The New York herald., 1874-09-18
THE FREEHOLDERS' FRAUDS.
A Field Day Among the Jersey
City Reformers.
Extraor dinary Scenes in the Board OF FREQ
holders Whitewash Plentiful and Cheap
Rotten Meat Furnished to the Pau
per Inmates-Members Accusing
Each Other of Falsehoods.

1ndu,nc nom the revelations and excitement at
the meeting OF the Board OF Chosen Freeholders IN
Jersey City yesterday 1t would seem that the ex-
posure of frauds on the County OF Hudson has only
commenced. The meeting room OF the committee
was crowded., in expectation OF the production OF
the report OF committee NO. in the case OF Coyle,
one OF the membera The chair was occupied by
Acting Director Young.
During the reading OF claims one was presented
for $a3 for SIX badges, when Mr. Roche asked ior
whom the badges were purchased. Mr.. Schroeder
replied that they were procured for the members
OF the Board OF Realth and their inspectors as the
law required. Then came the exposures that made
the meeting lively A bill was presented by Q.
w, Conger for extra meat in which he charged
twenty cents O pound for veal, although
he contracted to furnish 1t for seven cents.
This brought on discussion on the quality Of the
meat furnished to the county institutions. A COM
munication was presented by DR.. Eddy. the at
tendant ply ysician at the Lunatic Asylum, setting
forth that the meat furnished to that institution
was TOO inferior In quality to use for beef tea.
which is deemed indispensable for most
of the patients Mr.. Wienges said that
he saw meat served out to patients
that was positively rotten-tne corruption was
running out OF it. tSensation.) He pointed it out
70 Conger, the contractor, and asked him II he
would serve such meat to his servants. Conger
answered In the negative. Wienges then asked
him If he were not ashamed Of himself to furnish
such meat to the poor inmates.
CONGER I'm the lObby)-lt's false as hell
DIRECTOR-Order in the lobby.
Mr.. Osborne, the Warden OF the Almshouse. was
called, and he said the meat was on the whole
good though not so good as that furnished last
year by Mr. Smith, OF HOboken. When asked II
the meat furnished to the paupers was as good as
was, as 1t was cut from the same quarter. De-
rislve laughter followed this reply.
varlcK. Warden OF the Lunatic Asylum, sent IN
communications stating that the meat was OF an
aua a s 10 e ss
was surprised at Mr.. Smiths remarks, as he had
head MIN tMr. Smith) at the meeting OF the
Joint Committee denounce the quality OF the meat
furnished. MIR. Freeman said that the meat was
generally good; but ne was taken to task aoy oy Mr.
Mr.. Spear was the third who had tae
temerity to defend the meat contractor; ;
as he was set e1o R tna So he
motion to cancel the contract with Conger was
lost by vote of Ia to II, the following members
Cox, DanIelson, Frost, Freeman, Gibson, Hamilton,
Herman, JerOloman, Speer, smith, Wickham and
Tue largest bucket Of whitewash ever used in
county business was then sent up to the Clerks
desk by the following aI eommttee; e;mMessrs; & Wen ~
ported that they had investigated the charges
against Post the warden o. the Penitentlary
and found nothing in lnem. III conclud,
ing their report they reDuked the Board
for appointing Investigating committees on sucn
trivial matters. Malone. one memOer OF the com
mittee arose and protested against the report.
He caiied ior the reading OF the af11davlts. An
EFFORT was made to suppress the readinS, but lit IT
was defeated. The af1idavits showed that Post
brought leaf tobacco into the PenlGentlary to
manufacture cigars lOr himself tnat he Kept
one Solom0ns ana his wife, Mr.. Vermtlyea, his
wife and lamlly as bOarders at the expense OF tue
county; that the county wagon was used by Solo,
mons and party for pleasure driving in New York,
while tie officers OF the institution could not OBJ
tain 1t, and, finally, that the FOOD served out to
the officers was Ol an inferior quality and was mis-
erably cooked. Yet the committee could
nothing In all this.
Mr.. smith said he never heard such white
washing report in all his lie, considering the evil
dence. MIR. Gibson SAID that Post was lOund guilty
OF all the charges brought against him. Lon
dreyan, OF Hoboken, wanted the whole matter IN
definitely postponed, but was met with cries OF
'.NO," and the report was finally adopted.
Coyle's case as then taken up. In the previous
case tile wilitewash was contained in bucket,
but in this case 1t would dill barrel. The COM
mlttee, consisting OF the following MEN,
bers, exonerated Coyle from every charge
and pronounced him Q noble Roman, with
out spot or stain:-Messrs. Murray, Speer,
Cox, Joyce, Frost, Davidson and ORely:
The picture OF disgust presented on the 1aces OF
the crowd in the lobby would form an excellent
subject Tor an artist Mr.. Kuh tried to speak in
arrangement OF the report, but was interrupted
not only by some OF the members but by the
counsel OF the Board. The latter handed
dinary character 1t was SO fun OF
abuse OF the chairman OF the committee that
brought the charge against Coyle that nothing
like 1t was ever tolerated IN pubic Board by one
of It's servants.
The report was finally adopted, and the Board
adjourned All the papers Ia the Coye case are
to be submitted TO the Grand Jury.