New-York tribune., 1884-02-02
THE SHERIFFS OFFICE.

THE SRERIFF'S OFFICE
The barefaced manner in which the city is
dcfrauded under the present system oil munich
pal misgovernment was further illustrated by
the testimony taken yesterday before the AS
sembly Committee. This time il ID the Sheriff
who is profting at the expense of the taxpayers
Under an old State law the Board Of Super
visors in each county is Authorized to audit and
pay the bills of the Sheriff for the conveyance
of prisoners. 1t is still the custom. in eirly
every county in the State, for the Supervisors
to audit and pay such bills. And auditing under
this law only means the payment OF necessary
expenses. But unfortunately for the people of
this city, the Board of Aldermen exercises oil
the powers of the Board of Supervisors. And
the Board of Aldermen can always he relied
upon 20 favor any scheme that Will put money
into the pockets of Democratic Ofliceholders.
Acting under their powers as Supervisors, the
Aldermen authorized the Controller to pay the
Sheriff 81 70 for each prisoner conveyed by
him TO ard from the courts. In this way the old
system provided by law for auditing the
Sherif's bills and paying the necessary *
penses of conveying prisoners, was entirely
swept away. AS matter of fact the only work
done by the Sheriff in transferring prisoners
consists in his providing single van, III when
the prisoners are placed without tronble to hln
at the Tombs, and he is relieved OF all RESPONSE
bility when the prisoners are taken out OF the
van to be removed to the courtroom. The
distance is only few blocks from the TOmbs TO
the Court House. Many prisoners walk and
Others ride on the street cars under the
care of salaried officers attached 10 the courts.
IL. L fhaAa
Sheriff. Hence, the allowance of 81 IS for each
prisoner actually conveyed by the Sheriff
afforded him very large profit But 1t
appears, from the testimony taken yester-
day. that he has been charging regularly,
and the Controller has been paying, 81 70 each
for a large number of prisoners not III any way
conveyed by the Sheriff.
II was discovered by the counsel ofthe commit
tee as soon as they be gan to look into the affairs of
,he Shcrifs Office that lis vouchers for prisoners
transferred from the Tombs to the General
Sessions Court last year exceeded by nearly
2,G00 the number actually conveyed, as shown
by the books of the prison and the District
Attorneys office The fraud was SO barefaced
that at the instigatiOn of the committee the
Sherii's clerk who made up these false returns
was arrested yesterday The moment be left The
witness stand. Under the excuse made by the
Sheriff that he could not have personal knOwl-
edge OF how his bills were made up, he was not
arrested although he swOre, and not the clerk,
to the bills on which the money was drawn
from the city treasury. No such plea ought to
avail the Sheriff. If the clerk who carries out
the directions of his employers is guilty of
wrongdoing in making out false bill, shall
that employer who attaches his affidavit to the
correctness Of the bill be permitted TO escape
The Grand Jury ought to take up this matter at
once.
The Sheriff declined to state how much he
paid for his election. That it was large
amount is well known. And well might ne
afford to pay such sum if he can be so easily
reimbursed from the city treasury. Last year
the Democratic Legislature passed bill, and
Governor Cleveland signed it, requiring each
prisoner who could not be provided with a
separate cell in the City Prison to be transferred
to the care of the Sheriff But he is not required
to provide separate cells. In the City Prison it
costs 35 cents a day to maintain prisoner The
generous Board Of Aldermen allows the Sheriff
70 cents a day for each prisoner. This scandal
Gus partisan measure, passed by the last
Legislature for the benefit of the overpaid
Sheriff, will, as the testimony yesterday shows,
cost the city $4,000 for tho present year.
Then the Sheriff is allowed so cents each for
reporting to the Secretary of State the names of
persons convicted in the courts of the city. This
service consists in merely copying court records
and costs the Sheriff very small sum. But he
was paid from the public treasury $26,O0 last
year for that work. And it will no doubt be
shown that many of the names reported were
of persons not actually convicted But the
Sherifs Office is organized for the benefit OF the
halls" like the other county Offices Justice
will not be done unless persons guilty of such
wrongdoing as that exposed yesterday are
severely punished.