New-York tribune., 1873-03-17
hole the case. Is Brown to be witness
against anybody
A RING OFFICIAL RETAINED.

a NfNG OFFIIfAL NBIdtNED
Another and somewhat startling proof OF
the intimate connection between the old TAM
many Ring, of which Mr.. William NJ Tweed
was the master spirit, and the new one OF the
Custom house, of which Mr.. Thomas Murphy
is the ruling power, has been Unexpectedly
furnished by the Investigations still going on
into the Especial Audit swindles OF lo1o'
These investigations are continued "iIh 'ne
nurpose of belping the District-Attorney and
Attornev- General to further evidence on which
70 resume the prosecution of the Ring but
occasionally facts are developed not wholly
agreeable either to the new hlng OF the oiu'
One of these unpleasant revelations given Ill
detail in other columns, seems 10 us cOhciu-
sive proof of what we have charged before,
that the new Ring contemplated by the pend
ing Charter is simply restoration OF the
old one. and for the benefit of the same per-
sons
Mr.. Joseph b. Young, now implicated In
the Ring frauds by evidence which he will
find it difficult to explain, has been for many
years Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, and
so remains to this day. Prior to the organl-
zation of the Especial Board of Audit" In
1870, he appears, according to the evidence
presented, to have carried on system OF
plunder independently of the Ring or Super
yisors, with only his brother-in-law, Elbert A.
Woodward, to aid him. The ventures were at
first small. In 1869 Young appears to have
been content with five and six hundred dol
lars month as his share. Later, however, he
increased the amounts to thousands and man
aged in this way to appropriate S29,4Ol %
for himself. OF course, as much more
was taken for Woodward This little scheme
appears to have been preliminary to the great
frauds of 1870. The two operators were really
schooling themselves in the art. Gaining con-
Gdence after repeated successes, they aspired to
something larger. Detected in what they were
doing, they were either forced to take in Others
or compelled to do the work of others. One
of them became willing, if not trusted tool; /;
the other seems to have been used to sign
warrants but not vouchers, and to have been
allowed only q small percentage for the work.
His defense now, like that of Mayor Hall, is
that he performed in signing the warrants "a
ministerial duty" without examination.
Singularly enough, when the Ring toppled
to its fall, with IngersOll, Woodward, Garvey,
Sweeny, Smith, and Connolly in flight, and
Hall and Tweed in arrest, Mr.. Young calmly
maintained his place, and to-day Is Clerk OF
the Reform Supervisors, as he was of the Ring
Supervisors. Moreover, the facts of his share
in the Ring plunder have been presented to
the Supervisors resolution has been INTRO
duced dismissing him from Office, but both
report and resolution have been ignored.
The Supervisors declined to examine the
first, and have refused to pass the last. For
two months and more they have been aware
of the true character of their clerk they have
known of his relations to, and completely with,
Woodward and the Ring. They have been
urged for these reasons to dismiss him, and
have refused. What power maintains him
in position in Board elected on platform
of Municipal Reformq Certainly not the old
power of which Mr.. Young was plant tool.
1t has no influence with Reformers. Is
it the new power which wants a plant
tool Has Mr.. Young gone where his
interest lay, and made terms with the new
aiance7 1t is to this Board which selects as
its highest subordinate a Ring plunderer, and
keeps him in position after his guilt has been
conclusively proven, that the pending Charter
gives the appointing power for the whole City
and County Government Can body which
thus blunders, and then persists in the face OF
convincing proofs of guilt in keeping an alleged
criminal in its employ, be trusted to provide
honest officers for the cityf 1t is question
to which we should like plain and practical
reply; one well worth the serious consideration
of the Legislature.