In the city
to make them move one incn against their c0nvlc-
tions. They have taken their stand and nothing
can move them.
''How has this story got bruited about, then, do
you suppose ~
CANDID OPINION.
"My candid opinion is that IL has been started by
peopie who are anxious to manufacture public
sentiment against the Board. No matter what
they can do. however, their Vaccinations VIII go
for naught. We are In the right on our side and
fear nothing, let denunciations come from what
ever source they may"
Mr.. Frank Hougntaling, being an important wit
ness, was sought after. While looking for him the
reporter
ENCOUNTERED JUDGE SCOTT ON BROADWAY.
The Judge had seen the paragraph In the HERALD
and said -
Il never paid cent to influence .he action Of
the aldermen. would sooner pay money to have
them remove me, and thus test the mattern
REPoRTER-But Alderman Monheimer tells me
that the Justices have raised a lund to prevent
their removal. Is IL TO fee counsel2
Mr. SCoTT-Yes; william A. Beach Is the man.
He has been pad his. lee and Will, If we are re-
moved carry the matter TO the COURTS I have
paid money, as others have, to counsel to test our
rights but not q cent to be used to influence the
action OF the Aldermen.
REPORTER-Then there has never, as far as YOU
have heard, been any moneys expended or col.
lected TO direct Aldermanic actionY
Judge sCoIT-Never. have not paid anything
and have not heard OF others paying for such u
purpose.