The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-13

City Marshal on His Way to Grief-Blocking
an Ugly Game-The Permit Question
Again-W. Napoleon Moloney TAX
ing OFF Heads and Ducats.

There was comparatively little Of an ofncal char
acter and OF public interest developed In the
public departments yesterday. small army OF
small fry politicians invaded the Mayors outer
Office, where Court was held by Mr.. Wider, the
Mayors private secretary, to investigate charge
OF blackmail against Thomas McGrath, one OF the
city marshals appointed under the new charter
The plaintiffs were Charles Fields and II. E. Sar
geant, captain and mate of the brig Alta vea. Mr.
J. W. Lorton appeared as counsel for the plaintiffs
and thumped tho case right and left, attracting
much attention by the earnestness OF his manner
and the rar1dity Of his speech as he went on to
denounce and expose this too frequent
SYSTEM OF FRAUD
and oppression. 1t appears from Mr.. Lorton's
AFFIDAVIT and statements in the case that McGrath
had arrested Fields ana Sergeant on an order OF
arrest from Judge Joachimsen, for committing an
assault upon sailor named Monnier. Mr. Lorton
showed that he went to the office Of the PLANTING
attorney, and found Fields and Sergeant imprisoned
in o room. The lawyer was not In, but the Mar
shals deputy ana o clerk IA boy), by direction Of
McGrath, filed up the bonds, after which Mr. Lor-
ton asked, "Mr. Marshal, will these bonds suit ?"
He replied, ''They will when you pay me $20."
Mr.. Lorton offered the legal fees several times,
which McGrath refused relterating the demand,
'Twenty dollars, and all will be right" At
Ludlow Street jail, he again offered the
fees but McGrath repeated, Twenty dollars
or I'll lock them up" which he did. Mr.. Lor-
ton then went to the house Of Judge Joachimsen,
who Immediately vacated the order of arrest, and
the prisoners were discharged at seven O'Clock
The defence on the part of McGrath was sort Of
denial and an apologize admission OF certain facts,
it being claimed that the $40 asked was not as
"ieesn but for "the trouble he took" and forth,
in running around to enable the prisoners to get
simple $500 BAIL The case looks like q bad one for
"Mac," and will be referred to the Mayor Tor de-
cision upon the evidence.
While the hearing was going on young man en-.
tered the Office and informed HERALD reporter
CERTAIN CITY MARSHAL
had insisted on obtaining Sl1 60 as his fee for max.
ing an arrest. The young man learned yesterday
that the legal lee was 81 SO, and went to the
Mayors office to ''see" about 1t. The chances are
that another marshal will shear" about il IN day
or two.
The committee appointed by the merchants to
he''A' '"'" p'''''' 20 '''''' ''''''
BUREAU OF PERMITS
waited upon Mayor Havemeyer yesterday. Alter
hearing their petition in relation to the corpora
ton ordinance and the license system, which have
become SO obnoxious to the downtown commu-
nity the Mayor stated his entire Willingness TO CO.
operate with them for any genuine reform, and ad-
viscd the appointing OF subcommittee to draw
up proper form OF petition to be presented to the
Board ol Aldermen His Honor however, i'm
pressed upon the delegation the iact that
the statute book he was obea to see siGV enorced
no matter how oppressive 1t might prove The
committee then visited the Corporation Counsel,
and conferred with him upon the matter. The in.
terview was highly satisfactory to the merchants,
who found that Mr.. Ruggles was inclined to the
opinion that the permit system Is Illegal and sug-
gested that 1t is high time that the municipal
ordinances generally be reconstructed from begin
ming to end, a. the most OF them were enacted to
meet the eXigencies OF forty years ago, when New
York was but an exaggerated village.
''CUTTfNG DOWN.
Mr.. william Maloney, clerk OF the Board OF AS
sistant Aldermen, has taken it into his head to cut
down the salaries and cut or the cap,dS OF some
ne 4 hn tfna1 10 nChi nN tnn n TINA
Clues Oh couple Of heads to other persons alter
the following ''Sca,e OF priceS:n-