Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-28
rnE RcuMoNu DlspATCn--sUNDAY FEBRUARY 49, 1886

man House. As he had no friends
here, guardian was appointed. Tweed
was then in the zenith Of his glory, and
Tammany Hall had great influence
with the judges. A well-knoTn
Sschem secured possession OF the Par
sees effects. lie belonged to the
pairician element Of the party, had
never trained in the ranks Of the Pr@to-
rians, and was considered entirely
trustworthy. Mr.. Colah was sent ~
Bombay afterwards under the guardian
ship Of one of the Sachem's friends,
who was allowed $4,000 for
his services. The Sachem retained
possession Of the parsee's money. The
family in Bombay made repeated efforts
to secure it and failed. At the la
accounting only $50 out Of the 10000
remained. The balance was eaten up
in fees and allowances. The Sachem,
it is said, excuses himself on the grOun |
that s25, goo vas lost in bad-mortgag3
investments. The facts are being de-
yeloped in an effort to secure a specific
accounting. The case recalls the Tay-
lor will case, in which a fortune Of
100000 wa, through law-cOurt rami-
fcations, distributed among hungry po-
ltieians.
The second case grows out of the ef-
fort TO improve the Harlem river at the
expense of the Taxpayers owning land
along that stream. The commissioners
were appointed several. years ago. Po-
litical considerations unquestionably
had something to do with their appoint
ment. They were William R. Grace
now mayor, General Badly Smith. and
Sir. James ID. Fish, now resident of
Auburn. They looked at the lands,
held few meetings, adopted a plan,
and put in bill for $4,000. Smith
claimed $4,000 for his services, and
Grace and Fish wanted $4,000
each. Counsel to the commits
sioners asked for $4,000, and an
appraiser appointed by the commits
siOners also sought $4,000 for his SER
vices. One of the taxpayers protested
and made fight in the courts. lie
has Just won it. General Smith is al
lowed only $1,000, Grace and Fish
$4,000 each, the lawyer $1,000 and
the appraiser $500. The taxpayers
saved 49, in all, but it cost them
three years of litigation to do it. This
case recalls Tweed scheme for the
widening Of BroOme street fifteen years
ago. The commissioners we're credited
with getting s37 900 for removing an
iron railing that ran along the front Of
block Of buildings running from
Wooster to Laurens street.
The third case is developed by the
effort to build new bridge across the
Harlem river between High Bridge
and Kings Bridge. Politics were
again the handspring that secured the
appointment of the commissioners.
They went to work with a will, regard
less Of cost. Experts were appointed,
proposals were asked for, aud all the
little wires used in forwarding similar
schemes were laid, when Taxpayer
took the alarm. lie beloved so loudly
that public attention was aroused and
$l,0O0,00O was saved to the public
treasury.
These three cases emit little smoke.
but that smoke is enough to indicate
the intensity Of the fires covered by the
cold crust of local politics. The city
is building an aqueduct that will cost
between $20000,0O0 and $30,00O.000.
The majority of the commissioners are
cool and calculating politicians. They
get 5000 a year for meeting once a
fortnight. No reports Of their sessions
are published in the newspapers, and
The people know nothing Of what
is going on. The city is also making
parks up in Winchester county for
The use of those who are rich enough to
ride in carriages at an expense that
threatens TO add 10000, 900 to the city
debt. All the movements of the Com.
missiOners, however, seem to be we'll
under cover, for the newspapers are
silent concerning their operations. DC
casionally a shrewd politician dashes
across HARLEM bridge with fortune in
his pocket, made by an investment in
the condemned lands, bat only his
friends seem to be aware Of it, and the
honeycombing process continues.
The Broadway-railroad Investigation
may prove to be a volcanic eruption
that will expose the secrets of the
mountain, and create An excitement
paralleled only by the excitement at
tending the exposure Of the Tammany
ring in 1872. Rumor says that Roscoe
Conkling is ambitious of playing the
role Of Samuel j. Tilden in this new
political drama. He is working on the
chance of receiving pay for his work
from the next Legislature. The Legis-
lature will not only be empowered to
appropriate the money for the expenses
OF the committee, but it will also select
United States senator. The only
question now is whether Mr.. Conkling
is also to remove the debris that seems
to fiji the crater Of the volcano. If he
is able to do this, the Last Days Of
Pompeii are at hand for politicians
now revealing in municipal halls.