The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-11
BROOKLYN TAX OFFICE DEFALcA1Ios


Captain A. w. H. CHI, Deputy Tax Oel-
Iector, Arrested and Admitted TO Ball
The Amount ssUnaccounted For'' Be-
tween $1,000 and S6,0O0-The 'ssurplu4
Account" and What II Consists In.
The discrepancy defalcation In the accounts
Of Deputy Tax Collector, Captain A. w. II. Gill.
proved the main topic OF conversation in Brooklyn
ofcia circles yesterday. The amount at first
ported az unaccounted for between the tax rolls
and the cash books, $1,000. has been increased to
from $4,000 to $4,000 Mayor Hunter Is Of the,
opinion that the Auditing and Financial Commit
tee are ION the verge OF further Developments
ana believes that those gentlemen who have the
investigation in charge viii get at the bottom
Oh TIE matter and punish the guilty par
ties. The Comptroller, Mr. Fred Schroeder,
is Of the belief that It Is Impossible az
present 10 say what the full extent OF
the pecuations really are Auditor Shaurman
comedies with this view OF the case Corporation
Counsel De Witt, while he thinks that Captatm
Gils guilt Is established, believes that IL Ia NOT
possible that he was alone IN the matter He must
have had accomplices to manipulate the books
while he took the cash. Tax Collector Burrow1
feels deeply the odium which has been cast upon
his ONCE owing to this discovery OF peculaton ON
the part OF his deputy. Gill has been in ONCE for
nearly 20 years and in that period has handled
millions Of dollars That he should this late daV
amOunt--a lew Daltry thOusands-exciIes the ss-
constituent OF his friends
The following Is copy OF the complaint OF Tar
Collector Lemuei Burrows which was drawn up
by Mr. W. c. De Witt against Captain Gin, the &C.
cused:-
a p n and Vas % s
the city Of srookyn and that W I. Gil was his
s:?ssS &C. g
and III G S w a LED
moneys Of the city Of Brookyn then passing through
n s1S sum- as and seS
said Hie
n Gxf d To sM may De
'"A N-'' "''-' "" LEMUEL BURROWS.
Sworn to before me this 10th day OF january Is7A-N
B. MORSE. Jr., Justice OF the Peace.
THE ARREST AND ADMISSION TO Rail.
Captain Gill was arrested ABOUT noon ana taken
before Justice Morse, who, on consultation with.
bail. Counsellor r. Ready then appeared for the
ney's Office to see about bali. District Attorney
Britton said he would go before any Judge with
fixed. The prisoner was then taken from Justice
Morse's court by Ofiicer Alexander Barr over to
where Judge Nelson was holding Special Term.
Mr.. Ready, addressing the Court, said that ne
Oh DenaM e1 a. G Deeply s Tax
the Court to fix the amount OF bail. The prisoner.
he said, was well known in Brooklyn. and had
heretofore borne the reputation OF an honest man.
He had been employed IN the Tax ONCE for nearly
20 years. but was comparatively poor, and II the,
Court would AK the bail at $1,000 he supposed that
would answer the purpose.
District Attorney Britton replied that the amount
enough to protects the rights Of the people and
secure the attendance OF the accused.
it was subsequently, reduced to 5000, and Captain
Gill's friends set about procuring the necessary
CHI, who is married and has family feels his
position keenly, but asserts his Innocence OF the
charge OF enlightenment and his readiness to 70
WHAT ALpERMAN RoPRs SAYS
The subjoined interview with the Chairman Of.
the Finance Committee OF the Common Councils
touching the discrepancy Will be found of interest
| 70 taxpayers
should IKE to III hes. how the dis
M SS s we s M Of the sSa &C aqd
Comptroller Auditor and chairman Of the Finance Conn
rs w . a not e the
we had sitted everything thoroughly in the Tax Once
e%poysS IN thinning as hs BOOKS he
discovered discrepancy between the tax rolls and tho
"How much is the discrepancy ?"
the amount far discovered about that Further
the hss
VERY loosely; Sd n manner altogether psonsisent with
burrows The present Collector strictly man.
ihinss sondas,sS loosely ia:
@
which said to have been sold but never we're, to
s s9 ~ $
bit VIM exist no longer couple Of hundred thousand
:.Do you know whether the discrepancy in Captain
Gills account is confined to Mr.. Burrows adminstra
'The discrepancy the moneys missing collected
during the administr alton OF Mr. Burrows We going
to make thorough investigation"
AN EXPLANATION OF THE SURPLUS ACCOUNT
There Is In the Tax Collectors ONCE what In
known as the 'surplus account" 1t rs made up In
this way:-ln the assessment Of property for pur-
poses OF taxation clerical errors often occur For
example, the figure "3" may be mistaken for the
ngure as" or 49," 30 that lot actually assessed
at S. 900 or $4,000 is carried and footed up as
and the warrant is issued to the Collector
for less amount than the assessment really calls
tor the error Is discovered and corrected on the
books and rolls. The proper figure "S'' or 49," as
the case may be- Is entered In place OF the wrong
figure 3 In red Ink, the increased TAX on the cor
rected basis is also entered in red ink and the tn
! creased amount Is collected. This Illustration
shows how the surplus account" Is made up. or
| course the additional money collected upon the
corrected tax ought to be paid into the treasury.
It belongs 70 the city as much as any part Of the
| that funds OF the surplus account have been
WITHHELD BY THE COLLECTORS
| for years past. Assuming that they could not be
| compelled TO pay over more than the warrants
| called for, and the warrants calling for amounts
| based on clerical errors, they have retained the
additional sums actually collected after the cor
rection OF the mistakes. This Is grosser "irregu-
arity even than the retention OF interests on the
city deposits. 1t is stated that until recently Col
'surplus ACCOUNT s., 500 which, however, he has
since paid over He explained that 1t had been
the custom of all his predecessors in of1ce to re-
Among the other facts that will be disclosed by the
report OF the investigating committee are some
Interesting ones relating to default moneys added
to the bills OF delinquent taxpayers
Last night Captain GIL was taken before Judge
Moore, and released upon furnishing bail In the
sum OF $1,000 to appear for trial.
THE NEW PARADE aR0uND