The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-10
A COUNTRY STEAL.
Columbia County Defrauded Of $15O, OOO-
The Trust Fund Gone-Boss Tweed's
Supervisors Imita ted-Great Excitement
Among the People.

The Trust Fund Gone-Boss Tweed's
Supervisors limits ted-Great Excitement
Among the People.
POUGHKEEPsIE, Jan. 8, 1873.
The people Of Columbia county are greatly ex-
cited over the present condition OF the financial
affairs OF their county. The now removed and ar
rested Treasurer, Richard F. Clark, is defaulter
to large amount At first it was supposed he
was only $4,000 short; then it trsnspired
that he never paid the county's portion
or the State tax, some $4,000 with in
terest, amounting in all, principal and interest,
to $50, 600. and the unlucky county finds, too,
that its trust fund.- amounting to $4,000 cannot be
found. All this and the books of the defaulting
County Treasurer have not yet been examined. so
that there is no knowing how much money has
been made away with. 1t seems that Clark's de-
falcatons extend back to the time he first took the
Office on the LIST of January, 1864, and that he has
been
SYSTEMATIC AND UNIFORN IN HIS sTEALINGs
ever since. II could hardly be supposed that he
could have done 1t all alone. In the first place 1t
would seem desirable that the Supervisors Com
mittee on County Treasurer's Accounts should ex.
plain how they had passed over the discrepan-
cies which are now found to exist, and in the
absence Of any such explanation the people loudly
and openly declare that there has been q ring
operation for the purpose Of stealing their money.
II such ring exists they declare they can point
out the ring master. They ask @. w. Trimper, one
OF the Supervisors, to explain to the taxpayers Of
Columbia how he, as chairman ofthe Committee on
Appropriations for the year 1852 recommended
and procured the appropriation Of $192s3 o5 to pay
the principal of the bonded debt of the county in
the Spring Of 1870, when there was but $l4,2S3 95
due at that time, and
TO EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCE,
which looks suspicious, that he should recommend
and this M OF
have made an Overcharge at the same time for ?
like amount. And also to explain to the taxpay-
for canal deficiencies, the proportion Of Columbia
county, amounting to over seventy-four thousand
dollars not be tse and the
authorized borrow the credit Of the county for
the term Of one year that amount. The County
ment of the State tax Of 1871 to the amount OF be-
tween forty thousand and fifty thousand dollars
and the Comptroller was pressing him to pay. Did
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
know this then If not, why not People In Column
bia county knew two years ago that Richard +.
at that time went around among republicans
soliciting votes for his reelection (he is
sscsS Hou sy ynS tsm at as he n ne
faulter, and on that ground they mplored their
publican friends to save them. For several years
leading democrats in the Columbia county Board
OF Supervisors have known this When the Comp
troller was pressing them to pay up the Columbia
county portion OF the state tax he was appointed
cashier for Mr.. J. o. whitehouse who, last Fall,
ran on the democratic ticket for Congress-
against John Il. Ketcham-. The first instalment OF
money sent Mr.. Clark by Mr.. Whitehouse was, as
stated, $35, 600. About that time Mr.. Clark sent
the Comptroller six or seven thousand dollars,
which for time eased up the pressure, but when
the time came again to settle Mr.. Clark short,
and his arrest as has already been announced,
was Effected.
n ean IN " Mr. CLARK has lnnQ with
money missed. He was not a fast man in any
sense OF the word, nor is 1t believed he lived high
at home, though he was always considered very
generous t. his servants; making them rom time
OF the entire transactions OF Mr.. Clark Is that
the Board OF Supervisors must have known
his defalcatens for years, and yet his
upon as being correct. The ball, however, Is cow
open, and the cry OF 'Disgorge I" comes up from
every part Of the county. The Columbia county
Supervisors held an extra session yesterday to
appoint committee to investigate the Treasurer's
accounts, and
MOST EXTRAORDINARY SCENES
ensued. Mr.. George Mercer, or AusterIitZ, was the
mover OF the resolution to appoint q committee to
investigate, and courtesy would have given him
the chairmanship OF the committee, but by the ac-
ton OF G. w. Trimper and others the power TO ap-
point the committee was taken from the chairman
OF the Board and invested In the Board, and Mer-
was put the tail end OF It, when he very pro-
perly declined to serve, as did also Mr.. Van
Ness. Now the committee consists OF Messrs Sharp,
Van Astyne and Ostrom, and the people look upon
the action OF the Board with suspicion and cry out
that 1t Is a whitewashing committeeman to save
Richard Clark, bat to protect others upon whom
dark and well-i0unded suspicious rest. The whole
county is in an uproar over the matter and as the
Board meets again on the 10th to hear the report
OF the committee lively times are anticipated. II
is believed Clarks delcations wiz foot ND $780, OOC
or over.