The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-07
JERSEYS LITTLE TAMMANY.
MORE TESTIMONY CONCERNING THAT
WARREN COUNTY RING.
Very Anxious 10 Keep the Taxpayer Dry
shod while Providing Against Rainy Day
for Themselves-Mr strnder II Convicted.

Very Anxious to Keep the Taxpnyera Dry
shod while Providing AgniH.t "a Rainy Day
for Themselves strader IL Convicted.
BELv1DERE, N j. Jan. 6.-From the great
batch Of Indictments which Prosecutor Harris
has received from tho Warren County Grand
Jury, and which charge former and present
offlccholdcrs with forgery and other crimes. he
to-day selected for trial conspiracy case
These Warren County Tnmmany leaders
believed. according to tho charges made
that there was nothing bettor in tho
long run for politicians and oficeholders
than bridge making The repairing Of almost
every bridge that has boon made and repaired
in this county for some years back has been the
means. It is said. OF turning into the pockets
of the Ring anywhere from fifty to five hundred
dollars. Nothing delighted the Freeholders who
composed the Ring more than TO learn that an
old bridge needed repairing or that now ono
ought TO DO built and when the taxpayers grum-
blcd about the heavy county expenses, the Free
holders, who knew why the expenses wore
many thousands greater than they used TO be-
answered not like Tweed. What are you going
to do about 1t ?" but instead. " We are very sorry
but II can't be helped. We are rs economical rs
possible" And the taxpayers said that Charley
btrador was such good fellow. and the polti-
cinns regarded Dr. Cox ns 30 valuable man.
Slikcr az controlling 50 many votes that were
needed by the Democratic leaders hereabouts
that aner al the extra expense could probably
.To;day Prosecutor Harris told Jury. many
OF whom knew Srader, Cox. and Sliker per-
sonnlly or w influential politicians about ono
Of these bridge arrangements He accused
sirader. Cox, and 81 iker oi consplring TO obtain
800 fraudulcnuy from tho county. this being
one Of many other similar transactions II
seems that the Frccholders decided that a new
bridge was required over n stream that sepa-
rated Morris and Warren (puntipa nd no
contract 10 build u was given TO Siker. He put
n bid so much below that 81 any other bidder
that n caused comment nj the time. Having got
the contract. then. the Prosecutor says Sliker
got an order signed by DIR. Cox and Mr.. Strader
Tor $3.50. and drew the money. The order was
ostensihly given FOR work done on the bridge.
Not long after Mr. Siker got another order i'm
we same way for q 90 Then having finished
TIE bridge he received the amount called for by
tho original contract. The Frecholders and
taxpayers who were not In the Ring supposed
they were getting a 1ne bridge marvellously
hytwo secret orders t3i9 more than they ought
60 have paid.
The Prosecutor did no, got very far with his
evidence to-day. The present directors " the
Board OF Freeholders swore that the Board
never knew OF this private arrangement until
the Treasurer presented the voucher last spring
and asked Tor credit on them. Then II appeared
that Mr; Slikcr had received 1850 more thpn the
county had harcancd for, aud got it by the aid
Of Director Stradcr and Freebooter Cox, who
signed the secret order DIR. Cox sat quietly i'm
court and listened 10 this testimony. Around
him were men whom he used ~ marshall NJ
conventions and who even now say that its too
bad that the Doctor has boon getting into
trouble. The party need him. This fall War
rem County went Republican for the first time
IN years. The New jersey Senate is R'puhll.
can hy this detection. they say. and times will
be- no longer here what they were like the
halmy days Of Tweeds rule when Dr. Cox Mr..
fourteen other INDICTED ofncoholders ran the
party and controlled the on res in Warren
County. Their discipline was perfect. and they
used To roll un tremendous malorities
But while they attended to the politics the
Grand Jury now swear that they were also
adopts in Tweed's other tactics They were
never short for money because all they had 10
do was 10 raise II in Just the way the three men
ti5O. or else they would scratch out the figure.
and names on old vouchers and then present
them again as now ones. Even this fOrmality
authorities who 10y law were required 10 aign
vouchers before thcy could bee paid and thu col.
lecor who had the county money 10 pay them
understood each other perfectly So far rs Is
known, they have accommodated each other
mutually to the extent Of nearly 100000 at tho
county : expense. and by means which were
hrst iamillarized 10y the exposures Of the Tam
many Ring.
Mr. Sirader was to-day convicted Of forperv
The case WIS tried on Saturday. and the Jury
were charged this morning. II WIS felt by At.
torney- General stockton and Prosecutor Harris
90 he in a measure test ease. II was an old
bridge voucher with nane and date changed
and amount raised; II had been honestly paid
the year before on Mr. StradDrs order and tho
County Collector testified that he had paid IL
again g Mr., Strader. DR.. Madison. who has
HlNhlfI kulllN 10 tnree ffNrEfb OF forgery.
testified that Mr.. Strader selected this voucher
with others. from the files he hal in his Office
whore. as clerk OF the freehOlders he kent
them. "a being excellent for tho purpose OF
raising money on. But. in spite Of all this the
Jury were out So long that there were even bets
offered that they would Disagree, and il was
freely said that itthey did Disagree there would
b. no use OF trying any Of tho other indictments
Tho great fear Of the Prosecutor has been that
the personal and political relations ~ tho on
clal- were so wide reaching that IL might be- i'm
possible To get an unpreluiiecd Jury When,
therefore. the Jury came in aud announced a
verdict Of guilty. the Attorney General and
the Prosecutor felt encouraged To press all the
charges II all are prosecuted 10 conviction.
leaders in Warren County.