The New York herald., 1874-09-18

1861 is 1901 10 iSl 2SS5 ,f S,S,I
Totals. ....... 7oi o77 oSs s2s 1881 T,sas
Deduct number committed Observation-Disclosures. 1881
Allow additional for police courts ................ 100
Number frauduently charged .................. 9A0
The allowance OF 1000 for the police courts Is at
least double the number Of the actual deficiency.
1t appears from the above table that during your
first term OF oflce the number Of prisoners Tor
whom you charged was sligntly less than the num-
ber sentenced. This should be So ior a lew OF
those sentenced were discharged by subsequeng
legal proceedings.
MORE FRAUDS.
But during your second term when Watson was
Auditor, you charged for conveying more than
double the number OF persons sentenced to confne-
ment. II we put the excess at 3, AZ. at seventy
five cents for each, the amount you MADE by this
fraud would re $I,OS6 10. But you were guilty OF
greater fraud than this in the
sentenced to confinement within the county
appears to have first devolved upon the Sheriff.
was some difhculty in fixing the rate OF compen-
satlon. HIS bills were taxed by Judge Ingraham,
conveyed to Blackwell Island. Colonel Jones
was dissatisfied and the Board OF supervisors
finally allowed seventy-1ve cents, which was done
by giving him the TWO lees OF thirty.seven and .
half cents fOr every person committed to prison."
and OF thirty. seven and hall cents ''lOr every
specifically authorized by law. At this rate Of
seventy-dve cents every Sherin was subsequently
paid until mt you began your I,u second term Ihs
body or % o%cer in in this s''e city p' and County, CO n.y.
unless authorized by q new statue To show that
l am not In error will quote from a decision
made by the supreme Court in lS42 in the case Of
the Sheriff Of Chemung county. The value OF this
decision Will be appreciated when say that the
Bench was then composed Of Samuel Nes IN, Chief
Justice, and Greene G. Bronson and Esek Cowen.
Justices. The Court say:-"The attendance Of
the Sheriff at these courts is highly necessary, buI
the statute seems to have referred his compensa-
advised that there has never been decision con-
nictng with the principle thus established. II this
decision be sound IN respect to other counties.
where the Supervisors have some discretion, now
much more force does 1t carry here, where The
have quoted above, are ABSOLUTELY denuded OF all
power, except to see that the Sheriff renders the
services iOr whicu lees are provided by law. be-
fore he Is paid Tor them.
THE SHERIFF AND HIS PROFITS.
Nor is there any hardship in the rule that If no
Sheriff to The pubic, he Is to render 1t without
compensation. In this city the SheriT Is provided
at public expense with fire, offices, gas and fuel,
to enable him to do large ana profta6e busi.
ness with individuals. Almost your first act az
Sheriff was to obtain an appropriation from the
afterwards several times to have the rooms re.
paired or cleaned. Your anxiety In the latter re-
spect appears to have been confined to the walls
abode OF hypocfltes all was full OF extOrtion and
excess" land Of al nnceannessn the compen.
satiOn OF the Sherin Tor conveying prisoners had
been fixed a. the iull amount allowed Dy law, but
that could not limit your rapacty. Watson was
Auo'0f TWaEn you aS we're eager
1t may mere be interesting 70 state how you
was appointed Auditor you obtained nothing
more. the men in power seemed to think that
you mad had enough. You punished them by CIV
December 1863 TO the Germans who were sup
porting Z. Godfrey Gunther Tor Mayor. Guntner
1864 you struck hands, and Tweed nominated and
elected you as Sheriff. During the three years that
urSn you were tnen no IN oice you were as quiet as
office the second time under what you doubtless
Considered favorable circumstances. William M.
Tweed was President Of the Board OF Supervisors.
Walter Roche, as Chairman OF the Committee Oh
County Onicers. passed upon your bills and James
Watson, as County Auditor. had power to "put
improved II. without tne slightest warrant from
any source you had the audacity TO charge
In your Dill ior conveying prisoners within the
county at double the previous large rate. You
charged 81 SO for each prisoner The Oil went
creased machine. You were paid at this rate ior
Two years and three months; 1920 prisoners at
10 cents extra each gives s9,s45 as the amount
ary, 1867, Richard b. Connolly became Comptrol-
ler-a result lor which you mad been working five
ought to put money in your purse,'' so you pus
up he price OF conveying prisoners within the
county to 81 IS, being 81 extra. and your bills
during the last nine months you were IN office
went through at tnat rate; 4,5Ss prisoners at 81
snsn made y that iss as IT the ,n m9sa
dur, during your . flrst term Of ONCE out win
ward the close OF his term. adopted tue practice
Of including in his charge lor PRISONERS the
vagrants sent to the Amshouse, who were never
In MS custody. In his first bill for three months
ending March 81, 1856, he charged for 4O7 prison.
ers. conveyed. In his last quarter, ending
fraud appears not to have been discovered until
alter he was paid in iull, but 1t was known before
you you, were paid ANYTHING; so In the bill for your
charged tor 635 prisoners; but at the meeting Of
the Board OF Supervisors, at which your first bul
was presented, resolution was adopted, direct
Ing the Committee on County Onicers to report
upon The nature OF the service charged under the
head "ior conveying prisoners" That this was Q
movement IN your interest Is plain, for your pre-
decessOr had been paid IN lull, and you mad not
charged Tor tho fraudulent service.
INCHOATE RING POWER.
Tweed reported that you had not made the
fraudulent charge, "beleving" that you were mot
warranted by law in so DONG" He, therefore,
the Board should report what you could charge.
But the resolution did not pass. The power OF the
DID not see wny, wnen the committee stated In
your behalf that you did not believe you had any
rignt TO the fraudulent lees you should be CO.
creed by an opinion from Richard Busteed TO take
them. =.
You were tnus completely foed, but you were
equal to the energency-yon put the fraudulcnt
your next bill, and you went ahead OF your prede-
cessor. % ou You appear TO TO- have charged double.
veyed to prisons Within the county s4i1 IS. Then hen
you adoed "for prisoners committed to and
discharged from prison." 3,69l INCLUDING the va
grantsl at rs cents, 81, 76s 25. The bill slipped
through and was paid. The Comptroller was NOS
watching the "honest" man in whose behalf it had
been stated that ne did not believe he was "war.
ranted py iaw' IN making the charge
You OBTAINED Inc money, but have never returned
1t 10 the treasury. include 1t among the moneys
you have Irauduently obtained.
NoN-PAYlNd COMPTROLLER.
You tried the same thing in the next bill charg.
ing ior ool prisoners conveyed $50 75, and for
o,o1s committed ana discharged S3,76S. Tweed re-
ported III laVor OF the BILL and It was passed by
Ine oupeTvsors; but the Comptroller had touDd
you out, and would not pay 1t. lie deducted the
s3,too anu paid you the balance certifying, at
your request, on the bill that your acceptance OF
tne money was not TO prejudice or impair" your
claim TO the amount deducted.
your next move was TO present the matter
again to the Board ol SUPERVISORS "a communl-