The New York herald., 1874-07-31
Fight Between Sheriff Conner
and Comptroller Green.
THE SHERIFTS CLAIMS RESISTED.
More Suits Threatened Against
the City.
Interesting Statistics and Figures from the
Official Record Interviews with Sheriff
Conner and County Auditor Earla

Within the past few years litigation has IN.
creased In this city to a considerable extent. 1t
nay safely be estimated that ten thousand civil
cases adjudicated yearly in the State courts,
ard ho number Of citizens Interested in the proper
md -.r'y administration OF justice, as well as
the varied interests at stake, may be easily judged
rom this standpoint
The most important medium Of our city govern.
nent In carrying out the process and Jurisdiction OF
shese courts is the Sheris ONCE. presided over by
William c. Conner, who was elected to that ofice
ast ;al The emoluments OF this position have
oeen variOusiy estimated at from sl0o, 900 to |
100000 annually The sources OF revenue are |
specifically regulated by statute, and it Is made an
ndictabe offence for any sheriff to demand or re.
,eve em0luments considered extOrtonate or ille-
gal. The Sheriff can also be impeached or removed
by the Governor for cause IN the same manner as
In similar proceedings instituted against Mayors |
our worthy antediluvian Chief Magistrate, Have |
meyer, being an example Of how proceedings may
be Instituted in this connection.
GREEN SHOWS HIS HAND.
The bills OF the Sherin against the county are
made out quarterly, and since the smash-up OF the
Ring have been the subject OF dissection intrigue,
bad blood and indlscrminate slaughter all around
the political arena. The Sheriff holds vigorous
the large patronage in his hands, anu in iormer
days those bills were held back by the Comptroller
as check rein upon any aggressive movements
the Sherin might be tempted to make against the
party which elected him. During O'Brlen's admin
tstration this was particularly noticeable and par
TALLY resulted In the organization OF the "young
democracy" the attack upon Tweed and his CO.
aborers by O'Brien and followers and other desul-
tory skirmishes which the poor innocent people
supposed was the result OF honest Indignation and
aroused v1rtuous sentiment The citizen Is easily
fooled by the promises and asseveratons OF blatant
political hacks and double dealing knaves, whose
business it is TO throw dust IN the eyes Of the tax
payer and POCKET the stealinRs, while a glamour
OF honesty and virtue seems 70 peryade the whole
transaction.
But, right or wrong, just claim Dlackmang or
dishonest claim, Green is bound to stick, bubble
and disturb The validity ana justice OF these
Sherif's claims against the county, as sent in to
the Comptroller, are matters OF heated discussion
now. Other claims are coming In process Of set
tement and being prepared. Bitter feeling and
recriminati0n are aroused, charges and counter
charges made, indictments by the Ora nd Jury and
impeachment by the Governor threatened. While
the innocent public watches and waits for some
quletus to this bosterOus political whirlpool.
Green and Conner are understood to be at daggers'
points. The drama has been opened in real ear
nest. The people regaed with the comedy-per-
haps tragedy-of tho Beecher scandal are prom.
ised new political sensation OF the real Ring"
GERALD attache. big with the rumors that
backen the sky, sailed forth Yesterday for inor-
NATION on these matters. he was told that about
three thousand lawyers and thousands ofhugants
in TINS CITY were Interested IN these questions OF
then OF class necessary for the HERALD to look
into.
was found at his Office al the new Court House.
dressed in light summer costume, and engaged in
HERALD representative stated the OBJECT OF his
visit; that rumOrs were IN circulation OF q bitter
fight between himself and Comptroller Green in
the matter Of his county bills, and that the public
and the legal profession particularly were ill.,
terested in the matter
The Sher,n replied that he had presented his
two quarters bills TO The county and that they
have not yet been paid. He claimed that they
all perfectly legitimate, and that II Green did
not pay him Immediately he would commence 4
suit HIS bills were smaller than those presented
by any other Sheriff.
The HERALD representative remarked that he
understood Mr.. kelly's county bills the
smallest presented by any sheriff for years past,
courts had materially increased since tnat time.
al will visit MI Green to-day" concluded the
sheriff ''and ascertain from him what are bis
This ended the interview, no questions being
asked as to any other bills issued by tile Sheriff
and claims put forward in his behalf 1t Is under
stood, however, that tile Sheriff claims 81 J. cents
for every prisoner committed by police magis-
trate; bnt this item does not appear upon his two
quarters bills although 1t Ii one OF the largest
sources OF emoument If recognized vahd by
the county.
UP sTAIRs-AN INTERVIEW WITH COUNTY AUDITOR
EARLE
From the Shern's once to the Comptroller's de-
partmeDt s but one niRht Of stairs in the new
Court House. Here. IN the outside ONCE, was
found the lmpenetrable, marble vsaCed man,
shoes OF the notorious Watson, OF Ring celebrity
While the herald man stood apart waiting for an
M @
The railing at the doomed Earle. Questions
graphic rapidity. while he bore assault
with amazing GOODNESS and seeming candor an-
swering each question appropriately. on being
asked as the difficulty regarding the Sherin's
bills, he remarked, in substance tnandng the bills
for examination TO the HERALD represen tatlvcl as
follows IL have been annoyed considerably rela.
tive to those accounts have asked for expana-
lions frequently rom the Under Sheriff. Jonn 7.
Cumming, and he has tailed to give them TO ME
which are outrageous. | nave nothing personal
against Sherin Conner, but must project the peo
PIES interests while am County Auditor and pre-
vent them from being robbed. There is an item
on those bills, 81 % each or carrying prisoners TO
not say where from. The same charge is made for
bringing prisoners from the Tombs TO the Court or
oyer and Terminer and Special Sessions Why,
the work can be easily done for thirty cents a
head Thousands OF dollars can be saved to the
county IN tins way. Then a discrepancy appears
as TO the reports OF convictions in the Courts OF
oyer and Termner and General and Specia!
Sessions TO the secretary OF State, for which the
Sherin claims fifty cents per head, and also twelve
vlctions In Police Courts. l asked for an explana-
Jion Of this matter from the Sherin, and he sends
In an amended statement in which the twelve and
half cent item is lett out propose TO allow him
81 apiece ior bringing prisoners from the Tombs
to the institutions l think this is entirely fair
and liberal The whole item for one month for
bringing prisoners from the Tombs to the Courts
ioots up TO about 81, 400. This Is simply monstrous
Then for summonlng Grand Jurors $40 is allowed
by statute for each panel-twenty cents apiece.
The Shern bills the county for thirty-nve cents Q
head for summonipg petit Jurors. propose 70
allow him the same remuneration which he re-
ceives for summoning Grand Jurors-twenty cents |
head. His bills To the county at the present ratio
will amount TO about $4,000 per annum which is
but an Item or HIS enormous income, which IL
simply tncaculable. He certainly receives sum-
cient from civil cases and otker sources without
overcharging the county,
The County Auditor then handed the reporter
the following extract OF report in the matter ne
proposed TO hand in TO the Comptroller when com |