New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-30
THE RPo0KLYy RINGS METHOD.

This was the method OF the sWihuie laVeiy
deyeloped in Brooklyn. The various BUREAUS
of the City Government paid into the hands
of Citv Treasurer Sprague or his Deputy NJ.
~ Rodman. the moneys received for taxes,
assessments. &c, and correct receipts were
piven for the same. The Treasurer or his
Deputy decided in which city bank these
moneys should be deposited, and each bank
was charged on the city books with the full
amount deposited. In this way the Brooklyn
Trust Company came to be charged, the week
before its suspension, with $500,72 %. But the
DEPUTY Treasurer, whose duty it was to deposit
these amounts, was also Secretary or Treasurer
of the Brooklyn Trust Company. 1t was his
custom to leave the Treasury with the full
amount charged to the bank as deposit, pocket
a portion before reaching the bank, enter the
full amount in the City Treasurer's pass-book,
and smaller amount by just so much as his
stealings in the Trust Company's ledger. In
this way he made the accounts of both con
Germs appear correct But IL was only neces-
sary that some other than himself should
compare the two books to detect the fraud.
They never were so compared until THE
TRIBUNE exposed the defalcatlon OF Mills;
the discrepancy would never have been known
but for that exposure.
And even then an attempt was made to
conceal part of the truth. Judge Alexander
McCue counsel, director chief owner of the
Bank, appeared in court and threw the insti-
tuition into the hands of a receiver of his
own choosing, one Mr. Daniel Chauncey. For
nearly month that receiver, whose appoint
ment we denounced as an outrageous pro-
ceeding made to conceal the frauds in the
Ring Bank, was in possession, and during the
whole of that time he was busily engaged
with Judge McCue in what the law condemns
as the compromising of felony" The two
were engaged in coneeaing frauds and in
receiving stolen funds returned on condition
that the criminal should not be punished. We
mean precisely what we say here. Mr.. Chaun-
cey received from Rodman on Aug. II last
$4,000 which he knew had been stolen, and
when asked why he did not arrest the thief
he answered. ave dare not do that" And
when finally this faithful officer had completed
his work he turned the bank over to the
elected President with the assurance that all
was right, and made public display OF I'M
usual virtue in not accepting $4,000 of fees
for protecting the criminal and reestabliShing
the bank
Within three hours of coming into posses
sion of the bank, the new President, Alderman
Ropes, discovered that there was defalcatlon
of 100000 IN the City Treasurer's account.
SO clear was it to the dullest apprehension,
that he, new to the affairs of the bank, dis
covered it from statements published month
previously, and within twenty-four hours after
The TRIBUNE proclaimed Mills to be de-
faulter To his credit be it said, he did what
Judge McCue and his receiver did not do, but
ought to have done a month before; he went
to the City Treasurer and told him about it.
And then, suddenly confused as to his duty,
forgetting what was due the city of which he
is an official agent he concealed the crime,
although he knew the criminal was still city
officer.
And what did the City Treasurer do7 This
guardian of public trusts at once went to work
| to make himself the moral accomphce of Rod
| man in the offense. lie concealed the crime
and failed to arrest the offender; the whole
Ring conspired to compound this felony. You
may sift the matter as you will, gentlemen,
but that is about the gist of it. Public Off
GERS, responsible in heavy bonds and heavier
moral obligations, they compromised with a
| thief because they dared not arrest him.
| The only excuse they have is that they
wished to recover from the bondsmen of the
thief. These were responsible men, whom the
law officers could have sued in proper form !;
| the arrest of Rodman would not have lessened
their responsibility. But such was not their
only motive. We said a month ago that they
were concealing the facts; they were doing 80
down to within the last forty-eigbt hours
Sprague, McCue, Chauncey, Ropes the whole
| of them.
| And they would have succeeded but for the
obstinacy of the political Ring which raised
| up mutineer to expose them. This defalca-
ton was made public because two weeks ago
the Ring managers in Brooklyn dismissed from
the Office of Fire Marshal man who knew
something of their secrets, and who sold them
out as 0'Brien betrayed the Tammany Ring.
But for that piece of stupidity they might
have gone on without exposure. Now they
have to face public opinion as the acc0mplices
of Rodman, and, moreover, they are compelled
to protect him because they dare not punish
him. He knows too much. The man who has
betrayed this little he knew is ignorant COM
pared to Rodman, and the mischief
the one has done is nothing compared
| to what Rodman may do, if not
considerably treated. That which has been
told before is bad enough, but these gentle
men well know that worse remains behind
Something of the startling character of the
developments which may yet be made is in
dicated in other columns. Ii is natural that
the Ring should stiIl strive 10 conceal the
frauds here indicated; it will be the fault OF
the Controller and the Council and the people
if they succeed. The City Treasurer has init
mated 10 Mr.. Warren. the accountant, who's,