New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-19
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
,pprc1uAR BOOKKEEPING.
,poprRTy CLERK ST. JoHS's PECULIAR MEL
AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED.

.,on,.rv CLERK ST. JOHS's PECULIAR MEIHoDs-
AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED.
Nh. Commissioners of Accounts, having finished
their examination Of the AFFAIRS OF ,no rpary "a
.no Fnnd fiom January l, 1879, TO fepruary To-
ei Saa vesterdav made their report TO the MAYOR
The gross receipts were 1896 79o Al oc me pSz
ments Win SOS. 600; cash, $2O29 "a. The
total Investments on February 10 1888, rod
a. 500 600 The sources OF revenue lot the r unu
are as follows: Capital, interest etc. deT,veo Dun
@he Police Life Insurance Fund and the Police rem
siop Fund; fines imposed by the board OF Iolce VI
the members of the force; rewards Ices ge' lost
that NAV be given to any member OF tne loIce; ioS
unclaimed, or stolen money remaining IN IN
the possession Of the Property Clerk, ,' and
sum member mot s1'sealps ne per Police force
When the Commissioner desired to examine the
books of the Property Clerk; G. A. ST. John, ne was
missing, and belief PREVAILED that he aad commit INIT
ted suicide The door of MS office was forced open
and the register books were found to be lmperlecSI
and Inaccurate. No auction sales oooks ba hooks
from 1850 TO February ID, 1888, were n ~ oil
Iory Whether the books contained RECORDS oi "a
the property sold of all the money recelveu
not he determined, owing to the incqmple'c rss ab
of the articles IN the original entry oooks a9ere
sence OF a cash book, where the transact'onS
soneYs deemed alsusplcious circumstance lhe te
were considerable sums OF money s'anuinSS 81 Of
registry books of dates prior 10 There
which the disposition was not SHOWN. ~
were tyenty-eight lots of gaming implements iar
TO have been returned 10 various persons ~
nlv No orders were shown in the case of eigbtv-
two lots including SG77 Is IN money, WHICH ~ ~
nears TO have been delivered to tne courts ~ 10
ppse1 os evidence and were not returned Inc Coni-
missiouers were informed by the treasurer ciolh
thai he held IN his safe package OF SZo atnous u
the Commissioners found what purp9rted 10 pT an
affidavit IN the handwriting of the Property C,eIh
TO the effect that the money had oeeh TeluIneu "
the proper owner. That st. John snouiu nav nav ,'
this money on his person neary year "a, ai, ornrs
napers SHOW 1t to have been delivered to the owners
MAS deemed a most remarkable circumstance
The Commissioners suggest that the Io ,h.
Commissioners be requcSt9d 10 tn9aouSi, r'
lpvestiQ tie this matter. various other IL
regulartIes were found which the Comhlssloneii
do not enumcTate Those cited are peilcVeu " y.
sufficient to demonstrate the tact OF me 10
aud insufficient management OF the affairs oL th'
Property Clerk. After the Commissioner Degal
then investigation St. John resigned as roper
Clerk and his resignation was accepted ny 'no oA'
Mayor Edison said that the report of the Commis
.iOncrs of Accounts showed a very bad CONDITION Oh
things in the Property Clerk once te UoUlu o mI
understand how such a lax state OF AFFAIRS snou,C
have been suffered to exist 1t was his Intention u
get at all the facts in the case, aud ne woulu VII"
TO the Police Commissioners asking inein " nano
iigd Investigation and report to him as soon a.
possible The Commissioners of Accounts VIII Ut
directed by the Mayor TO aid the romeo OolhnS
sioneIs IN the investigations /.
Viii. the examination of the accounts of the
Property Clerk was being made the Ponce CoWin III
sloners were not informed OF the results Vi Ln,
examination. All the police orlclais DeIleve tla
Air ST. JoLn is honest. MIR. Gott the bookkeepe
and assistant treasurer of the department sald Una
Mr. St John had been CROWN. ms tn9 LOT more ta Ia
a wear AS "A natural result the business IN th
property clerks office conducted carelessddv
Il cannot believe" Mr.. Gott SAID. that Mr.. 81
Gecause he was not in his right mind. do no
think the Commissioners have fOund any tnlhi
which would justify them In calling MI o. JON"
thief" . o,, h
John +. Harriott the present Property Clerk ma
Introduced a new method of registering ana maj b
ing articles left III his care