New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-28
AR. KINGSLEYS METHOD.


Ring to make out fictitious bills against the
city in the names of personal friends OF the
leaders, the latter thinking that If ever the
swindles were discovered, which was unlikely,
their friends would stand By and protect them
by silence. In this way forgery became a
common practice, and reached the hight OF
perfection. But at last exposure compelled
the friends to repudiate the transac-
lions and to appear before the Grand
Jury and testify against the forgers.
Something of this system. appears to
have been adopted by the managers of the
Brooklyn Bridge, OF at least by that principal
who is also the Superintendent, Mr. William
G. Kingsley. 1t is too harsh, perhaps, to call
by so offensive a word as forgery" that
which legally is mere deception, but MIR.
Kingsley will find it difficult to explain to
conscientious public the transaction which
we expose in other columns. The gst of the
whole matter can be explained in q few
words.
Only the private stockholders Of the Bridge
Company can vote to elect the Board of Di-
rectors. The annual election of the Board
takes place next Monday. Investigation and
exposure of mismanagement have driven
ley's support and, doubtful of the issue, he
has created ten new stockholders. On the
most of these he can depend for support.
Two of them, Benjamin f. Tracy and Will
liam A. Fowler, Republican and Democratic
members of the Brooklyn Ring, are
in Albany with Mr.. Kingsley lobbying
in his interest; another, Cortland Dixon,
is the contractor who supplies the
Bridge Company with stone. Two Others, the
Hon. w. w. Goodrich and William Schwartz
waeldor, Indignantly denounce the transfer as
fictitious. The rest of the newly named stock
holders are out of town, and some of them are
known to be in Albany with Mr.. Kingsley.
With the aid of these new stockholders Mr..
Kingsley can probably carry the election on
Monday, if Assemblyman Jacobs's bill does not
pass. If it does pass, and the issue is
to be decided to-day, Mayor Powell,
acting in the Ring interest, can appoint
from those named above as being posi-
lively in Kingsley's party, and from the
present directors who are embarked with him
in this enterprise, the ten directors who are
to represent Brooklyn in the Board contem-
plated by that bill In the first case Messrs.
Tracy, Fowler, Dixon, and Wheeler get ten
thousand dollars Of paid up stock for their
subserviency, and Mr.. Kingsley retains con-
troll of the enterprise. In the other, Mr.. Kings
ley gets his money back, Ostensibly retires
from the Company, and the subservient
Mayor appoints these four new stockholders
to be directors in Mr.. Kingsley's interest.
We believe that the exposure of these de-
signs will defeat them. Certainly it ought to
destroy all faith in the present management
of the enterprise and awake the people of,
Brooklyn to the duty of demanding and
the Legislature to the need of making
thorough investigation and reform of this
work. The two cities cannot afford to have
this great enterprise delayed OF abandoned. The
people of the two cities will not vote to
intrust any more money to men who fail or
refuse to account for 100000 in an expendi-
ture of less than $5,OOOOOO. 1t is idle to eI-
pect further subscriptions until this reform of
the management is accomplished The legs-
lators Of both Houses who anticipate O re-
election in Kings County this Fall ought not
to blind themselves to the gravity of this
important ISSUE Some of them have OBJ
structed investigation heretofore; they cannot
afford to refuse it altogether.