New-York tribune., 1884-03-22
THE SHERIFF INDICTED.
WORK OF THE SPECIAL GRAND JURY.
INDICTMENTS FOUND ALSO AGAINST DEPUTY sHER'
rF M'GoNTGAL, WARDEN BowE DEPUTY WARE

49,
NF MGONIGAL, WARDEN B0WE, DEPUTY WA"
DEN KIERNAN AND CLERK wERTHETMER.
The Oyer and Terminer Grand Jury, which has
been engaged for four months in investigating
city affairs, took decisive action yesterday by
bringing in indictments against Sheriff Alexander
V. Davidson, Deputy Sheriff David McGoDigal, who
is Chief Of the Order-of-Arrest Bureau; Warden
James Finn Of the Ludlow Street Jail, Deputy War;
den Phillip Herman, and Jacob Werthemer, a clerk
in the Sherii's office. Perjury. extortion and grand
larceny are among the offences charged. pre-
sentiment covering that part of the Grand Jurys
investigation which relates to the Sheriff-s office
was also handed 10 Judge Barrett. The indicted
men promptly released on bail.
The action of the Grand Jury was not unex-
pected, as rumors of the probable indictment Of
the Sheriff had for several days afforded subject
for good-natured rallery when that officer
met his friends The officials have not at any time
seemed feel seriously the danger ofbeng brought
before criminalcO court, and the actual presentation
of the indictments made several of those
who were placed under bonds assume a moro
anxious appearance than they have recently worn.
TIE PREsENrMENr OF THE GRAND JURY.
Justice Barrett took his seat in Part / of the SUI
prene Court soon after 1 p m, when the Grand
Jury entered the room and made their present-
ment. There were not many present.
Foreman Trmble and handed it to Justice Barrett,
and the paper then read 1t is as follows:
IN 9Ify Ge 60 ae Of y and
fully present and make known TO the Court: That
OF the hue oce sS' Of fhe Sheriff Of the City and County
OF NewYork the Grand Jury has found the existence
ona not St @ae a the ss Of against II:
Sheriff. serious demand, its Judgment,
First-By aresolutiOn passed January21 1879 by ths
Board OF Aldermen acting az supervisors OF the County
nf Nauy hV
the compensation of the Sheriff certain official servicee
was fixed ss follows: ......,.
dere the County Of New York by the sheriff OF the CITY
ia = sSpPy and Ss1s5y f
specific services follows For summonng petit Jurors iOs
the various civil and criminal courts o record Of The CITY and
an%
Island House Of Refuge RanSas Island and from % the city
General Sessions and back to the City Prison. the
Under tha part of resolution allowing the Sheriff
81 75 for each convict or prisoner conveyed by the
city during the year 1883 for the in that
year persons at 81 70 each. aggregatng $751;
S y wE @ the y Teay Rhs sa e ts
vice rendered by the Sheriff was performed by prison
with driver and one or more attendants. aud
sisted principally in the conveyance OF prisoners from
the the Courts of General Sessions and oyer
and Terminer distance OF about quarter OF mile.
Furthermore the Grand Jury find that the number actu,
ally conveyed by the sheriff In that year was i93 less
received from the City Treasury during the year 1883
for such conveyance clerk In the employ Of the sher.
ifs office whose duty it to obtain the number OF
statements OF the number falsely represented
the warden of the CITY Prsos that the same were cor
recty made from the prison lists and obtained from
him certificates of their correctness and handed the
Controers office as vouchers proving the number Of
prisoners conveyed, and made the basis OF an audit
by the Controllers Department. The Grand Jury have
| no To-
Off auditing and paying the claims because the bills
presented the Finance Department were in every casa
In proper form and the vouchers apparently correct and
all the rules OF the department were compiled with -
cents for each convict prisoner conveyed by the
public service and that the Board Of Aldermen as super.
vsors of the County ought forthwith to Reduce the
penston for this service to an amount not TO exceed the
| one suggested.
THE REPORTING or CONVICTIONS.
Sscond-Under the terms of the resolution Of the Board
of Aldermen Of January 2l 1875, the Sheriff Is allowed
TO charge county OF 80 for each convc-
ton reported to the Secretary State sheriff pre-
sented bill or bills and collected from the city treasury
during the year 1888 the sum Of $4,000 for reporting
5259s convictions Here again through the gross care
the number Of convictions charged in the sheras bills
bV about bout 3 therefore the Sheriff has received dur
ing year 1888 for reporting convictions about tho
SUN of $500 in of what was actually due him.
The Grand Jury is satisfied by the investigation made by
600 would be very liberal compensation TO bs
made the Sheriff for all services rendered by him ip
the discharge of this duty IL has been asceftained
that service performed by the sbeT IN this matter
consists II 0btainag from the records OF the criminal
tabuatng all the statistics reported by him 10
the Secretary OF State and that Two or three clerks
| emuoyed during only of their time doing this
work which Of the simplest clerical character In the
opinion the Grand Jury the Board OF Aldermen should
forthwith reduce the compensation allowed TO the seih
for this service from fifty cents TO an amount not 10 exc
ceed ten for each conviction reported and mas.
much as the clerks OF the criminal have in their
records all information required to be reported by the
sderes worthy Of the consideration OF the Legislature
whether would not be eIpedent to change the law
GharfH ha eyeln
and whether the clerks Of the criminal courts including
the police courts, should not have imposed upon them
| made by the sheriff. BY the law as Il now
stands the clerks OF all criminal courts OF record
qured to report the particulars Of conviction had
In their to the secretary OF State, and the Grand
Jury can see why the same provision OF law
should not extended to convictions before magistrates
and other courts not OF record or why sch reports should
be made By the Sheriff. in OF the courts Of record,
when they have already been forwarded by the clerks.
These and other grave abuses brought 70 their notice. he
| Grand Jury find would not have been allowed 10 exist
had the administration OF the Office the part OF tho
Sheriff been characterized by due fidelity and diligen at
The Grand Jury do not deem it incumbent upon them
to any further presentmen TO the foregoing mat
found to exist in the management OF Ludlow Street JAIL
for the reason that they are Informed that charges
founded upon these abuses together with the testimony
taken relative thereto, have been presented or will be
forthwith presented by the Assembly Committee OF In.
vestigaton to the Governor Of the state for his acoH
TEN INDICTMENTS HANDED IN.
Ten indictments were also handed in by the
Grand jury anu tnen tne Couit auJourheu. MT.
Sparks took the indictments to the District Attor-
news Office and gave them to District Attorney
Olney. Detectives Philip Reilly and Jacob Won
Gerichten were sent TO inform the officials of their
| Indictment and all of them promptly appeared with
their friends.
| When the indictments made public, il was
found that three indictments, each of which charged
extortion and grand larceny in the second degree.
had been found against Sheriff Davidson. They
are all concerning the accounts rendered for the
services of persons alleged to have been employed
in the Ludlow Street Jail. Each of the indlctments
has two counts. The indictments are almost ex.
actly alike, except that ono of them -efers TO the
account for September, ss3 one to that OF Novem'