New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-23
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
STRENGTHENING METHODS.

GUTTERS-A TEN DAYS ACCuMILAiiON w
ASHES IN THE CITY HALL PARK
Complaints have been made recently to the Com
missioner of Public Works that many of the labor
crs employed by the STRENGTHENING Department
have swept into the cutters much of the street dirt
and that much of this has found its way into the
culyerts and sewers. Yesterday some merchants IN
West Broadway and some of the other downtown
streets complained that the culvcrts were already
flied up with mud although they were cleaned ouC
only short time ago.
Recently, Police Commissioner MacLean, chair
man OF the Committee on StTeet-Cleanng, requested
Commissioner of Public Works Campbell to grant
permission to use the fire lIydrants for the pur-
pose of flushing the cutters by the laDorers
employed by the Street, Cleaning Bureau COM
missioner Campbell declined to grant this request.
The reasons assigned by him were that u wouid
waste a large quantity of water and thus cause
serious Inconvenience TO the residents on inc do"i-
town districts. where the water does not now reach
to the upper floors 1t might be the occasion OF a
very destructive conflagration good water sup
MY being one of the first requisites to check the
progress of fire. And in addition, it would cost
about five times as much to dig out the mud from
the cnyerts as TO remove t from the streets. Not
withsanding the refusal of CommssionerCampoei',
complaints have been received by him that some
of the street-cleanlng force have opened the hre
hydrants aud flushed the cutters. The apprOpIla-
ton allowed the Department of Pubic works. Tor
cleaning and repairing sewers Is only 100000,
and Commissioner Campbell says tins is not SUM-
Gent if the culverts 10 be filled every few days
with street dirt.
There seems to be another cause for complaint
against the Street-C Cleaning Bureau. For the last
ten DAYS the ashes and dirt have not been removed
from the City Hall, the new Court House or the
other buildings in the City Hall Park. The
Park Department has complained of this
to the STRENGTHENING Bureau, bnt without
avail The ashes aud dirt are still allowed
To accumulated Commissioner Campbell will COM
fo.I nVy w Commissioner
the SUBJECT The Street Cleaning Bureau has here
tofore removed the ashes and dire from these build
city The Department of Public Works has no ap-
propriation on which TO draw for this purpose. and
does not propose TO perform the work which II
claims properly belongs 10 anOther department Oh
CAPTAIN Williams said last night that he had
heard no complaints that the strcet-sweepers had
swept mud into the culverts and sewers; such ac-
tiOn was contrary to every rule of the department.
Whyp said he, the dirt and mud has got 10 be
removed somehow, and by tie taxpayers. 1t would
he very foolish for the Street Cleaning Bureau to
throw the mud aud dirt into the sewers so that the
Department of Public Works would be compelled to
remove 1t. No; have heard this matter spoken OF
before but don't believe that any OF the sweeDers
throw the dirt into the cuverlS."
ais it rot fact Captain, that the ashes have not
been removed from the City Hall and Court House
for ten daysf he was asked.
Eyes that is fact"
"What is the reason of il ~
"We don't know. l am willing to remove
such as the schools and fire houses"
us there not some trouble between Commissioner
MacLean and Commissioner Campbell about the
well there is some tronble, and that is all can
say. The ashes have accumulated there Tor about
ten DAYS and have not yet been removed. wanted
some Of the employees there to put the ashes III the
street so that arrest could be made aud then the
matter cond be settled i'll the courts. There are
about five or six loads of ashes from these public
buildings every day. l suppose there are about
thirty or thirty-hve loads there now. think the
matter will be brought before the Commissioners to-
day."
BUTLER on THE WITNESS STAND.
IRE STORY TOLD by MAYS CONFEDERATE IL THE
RECENT FIFTH AVENUE FORGERY.
James Townley, alias Billy" Ellis, was placed
Oh trial in the Court of General Sessions yesterday,
charged with being an accOmplice in the attempted
robbery of $3.50 from Mrs. Jones, of No. 707
Fith-ave., by Robert Nav. who was employed as a
butler i'll the house. May forged Mrs. Joness name
to a check and sent it to the Chemical Bank by a
District Telegraph boy. The boy returned with the
money, lut May failed to meet him. and the parcel
was received by a maid-servlnt who handed it to
Mrs Jones. May pleaded guilty some time ago and
was sent TO state Pri>On1Or five years.
The prisoner Townlcy is all Enclshman, gen.
tlemans gentleman" Of mild manners and smooth
speech 1t is charged that lie lent May his rec0n-
mendatioas aud otherwise aided him III obtaining
employment while he knew him to be thief and
with a view to his committing robbery. After the
attempted robbery at Mrs. Joness house, Iownley
fed to Washington and WAS arrested there lie
took the witness stand III his own defence yester-
day, and assumed the attitude Of very much
persecuted and injured man. lie first explained
that fellow butler named Tiles, at pres
ent empoyed III Washington; kncW friend
that he fast nick-named the witness
billy Ellis. The servants took up the name, and
to MANY Of them lIe was known as Els although
fro,., lao Ioa ,l.ip
Minister III London. lie denied that he had lent
bis character to May. bu charged that the latter
had stolen the paper from bureau IN ms room.
On enc occasion. tic witness SAID, May called at
his lodgings in SIxth-avc. gave him package Of
silver and requested HIM 10 pawn 1T. May SAID II
was for his young gentleman" meaning young
Mr. Jones, and as It was customary in England for
buffers o pawn tIngs for their young gentle
extraordinary about the transaction. On
the day of the forgery May met hIn and asked h.m
boy 10 be seat to Mrs JOUcs's hotse, explaining
that the instrument out Of order. He did so,
and a boy was sent as desired; Later III the day
Nav called at his lodgings while he was out aud
told his wife that he had done something at Mrs.
Jones's house which he was very sorry Tor, and that
If thc witness remained in the city he would get in
trouble as he had used bis name and " character"
he left Mrs. Towuley $50, part of what he owed
him, and advised his wife that he should disappear
That night be went to Warrington believing mat
he could get employment with Sir Edward Thorn,
ton the British Minister. After bis arrest lie denied
TO the police that be had ptwned the SILVER because
he was afraid OF duplicating young Mr.. Jones, hag-
Ing previously pawned things III his name at the re-
guest of May.
The Jury, after brief absence returned a verdict
of cnity OF receiving goods knowing them to have
been stolen The prisoner burst INTO tears, and pro-
tested his innocence. In passing sentence, Judge
(ilderseeve SAID that If he guilty of receiving
stolen goods 1t was fair to presume that he was
guilty OF the forgery by which ne almost succeeded
In obtaining 81 600 from Mrs Jones. lie sent him
TO State Prison for five years.
PISTOLS DRAWN AT 4 COCK FIGHT
There are probably more cock fights in Long
island City and It's vicinity than in any other
neighborhood near Now-ycrk. A majority Of then