New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-01
NATURE OF THE ACCUSATION.
ILLEGAL WITHHOLDING OR MIsAPPRoPEAIi'N VI
MovrY-vrEws OF PUBLIC MEN-THE MOVEMENT

MONTY-VIEws OF PUBLIC MEN-IHE mon EMENi
THOUGHT 70 BE A POLITICAL ONE.
The probable removal of Police Commissioner
wheeler was the general topic of conversation
among local politicians yesterday " As a GENIAL
vbole-souled fellow like him, although politically
opposed to him. was the remark Of a weli-NnoWn
roitician. aud this seemed to be a general feeling
evmpathy for him was expressed by many
of his friends who believed grave chargehad Deeh
publcly made against HIM without sufficient
foundation. This took to his Office at Police Head
orqr+ers \ large number of his friends, including
Tburlow Weed and ex-POlice Commissioner
Nichols Mr. Wheeler did not remain there
long. but was aftcrward in attendance at
a meeting of his creditors In the DahA-
ruptcy proceedings He did not make ms
appearance at the Mayors Office did he send any
word to the Mayor in reply TO the request for an eX
PLANTATION. The Mayor sent word TO Mr. Wheeler on
Wednesday that be would remain In the city that
night and would be at his residence between and
ION. m. and would meet Nh Wheeler there If he
choseto call. TEeMayorTecCiyedn no acknowledgment
Of the reception by Mr.. Wheeler Of this request
Ne said yesterday he knew nothing sbout what eX-
PLANTATION, il any Mr. Wheeler had to make, except
inc what he had seen In the newspapers. lie WMted
until & p. M, and hearing nothing 4rOm Nj
Wheeler, sent him the following notice Of removal:
THE MAYORS CHARGES.
DE- WITT c. WHEELER, esq, Police Commissioner OF
the CityQ NelC- York.
SIN: YoG are hereby notified that you viii have an
opportunity 30 be heard before me at the Mayors
Office, in the City Hail. on the 18th day Of August,
A. ID. 1879 at l o'clock p. m, concerning the FOL
lowing charges OF causes OF removal from office:
First-Ihat you NJ one or more tunes during The
terod between the 9th day of June, 1916, and the
z day of April, 1873, converted to your own use,
or took withheld, appropriated, or made use OF,
certain sums of money, not your own, when came
into your possession undet your care by virtue OF
your office as Police Commissioner or as
treasurer Of the Board of Police OF the
City of , AS|a0k cS OF or ne emp6y9 of 'f fRe
Department of Police, whose duty it was TO pay
over the same, under your supervision, 10 certain
Secoad-That You, being a Commissioner of
tween June s, 1876, ana April 2. 1873
and articles of equipment TO members OF
the police force, did not promptly pay the
same to the persons furnishing such cloth and other
articles, or such parts q such proceeds as were que
70 the persons furnishing such piOth ana otler
prtciesj and also that you retained portion OF the
money due until on or after the z9tA uaJ o1 july
Tiira-That by reason of your delay in paying
part Of certain funds in your hands Tor when mad
been placed ia your hands, TO certain persons TO
whom the sum was due, interest was charged
md collected upon sums so due and
the funds committed to you by reason
of your being Commissioner OF Police and
the treasurer of the Board of Police, We're dimin-
isbed aud depicted by such payments OF interest at
several time during the period between july 1876,
aud July. 1875.
f0Wtk-Ibat certain clOths pulchdseu at tne Yen
trial Office Of the Police Department BY members
Of the police force, under the Tegula-
tons of said department. were sold to
such members OF the police force at aO-
SaTccs uDon. or with the addition of commissions
or allowances to, the prices charged 10y toe persop
or persons furnishing such cloths; ana tDat such
advances or commissions were received by you,
or officer of the City Government TO wit, Com
missioner Of Police and treasurer of the Board OF |
Police and that YOU did not account for such adj
yances OF commissions, but withheld and retained
the same . ,
TfI-Ihat you at various times between the 9th
Hgv of June 1876 and this 8lst day of July, 1879,
did pay yourself and take or receive from the funds
of tie City OF New-YOrk intrusted to the Police De-
partment a salary as Police Commissioners OF the
City of New-HOrk when you were not entitled TO
receive the same, in that at various times our
ing the above mentioned period you had
received certain fees perQuisites, commissions,
percentages, or other moneys when shouId
have been paid into the treasury OF the
city, and had notfrst made under oath detailed re-
turn to the Controller, showing the amount OF all
such Fees commissions, percentages, or perqusltes
received by you, and did not otherwise comply WITH
the requirements OF the statute IN such case nade
and provided, before you became entitled TO receive
Copies Of the report and documents submitted to
me BY William Pitt Sherman, Commissioner OF
Accounts, dIe herewith transmitted.
July 81 1879 EDWARD COOPER, Mayor,
Mr. sHFARMAN's REPORT
The following Is the copy Of Mr.. Shearmans re-
port, which the Mayor sent with the other docu-
ments to Mr.. Wheeleri
The Hon. EDWARD COOPER, mayor.
DEAR SIR: / respectfully report that have made
an examination of the books of the Clothing ana
Equipment Bureau of the Police Department tOr
the period from June, 1876 to April, 1878, during
which the fiscal transactions Of that bureau were
under the supervision OF Mr.. ID. w. I. w heeler,
treasurer of the Police Department
These books show, and j have tested their cor
Tectness, that Mr.. Wheeler received IN cash during
the period mentioned the SUN Of $9O,30l 40 which
was derived from the sales OF clothing and equip
Inents supplied to tho police force under the rules
OF thai department aud that he paid 10 tue owners
OF the goods IN all 10 this date SSl 99O 40 and that
there now remains balance OF @o,oO4 80 Ito he ac-
counted for by Mr. Wheeler.
do not find that there IS any considerable sum
now due TO owners of goods furnished during the
aforementioned period, aside from balance Of
some 5000 due TO MesSrS. Sullivan * 20. for
cloths H.,
something more than the cost Of the goods wden
sold TO policemen. For instance, on some KINDS OF
cloth an advance OF 12l2 cents per yaIq was
charged, and on Others 20 cents per yard. nave
not made an accurate estimate, as yet, OF Tue
amount of profit that would thus accrue during the
period mentioned. / shall do so, however. so soon
as 1 get some additional data that have asked
for. am satisfied, however. that the greater pOr-
ton of the balance due from Mr.. Wheeler Is MAGE
up IRON this source. aud that the amount should
have been PAID over 10 the Chamberlain promptly
as received.
Icalled Mr. Wheeler's attention TO this matter
yesterday. He informed me that Mr. Moe tine
equipment clerk had already spoken to him about
il, and told him that there was deficiency ofabDut
IS 600 Mr. Wheeler said ho surprised but
that he was ready 10 pay any deficiency that there
might be. He wished 10 look over the accounts
with Mr Moe, which he would DO that night Qast
night. told linn would call on him again this
morning
Accordingly, i went TO the equipment bureau
this morning aud remained there until noon, when
was Informed by Mr. Moe that he had just received
Q note from Mr.. Wheeler saying be was detained
from the Office and might not be there In all day,
that he had intended 20 20 ever the accounts last
night. but that lie had been unable to do 50, and
that he might say much TO me, and further, that
he would examine the accounts soon as he could.
call your attention 10 the fact that the deficiency
has existed since 1S77|76