New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-17
INDICTED OFFICERS on TRIAL.

ALLEGED FRAUDS IN ELIZABETH Nd
prcTyxIvc OF THE TRIAL OF CONTROLLER LEG
GErr AND CLERK LEEDS CHARGED WITH s"iNDL-
| ING THE CITY.
There was great excitement among the resi-
dents of Elizabeth. n. J yesterday, over the ral oi
Controller Thomas b. Legget andlDanel w Leeds clerk
10 the City Treasurer upon The indictments pesenteu
by the Grand Jury, and at 1890 n m the courtroom
was den sely crowded Acknowledgement Stockton and
Prosecutor Fay represented the state and the counSe
for the defendants exJudge Robert Green ana H.
Y Itndabury Controller Leggett and Mr.. Leeds were
present and listened closely to the proceedings JuoSc
| Van syckel presid 3D. with judges Bovine, McCormcK'
and milford az associates. The jury which was ou'y
obtained after much challenging on the part or the oc-
fendan,s consisted of William s. Davenport John
Moody Annie Dumazsnd, James ID, Miller, WiLam
ucGrof Henry NJ Stiles, Adam Worth, william D.
Georv Augustus r. Jennings, Francis Cooper, Jonn H.
Lang and Joseph Clark. ir.
Prosecutor Fay opened the for the state by read
ing inc first of the twenty indictments when consists
or two counts. The first charges That ON June 20 1915
the defendants purchased for - 400 three bonds OF the
ctv OF E,izlbetb Of the par value OOJ each and
that on the same day they did irauduIcnty return TIE
same bonds for the of $j03G g. their par value
with accrued interest The second count charges that
tie indicted officials bought thcs bonds IN the first
place with money belonging to the city. James Me-
Gn!c cashier OF the National State Bank Of Elizabeth
ana Jo1'l Il itNulIt una i-'t""l' A. ''''i - N'
N the same bank were The first witnesses called by
the state. Prosecutor Fay stated that on jane 20,
1875 the bank received from Thomas b. Lc@gcLt two
checks OF - Ol6 - and S2021 Is respectively IN
favor Of Daniel W. Leeds. The sum Of these two
checks, f3O37 06. nth IN excess OF few cents. was
equal 10 The par value aud accrued interest
OF hre ~ 600 bonds. The CHECKS, according to TIE
cuso' Of enc BANK i5i beeh ItilI'! 10 ar. t-',
and. ac Refused 20 show them lhe Sttn went 10 work
to Prov a.. stationery in anon,r Wal Isey ineiei"ie
produced I'm court me ledger or me PAM '. ~ I'
vidual debit and credit books md rae check to the ercdt
oi Leeds confirming their ass rtions. 49,
John 1ans-l ccIk n tc Con 10 cis ci q. lGcutlUcd
tie cn,h box of the Sinking Fund Comnias'"neIs on
-DantrI Vs. Leeds FUNDED debt bonds 81 par md iu-
tcr,st, May, 1881" the hooks Of The G1niroicr'
stubs and the checks previously or rel. tt was
also sioyr tlat Julc 20 lie Controller gave per
showing thr charge. deposit ue ntAc Aano writing
Leeds and L"ggatt Was offered 90 snow mat L"da 5@d
| an rerce between IDS ,uu ard ur l3.o37 96 "a
s3i as thc rgon' mldc hy each ~ The LEGGED consp-
s3O37 30 leaves 2lOo tl- exact sum paid iorhe tArco
Charles Russ, yc.prc iIent Of the C rmaua Fire In
sur nrc Company Was called 10 tcarfy 0, 90 tuc value
81 ta bonds in qn" ton Tie fo tnai ne n3d "li n'tus
''I,',' a, t "a i @ In ir rods Wa.fcr Chandler
"a clcIS ID a., bluang house % " T. Hatch 81 Sous. ia
ths citT, stated under oath That c best price E c"ui
70 Der cent buf that hY special agreement with person
wuo auXuu, to procure ucI bonds he bad obtained
= peg cent 'lc iu-Htc Taornd, BE- D. Hodges JOIN
strybcr Treasurer of tho Dime Savings lnstfuuon and
Jacob DAVIS, p'cs of TIE same gave similar test
m0ny. one point IN Dlv's evidence however. seemed
favorable 10 the defendants namely. The fact that ne
had May ]. ISIS. SOLD quantity Oi the bonus az -
| per cent of tnt' lacc value.
EN-Niayor James IS. Greene. who one OF the sink
! Ing Faud Commission r. Ia 1879 testified t1at du'n1
his term ~ Office thc commissioners decided 70 itlUr
The city debt by thc purchase OF ts own nonds win the
money received dTcaIagc- OF taxes and Tor Licenses,
nud that lis custom % sign lew CHECKS chch
day iu adyauco. AID leave abe hs in 'h1t condition
I'm ne nnn, o. the CONTROLLER Tee latter thus had only
10 afiX his signature whenever he cl0sr IN oIu'r
| TO make the checks coed.
! The Srate then announced that n had hut one more
witness who, however, could not testify until Tins
morning. The CoIr linen adjourned unt. 1919 0d1y.
IL cxrecird that the trial vi last MANY day, aud
pcrlap, wcrk-. as the o,ncr indictments win po'dbY
be BROUGHT ap as th- one o. disposed o. lt -
uudrrt,od thar tine sum toul OF ali Tie spols which
c vtroTs indictments ac' the defend ants received
~ WHY'S similar to thst Charged 80 thc one now under
co.'s Iteration. Is nor far itOn $1,000