New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-25
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
ppooK1yN prNIrESTIARY FRAUDS.


OVER A QUARTER OF MILLION SAID TO HAVE
BEEN EXPENDED WITHOUT AUTHORITY
For some time past the report has peeh In
oreulation that nearly 100000 had been eXpehaed upon
the Kings County Penitentiary without inc mummy VI
the BOARD OF supervisors and that OF tue amount us
bursed not over one-thrd had been spch. ior "oiA
actually done The money which was expended was as
follows For the wall OF the Peni'enuary, fo'o' 'o
for the workshop s9I62s 81 for the BARN. so'o 'o.
sosaaos S. Supervisor johnson. after investigating 'e
matter charged the Penitentary Committee WIN max
ing contracts without the authority OF 'he poai" VI
SUPERVISORS with assuming the responsioH VI cnIer
ing upon secret contracts, ana WIN i"'oihs 'no
passage OF resolutions by which tho county treasurer
was directed to pay the bills on the eerincate Of the
c.,t,oo ord the architect who did the work. The
resplt was the appontment OF Committee OF lnVesti-
which has lust held its frat session There were
present at the meeting Supervisors Joh"'on anu
chenck the former OF whom reiterated MS CHARGES anu
stated that In the whole matter there was toroe TO-
spopsbty resting somewhere; that 100000 had been
maid ont for work which had not cost slOooO and tha
he dd not believe the laborers and contractors had got
all the money He knew that somebody had been SWIM
died. and the investigation shoudreveal who 1t was
The first witness called was County Treasurer Thomas
hun Me stated that his books showed that bad paid
kls 800 49, which bills amounting TO so6S5 ~ had
iV Of The Committee appointed Sept a. 1858 aud
page 500 Of the minutes OF the Board OF s1Pefvlsors
delegated
10 County Treasurer on account OF contracts
for the Improvement OF the Penitonary ana by oIder
OF the Committee Sls292s a. has been paid.
Mr. Gardner testified that the moneys palu were
ss55s co. the balance remaining from inc old fehlIh
tary building account in 1863 On Sept ~ lotS the
euperyisOrs authorized the borrowing OF solO ana on
Oct 2, 1868. increased tine amount sllONO was DOT
Towed for the workshop ana Improvements Oh tHo Ichi
Tertiary. ,s..-.,z...
EdmInd b. CadeY clerk Of the Board OF Supervisors
testified that IN the minutes OF the Board appears re-
port Of the Penitentary Committee that they hdu re-
ceived proposals for building the Workshop ana tlat
fhey we're authorized 10 enter into contract win
Thomas Mullen for work Tor s5slOO, anu win
NaughtOD Brothers for carpenters WORK LOT SHtto OF
$50 $40 altogether Mr. Galley then snOWeu tnat Win
out any authority work upon the stone wall had Deen
begun He stated that many occasions alter june
s6s Supervisors johnson and Little introduced resOlu
tons inquirug by what authority the Work was prHceeu
ing and thar these resolutions invariably defeated
or tabled The single document authorizing or pretchu
lug 10 authorize building of the stone wan had Deeh
May a. 1865 between Patrick Mullen OF tho Board OF
Supervisors County or Kings, by the comm l.
tee thereof" The price IS cents for each CUBIC
foot No security VA. gwen Ior InS H.
the contract was laid before the Board OF Supervisors
aud acted upon the amount for mason Work was sdyU
there nothing about me contract luuloans .naC ~
o. 1859 the Committee entered into contract win
NaughtOn Brothers for the erection OF barn az the
PeDeutiary To cost S. go hut the witness Was quite
the committee was never aulhofzcd auu thao cor
tracts never came before the Board III relation TO the
barn vail.
Supervisor johnson asked the witness whether ne had
ever before "a document which WAS presented FOR
his inspection. He answered "To the best OF my reco
lection have never nor heard of 1t beforeE |
dout remember being possession, and IT has no
Endorsement find IL is a contract for placing coping
on the wall. The Committee then adjourned until to-
marrow afternoon,