New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-17

| uSO como U nl6 AuOWlcuSo uuoI ~uc
sssessm ents had been lowered by the aese!
sors, through . conviction that they wer
too high, certain outside parties would maI
ago, in some undermined way, to lear
that q reduction had been made, then ru
off to the owners of the property and Tel
them that for . consideration they woul
obtain . reduction Of their assessments
This dodge was generally successful, an
made money for those who practiced it, bu
but brought nothing save disgrace upon tn
assessors' Office. He hoped al those partie
who had paid money to brokers or other
would come up, and then it would be seel
who the guilty pa' ties were. He was sur
they were not among the assessors.
Judge Dibble then proceeded to examin,
Mr.. Wahl:
Questionable. Wahl, are you the persol
referred to in this article that appeared il
the Times on Saturday morning! (Witnes
was shown q copy Of the Iyn,es.)
Answer-I don't know, sir; my name il
Mike Wahl; know nothing about that.
Question-Did you give the information
upon which this statement is male in th'
Times!
AuoW0K@XNUs on
Question-Do you own any property il
tho city of New Orleans!
! Answer-Only that place in the Sixth
District.
Question-How much is that assessed for
! Answer-Twelve hundred dollars BY tht
State and $1,000 by the city.
! Question-That was last year!
Answer-Yes, sir.
| Qneetion-Here is an article in the nature
I Mt s,y,hl oh vrhe eAh yA
| that gentleman by the name of NJ. Wahl
| who has piece Of property assessed for q
| $1,000, which he was willing to sell for $500;
went to the board Of assessors to get 70.
GuctiOn, and was approached by . person
! raned Pierce, who. for consideration, ob-
tanned the reduction for him. Are you the
person-the Mr.. Wahl-reterred to!
Answer-No, sir. I'm not.
Question-Do you know anything about it!
QuestiOn--Have you made an application
for reduction OF your assessment this
year? y
Answer-No, sir, never saw tho Office
till yesterday.
Questlen-Do you know of any other
person named Michael Wahl, or NJ. Wahl,
in this city
Answer-l heard, two OF three years ago,
that one died on Chippewa street; that was
AL tuC paper AlAC w dul, CA0Clly llAO uy
name. That one was dead, and 20 never
knew any one of my name.
QuestiOn-WhO asked you to come here
Answer-A gentleman from the assessors
Office; he 10 not here now; he is the clerk Of
the assessor of my district.
Question-Wh0 is the assessor
Answer-Mr. Dejoie.
Question-When that gentleman asked
you to como here did he promise you any
fhipU hn- IN 2
Answer-NO, sir, he only told me to come
down, that there was something in the pa
pers about me, and / was wanted to tell
what know.
Question-Didn't he instruct you what to
say!
Answer-No, sir.
Qucstion-Did you ever have any con-
versation with anybody named Pierce.
broker. about reducing your assessment!
Answer-No, sir.
Question-Where is your propety situated!
Answer-My property is on Constance
street, between TOledanO and Louisiana
avenue.
This closed the examination of Mr.. Wahl,
and Judge Dibble then propounded to each
assessor, and Mr.. George Autz, clerk of the
absent Mr.. Urban, the following interrog-
atory: "Is there any property in your dis
trict assessed in the name Of NJ. Wahl2" and
in each instance received negative reply.
Judge Dibble then announced that he would
adjourn the investigation, and that he de-
sired to gain all the knowledge possible, !
and hoped that if any persons were in pos
session of any bearing upon the case they !
would como forward and enable him to |
pursue the investigation apd punish the |
guilty parties if there were any.
After the examination, Mr.. J. L. Hefwig |
said that the books Of the office we're at all |
lines open, 80 that owners Of real estate, |
md bona fide agents, could see how their
property was assessed, and that the numer-
Jus complaints which we're made, that no
,erson was allowed to sec the books, could
'nly come from parties who had no prop
rty of their own, and NO proper authority
o represent any other. Mr.. Herwig in
'ited the members of the press to visit the
ssessors office and inform themselves a.
0 it's workings.
Mr.. Pierce was sent for, and il WAS re-
orted he had gone over the lake, and
Sould be back Friday.