New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-10-21
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE CITy,s PUBLIC WORKS.

THE CTTYS PUBLIC WORKS.
INVESTIGATION BY THE SENATE CoMMirrrE-ENAN-
NATION oP GEN. FITZ JOHN PoRTER-lMPRoNh-
MENTs SUGGESTED IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS
The session of the Senate Committee, wmch
,angaged in the Investigation Of the municipal depart
,nepts was opened yesterday with the examination OF
Gen FIT. John Porter, Commissioner Of Pubic "orSs'
He stated that al the time Of his appointment he was not
citizen OF New-York He was employed in the New
Jersey state Asylum for the Insane. As Commissioner,
he took charge Of the Croton AQueduct the bureau o
sewcrs the Water Purveyors aud Water Registers De
partments. the Bureaus OF street Improvements
Lamps and Gas street membranes, Consuuc-
ton OF Roads and Avenues, aud Repairs ana
s,uplies The present number OF employees
he estimated AZ from 500 $500. The system oil ap
pointing lahorcrs public works has been IN vogue
long time they were employed needed generally
upon recommendation. The witness sometimes auendeu
10 this himself but generally this work was done by his
dcputy The ticket system used. ticket was dl
,rctcd TO the person under whom the aborcr would WORK.
but in the majority Of II given 10 the person
who recommended the applicant He had seen the
charges which had been made OF fraud in the selling o.
tickets, but he had made personal investigation ana
found the charges to bc untrue. He had even sent
friends 10 see If tickets could be bought, and found tat
they coud The witness admitted that the tloke'
system was open 10 abuse but he remedy except
In stopping the work.
The alteration of the aqueduct between Nnetyseccnd
ress since 1870 or 1871 Six lines Of iron pipe had beer
laid instead Of the brick aqueGuet. Two OF these are
now in use The work, rs thought, would bc completed
this year The amount authorized to he used in this
work was Sci..0O.OOo OF which Si1654 haa hol eeeh
expsndtd This was sufficient 10 finish the work. Since
Ian. l. 1873 ~ 90 $40 had been expended. Inc Work
expensive. In the Boulevard improvement on h'sN-
tnfh-ave about 1000 employed. Part OF the
work there consisted Of laying sewers poI ZION OF II
bid been dome by contract, hut not since ne pecanc
Comnlssioner. Tue work cheaper, but ne
though; II was 70 the dSa(l antage OF me elN ne nt
SONS twice week Most of the work b. found to
h. sfactory and every man the pay he believed.
~ ,,3tbfr al WORK afhnugl tliev did not work ~
contractors do He had no knowledge ulat Tore
men had been arrested for drunkenness. No certificate
was required from applicant for agIon ,incnt rs in
spector OF sewers. lie knew Of no law requiring such
certificate The keeper OF the aIucduct nj Yorktown
was Fernando Wood. jr The previous keeper was 10
scph ". Palmer but 10 complaints were made asaiusi
him AT the time OF his removal Gen foi'rf Sn ne nav
made inquiries to the character OF l. W. igail.
s %a that S, r Eg% a een n' dismissed rom tie Depart
ment of Charities and Correction. or SIX Nm0Nal- OF
keepers Of aqueducts none had been made on charges
The witness found Inc depItincN using a u @
system aud that system had been continued. lie was
not aware that persons who were appointed as Inspectors
and foremen were without mechanical skill The pave
nent in front OF the house Of Mayor Nlckhams father
In Elcyeuthst. had been rel1id because ii was necessary!
Jackson s scnuz then testified that be had been In The
habit OF visiting the Boulevard work. He counted The
humber OF persons employed and found that only from
20 to % PEI cent were al work, while me rest were de
the majority If the wugtmcn were inefficient lahortrs;
In the I0rOneIs Office abuses had long existed Coloncr
ketbough should be appointed by the Board Of Health
and IT might BE- well il tns duty performed hy the
Health Inspectors AnuscTnruous coroner could make
more money any other puplic officer He said that
tc economy hich was practiccd in the keeping Of Grim
nals and pauvCTs too great hut the great wrong was
qnen,ly members Legislature from different
of the state demanded tnat men whom incy kne suoa
BE- placed public work. in tis C.iN mach Ia tue
detriment Of the city Mr. Macy confirmed Mr. scultzS
testimony as The negect Of work the part Of ahorers
the Boulevard upr0 ement The next session o the
Committee will BE- held Oh Friday a. 1890 IL H.
TRIAL OF WILLIAM DELANEY FOR MURDER
OPENING or TIE CASE BEFORE JUDGE PRATT
TESTIMONY FOR THE PROSECUTION.
William Delaney, who WAS indicted for the
murder Of Capt. Lawrence OF the schooner Joseph T.
Potts in Cow BAY on Aug. ~ was brought INFO the
Ouecps County Cont of Oyer and TcIminer, before
Judge Pratt, YESTERDAY, snd She work Of obtaining
Jury was begun. Delaney regarded the proceeding with
close interest lie las entirely lost TIC air Of brayado
which he wore when he taken into custody.
The wide publicity given To the circumstances Of
the crime Immediately after lie commission rem
dcrcd it a difficult matter IN obtain jury.
Downing conducted ;hc inguiSiton for
MINI tcr ne pfiscneT assisted nv Mr. NostsDd The
frat Juror final obtained and sworn was Harmon RING
Of Newown Out OF about 100 calod aJui! was
DsiricAttorney Downing in his opening for thr prose
eution, detailed infinitely the circumstances OF me
murder, the prisoner apparently following ms oeserlp-
tons with great interest
C,ayles f. Harris one OF the boys who Oh hOard
the schooner at the time Capt Lawrence was killed,
showed 10 the Jury the manner in which Delaney held
Capt Lawrence down the cabin Moor While he put
ar In month the captain struggling To prevent H.
The gag was shown and recognized, also the revolver
t.Een from Capt. Lawrence by Delaney. The narrative
in it, main incidents ponded with that given before
tee Coioncr's jury. The witness crosseXamined bV
Mr. Mott, who closely questioned aim as 10 the lnabny
of the g by Delaney and the other circumstance bdt
tie wifncss's direct testimony wac not impaired.
Jonas h. Paine OF >mbtOwu described the condition
In which the IOdy found. There were marks oi q
struggle the cabin pOcSehCOk Ta, found open Oh q
stool in stateroOIn. and hatrhe was found near by.
Witnes. subsequently went TO Port Washington amt
called Coroner Mckee. .
Dr Vandeyenter of Port Washington, who called
mon examine the body Of Capt Lawrence, said iat
al appearances indicated stTaHgulaOn
John H. Wright Flushing Deputy Sbern, testified a~
10 interview with Delaney az the jail III Finishing
Capt Lawrence described quarrel on the evfning
Of FRIDAY Al the supper table, which closed by
Delaney tripping the Captain over and choking, gaggg,
and rObbing him. 49,.
Capt Samuel Starkins is oysterma1 he was getting
oysters and clans at Great Neck on the Friday evening
about shutdown. and Delaney come or shore; Dcd-
ney said he would give hun 81 TO put HIM across J,lS
ncy showed pistol aud said If anybody bOthccd nm,
he would put hole through him witness took Delaney
the SOund Delaney said nc wanted 10 gel To Ne-
York.
The Court then adjourned Tie will probably ne
concluded today.
THE REVERE SUICIDE.