The New York herald., 1877-10-25
THE "GREAT DIVIDE
Ira cling the Divisions Of the
Ring Plunder.
HENRY E. TAlNTOR's TESTIMONY
Ring Suits, Past, Present
and Prospective.

An unusually large number of people attended yes.
tcrday morning tho examination OF Mr. Henry +.
Taintor before the Aldermanc Committee concerning
his knowledge of tho doings OF the Ring. Mr. Tweed
was present during tho proceedings, looking quietly
on and taking apparently littic interest," though he
fe, they could not cn!ightcn him much.
Al the opening ofthe session Alderman Cowing stated
that Mr.. Hamilton Harris, who had been accused Of
fraud at the preceding session, present wished
TO mako explanations and such accusers as might
appear aeainst him. Mr. Harris denied IN toto all the
statements .mpugning his conduct whilo q commits
sioner for tho building OF the Capitol lie had
lett his constituency in tho midst OF heated political
contest present himself before the committee and
clear his character Mr. Harris wshcd only that an
opportunity should be gwen him TO 10 heard least
twenty four hours before election day. The
unanimously agreed to eive him such opportunity
Mr. Colo stated tha, ut tho last session Mr.. Tweed
had given the committee the name OF a person who
could give. he said, information relative Mr. Harris
connection with the building OF tho State Capitol
Tho OF The person James Bridgcford. OF
Albany. A subpoena served upon him, and no
stated that hc would attend. Mr. Bridseford arrived
this city yesterday, and he (Nr Coe) had
sation with him. during which Mr.. Brigcord said ho
would not testify before the committee tho matter
Hc proposed that writ OF attachment be issued
against Nr Bridgcford TO compel HIM to appear ana
give evidence before tho committee
MR. TAISToR STAND.
Mr. Henry f. Tuintor, the accountant who investi-
gated tho iiing frauds, then sworn and examined.
He was nrst asked TO state his occupation Ho
Piled that Tor the past six years he had engaged
IN collecting and applying evidence gathered by him
In relation 10 tho Ring frauds, with 10 the dis
comntrrc OF the thieves and OF having returned to
tho city treasury moneys stolen thcrefron no had
obtained hts evidence from the books OF the Comp
troler's Office and upon these records, the docu
mcntary testimony furnished thereby, he relied for
tho prosecution OF tho suits against tho King; his
attention rst called 10 these matters by Governor
Tdon before tho lattcr's election. Witness was
then asked TO give succnct OF the operations
OF the SUPERVISOR Ring be stated that he found
large number warrants and portion o. the vouch-
crs representing those warrants, drawn \. different
names, and which showed fraud, and those warrants
went 10 the credit OF two gentlemen in ccrtah banks
and he found that there payments msdo umul-
taneous With The deposits within lhrc1 tays
although Tor three Or tour years he unable reg
ula,e mo percentage as tho vouchers had bovn ex-
acted, but he heard that tho had passed IN
u fraudulent manner and showed their iaoc great
cara ssncss the manner they were draw u and
passed by tho Board OF Supervisors; looked merely
like gong into the form nstcnd Oi tho m0rts OF tho
case IN 1865 there were laws giving to the Comp
trulcr power settle claims against the city aud
county, ana no found that uDdcr that act thcro
ABOUT b500,000 paid BY the Compt roller, and that
visors
AS tho law stood claimant against the CITY
judgment were Obliged TO begin SUITS In reference
thcsc Ring frauds Inc warrants generally made
out 10 u certain list OF persons lhc FIRST my
list, SAID Mr. tainor rs dated January 20. 1858,
the order OF InscrsoIl, Watson Il Co mat nano did
not appear again thcn thcro lngcrsoli. kcyscr Il
Go. George s. Mliier; Archibald Hail. Jr A. J. Gar
vcy, U. n. Jacoens, Gregg Brother; do not mean
to say that The last named firm wcro cosnizInt Of
nays syaenss n 70 .@s sU"fary ' Others @
\ Co., u. }. barnard sons the New YORK Prio.ing
Company, }. Mcbride Davidson & Co.. tho Ea-,cLcs.
Ter Quarry Company, Z. Lockwood & Co..
James 4. Monahan, Alien & stevens. j. W.
Smith, Gregg x Co, j. T. Biank Sons Z. y. BolIar
! a Co. whcn Ingcr-oil; j. o. seymour, kennard
q hay, J. A. smith. another name representing In
Gcrsoli 4. W Lockwood, james cavanagh, r. lien.
messy who represented tiurvcy; J. ltnchurd, also
representing Grvey; NJ. ". DAVIS. representing In
| gcrsoll g. !. eastman, representing Garyey; Alonzo
/ Marsh Pnnip Donnaruma Peter MacK night tho New
| York Meiac Roofing Company, A. G. Miller, repre-
senng inscrsoli kihgsand, Iiaiscy Co., represent.
! Ing Ingcrso. aud the Manufacturing Siatoncrs' In
| connection with this list Cf warrants Mr.. Taintor
desired 10 say That although there
positive proof OF their fraud lhcro was
them he believed were wholly fraudulent; he did not
assert that all The gwen were those OF
wiling accompccs IN tho iraui, but most Of them
were; they ali winScd at or aided in them witness
expressed his inubilty To nuo the pcraons
Ing tho Boarn OF Supervisors by winch the Gains
we're passed; that was matter OF record. Witness
Asked he nsccrtaincd TINT the warrants
fraudulent lie stated that no found generally tnat
the warrants ior tho faces OF the hlis were cred
TED 10 either james IL. Ingcr-oli lpgcrson a
CO. or I. A. Woodward, al the broadway Bank.
Tho warrants drawn Tor Garvcy we're generally de-
posted by the latter b, nts credit; toe
lonoray did not bear the Endorsements OF tho parties
dcpositins them except when they drawn 10
order, Garvcys case; when they wcro deposited
in The Broadxay Bank lhcre was placed upon them
generally pcncilied memorandum 10y the teller, sucn
as "E A. W. indicating that the money was de-
zaion OF the District Attorney TO examine
books Of the banks; IN this way no was enabled 10
ascertain pretty closely tho amounts paid TO the d-
lcrcnt parties.
TERMS or TnE .'GREAr piyipgn
His Investigations showed that under the adjusted
CLAIMS act oi the Legislature passed in July, 1868, tho
portion OF the claims winch went 10 ih' officials was
about nlty-ve per cent OF Tho principal and all tue
interest which hld been audited and allowed the
claim; tho remaining torty.hvc por cent The
CLAIMANT; in July, 1863, tho amount Of money going
10 The officials was Increased TO sxtyve per cent; IN
Novcmbcr 1868, II was Increased " sixty hve per cont
OF tho principal and all the interest," thirty tive per
cont only went 10 the claimant, and that about
the ritio oi division which continued throughout tho
special uudts. In regard To the operations under tho
tax levy, tn, percentages ysricd from time time,
but they generally gave more 10 the aud less
to tho officials tnan under tne preceding systen tho
vouchers OF those Cases had beon apstractod iron,
tue financial department., with tho exception ii
u few tho name ol koyser & Co TE fa.n,or had
found check winch did no, bear the exact proper.
ton the Of the warrant uniformly go"r 10 ihc
credit u Tweed, the warrant lid h0t fbos tho
amount OF the principal aud interest sltie tnd iQr
that reason tue cheek nd uos beer asnnus percent
age; II was atcrward found thst fAf thess fnrfs-
scnicd twenty-five per ceut ~ SO pra.Nsi asfn,
he found check drawn 80 tnitfF #tt 49, rtni .n4
Was paid bank notes 10 ~ tutNs1is - ~ kaufrs
Swocny ior Peter u SNctas aut ~ Wtlasn
a porlon OF tho money sN u4sFfsspnlnsf iaf,
which was probably ica ~ toe Asuls "a Nn~asafs,
VINO acted distributor, s'ttas t4e lfthclqa anA ar
rGngin. the details ~ thc infrfrst
wntRE swafNNs 4uANs wtsr
Against Mr. toHnoiiy there rHE Pcuaird suf. tho
details o whch i % git bc 'mprpef 10 rl.ess %
state; with respect - Swochy, ~ "as ionbd tnst .
cartuin portion oi lhcsn moneys always wont - the
crcat Of hts brother James W., ana witness ~ ssiis
ned that Peter M goo the benefit ~ " witness did not
4
none winch apuiI overthrow tho evidence accumu.
lated against him. IN f.saon 10 thc moneys reer,voi
by Tweed thcrc not ~ any insttpco difference
Of moro than tbc Ease OF lugcrso tho
deposits did vary Than from Two eight cuts
and IN the case GarScy iierc WAS no vssision What
ever SIR. Ialntor bcilcycd that the actual ynao
rec, lycd Dy city on which these claims were
pns Ell did exceed Giteen per Ueut ol
tnolr iacc; he had anaiynrd the evidence
collected and had shown inat ~ NIL about $50 Ou0 OOJ
had from the Guy treasury from Januaiy
l. 1865 10 July 1871. the datc OF tho disruption of
tho Ring; thcrc also large class OF culms
when lie mad not yet looked INTO, but whCn he be-
Levcd contained Hrgc element Of fraud he had DOT
/ m Xprc