New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-13
FRAUDS IN CITY BUREAUS.
rrncE DAVIS CHARGES THE GRAND JURY.
. CAREFUL INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE IN THE
CorRT OF OYER AND TERMINER.

I'M
Jul Hrermner TO investigate the charges of fraud IN
the Water Bureau of the Department Oh ru9 PIC
Works and in other city departments Wiiii tno
Jrayyinp of the Grand Jury, the tral OF WIIalh
pnrter Tor the murder of John Walsh was ADJOURNED
mill Friday next. The following Grand Jurors
were then empaneued: ~
Est twenty ffth,st Charles Reyes, Harvey D. Lane
George H. Putnam. Francis A. Wynko9P, JACOB AGieT'
McGiDnis. ir Thomas c. Sloan, W. f. Bridge, Robert
livingstone Henry Mead h Matthew Smray David
" Nash Bowie Dash, Christopher Wray, George NJ
IeventTitt.
Jndpe Davis in charging the jury, spoke first OF
their power and duties, and then SAID
think am justified in going far as 70 point out 10
Won the necessity Of certain kinds OF investigation Lha
doubt not, weigh heavily on the minds OF az
neonle i'm this community Some Investigations Whlcn
have made in respect TO the business a%9 m nave
city in the various departments OF us 10
moi been thought be- for certain reasons sufficient 10
Justify either accusation or excupauOn OF alS plSO
and dis6ursIng taxes to vast amount becomes suttt
of extreme anxiety in respect to the & f morals
iustice or common that should prevent on uS S
Of every Puo xSree Of that scrutiny win that
the heavy burden imposed OH ne poUl1 rrnose SceIt
those for which it is allowed by the laws OF te au
one would think that ali public S nc 'tiSro%nR
,l in charge of the financial affairs OF clly
whose hands such immense sums IN some iorl "a i'm
must pass should nxons seek iS SrT Sny TO their fe
soSclcIis of carefully preserving ana lawfully apply
ing the funds TGh bt Soe Now it may become part
f "np duty TO enter upon investigation with respect
e nf the inanc Il affairs of this city. 1t seems 10
20 % General opinion that that duty will be by the
District Attorney brought especially TO your atentlo'
The Cor trollcrs Office i'll this city Is one OF tIe most m
ortant of tile several departments created oy the Ch
ter n has generally been III the hands oi hoho'nie'
honest mems but you will remember that any peIson Mo
holds mat high office has power IN ana d hnscl 10
perform all of its vast functions lie must heGeSs'y
RELY upon large number OF suDordnates, ana i'y c
brace large number OF persons, over whom ms super
vision while il must he general ana as complete as po
bic, may ofteatmes fan to ne sacienI 10 I0T ~ Ii
all possible wrongs. The law nerNehes IoI ms
ton and for yours, by making @cis 1 ci"
OF both as TO hlnsei ana SUI" a. a.lntcI Ger
offences; and the only way in when u Is 9psol4tcs -
provided detection can oe V Uy an
which the obligations 0I thcsc PdrIc9 WIN n,J p,rcs
ne innshed is through the action OF your DOuy ICS
have been mGto Nov cnongh of The facts to entertain
an opinion on that subect-a general i III ne
Controllers Office various m"los ana loIlns IN Mlch
iniQuy has been practlSGI 10 t.e pre- @ i u ,,
Thai bect that you take Investigation OF that
Si IL - yonr duty under your Oahs under the law OF
80, I'D Ia see 10 il That the invest cation II 50 thorough
go complete and searching that the guilty. sill NOT
sScapc and that above all, the innocent shall be com
rleey indicated II isfOr the advantage OF the lhho-
cent employees of such depai tment as wei as OF me
nubic tnat an investigation should snow 10 tG Woi!u
III t6ey are hottest men, by enabling the Grand jury 10
declare that if wrong has been done II mas Dee done ny
the guilty whom 1t reaches or tnat 10 wrong Has 0o'n
done or shown by the investigation No u-o. ~, ,,,
In respect the Department OF FuDhG works 10 i,h
peTvade the public press and whispered III al circles
that wrongs have been ccn aha to xot
flly and c"rrupy for their private use moneys mat
city; have made bargains ny WHICH ltIaohS
Justly chargeable with water rents h't|e pGen IelssGu
from their obligations by the payment 10 hen VI OI
bean kent ont of the City Treasury for smaller sums put
into the private pockets of the ncubents OF e various
can 1o, hesitate for moment to it nat you in
yestisae most fully all grounds OF suspicion rom when
for myseif that If the result Of yOur investigations Shl
show that these suspicious are %h9 iGuIu, , lP
great department. any other department Of this city
& shown 10 be managed with care, prudence, Integrity
al each one Of and thayOu Will rejoice II Nou III
otions shall result in showing that notwithstanding
an rumors and all suspicious nevertheless your SeNta
departments managed honestly and Win soou JUG
ment. 80 :,
Ia the statutes which make criminal offences OF the
wrongful acts of public officers, under winch lndlc
ments il those officers guilty, would be found.
He said that because he had spoken Oh olliy TWO
branches of the City Government, the Grand jury
would not from that infer that he intended 10 eA-
clnde any others. lie referred TO the charges against
emnoves IN the Office of the Commissioner OF Jurors
coTruption in which had been exposed III open court
The frauds and extortions might have been much
more extensive than the public imagined and much
dishonesty might yet remain there COnCSaeu from
the public knowledge. lie called especial attention
10 the Board of Excise saying that there were grave
charges that houses of bad repute, gambling dehs
and The resorts of thiyeS had been licensed by That
board and were under the protection OF Inc ponce.
The city had recently been startled with the report
ri donbe murder in one of these licensed dcnS. 1t
was a most astonishing thing that that portion Of
the city whose duty it was to see that the law was
enforced could regard the commission of such act
with rejoicing. and yet it was said that the Police
Department expressed satisfaction over the violent
death of the two criminals. 1t showed an appalling
condition of public sentiment and il was the duty
of the Grand Jury TO that such violations OF the
law were rendered less easy, and that these resorts
of the criminal classes not legalized and pro-
tected by the city. The Grand Jury should take
action tending to the correction of these abuses. II
citizens were not protected in their rights the
whole political structure of the country would fall
to the ground. ,., Till. . ,
the Grand Jury retired TO Part Ill OF the Superior
Cont 10 begin their Investigations.
While Chief Justice Davis was talking to the
Grand Jury about the need of investigating the
Roard of Excise the Excise Commissioners
themselves were comforting with District
Attorney McKeOn as TO the methods by which ac
tion should 10 taken against some OF the place.
named in the prcsentInent of the late Grand Jury
The Excise Commissioners asked the assistance OF
the Districts Attorney and the presence OF arepre
sentative of his office at the trial of the charges
against some of the places Mr.. MckeOn promised
his assistance as far as possible
Solomon Seixas was appointed by CommiSsionci
THOMPSON Yesterday clerk in the Water Register
office in place of SelleCk 5. SChOheld, who was III
dicted for frauds in the Water Bureau. Mr.. SelXa'
was formerly clerk in the Finance Department
but was dropped when certain bureaus were con
sOlidatcd in 1881.
n