New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-01
STEALING A MARCH on TIE MAJ YOR.
BOOKS TAKEN FROM THE COUNTY CLERK.
IMPORTANT INDICEs CLAIMED BY THE CuIEF
SEARCHER-uIs OEEER TO LILLE CITY

IMPORTANT INDICEs CLAIMED BY THE CHIEF
sEARCHER-HIs OFFER TO THE CITY.
Robert j. Leaycraft has been in the County
Clerks office for thirty years and for thirty years
he has been the chief se9rcher. Administrations
changed investigating committees probed the depart
ment reformers OF all SORTS dcluged 1t with talk. but
still Mr.. Leaycraf held his position. Successive County
Clerks found him Indispensable He and his assistants
were not paid by the city, but by the County Clerk get
ting certain percentage of the fees By expedtng
searches. working time, etc.. they were able to
make great deal OF extra money Taey were wellsat-
sed lot Of clerks and Mr. Leaycraft he got the lions
share of the extras the happiest OF the lot But
change came. The Roosevelt Committee last summer
subjected the County Clerks Office to an unmerciful
overhaulmg and rs the result law
was enacted aboshing the County CLERKS
fees and giving him fixed salary OF $4,000, providing
also that the clerks should be paid salaries. All this
TO take effect with the beginning OF the new year.
when County Clerk Keenans term OF Office expired.
When the Board OF Esmatcmade appropriation
for the County Clerks office, Mr. Lcaycraft and his as
sstants did figuring and discovered that the share
allotted TO their department. when divided among them.
would not allow them nearly much money as they had
been making before the reformers effected change.
Besides they did not know how much longer they might
be retained In the long years that Mr. Leaycraft had
been at the head OF the searchers he had prepared
some 200 volumes OF indlces covering all
the Judgments, liens. lis pendens etc., for half a
century There indces wero Invaluable In making
searches and enabled clerks to do in few hours what
otherwise might take them weeks thus greatly increas
ing their fees Mr. Leaycraft regarded these volumes as
his personal property contendng that he had borne the
expense OF their preparation entirely himself and had
done his work on them outside OF Office hours.
Under the regulations the books would cease TO be
n bonanza to their owner while working salary In
the County Clerks office. Therefore he proposed to sell
them to the city for $4,000. The city through tho
proper authorities offered him $2j 900 lie said that he
would take 10000 and call 1t square" The city
raised ts bid to $4,000 aud the Board OF Estimate ap-
propriated that amount for the purchase. But Mr..
Leaycraft would not down any further
aud tho chasm remained unbridged. Then
he aud his associates conceived the idea
OF organizing company to make
searches feeling confident that while in possession OF
ndices they could walk clear from the County
Clerks Office aud make much more money than their
salaries would foot up there. SO yesterday at J. M
craft and his assistants gathered together the zoo
volumes aud each man carrying AS many as he could
sagger under transported thc to room In the Stewart
Buiing where they propose To up opposition To
the County Clerks office so far as the searching business
T. concerned.
This shire wd move took the Mayor completely by
PRISE As he heard OF IL he sent his secretary,
Mr.. Turner and Sergeant Stewart OF the City Han
police with orders TO stop the removal OF the books
Bat they arrived too late; the books were all gone:
County Clerk keenan, the sands of whose official life had
only a few hours TO run, took no pains TO conceal
been checkinated Nor did he waste any sympathy on
his Mir Fack because OF the embarrassment
which the absence Of the iadces would occasion him lie
said that II "nonc OF his funeral" Deputy County
Clerk seeck also viewed tho situation with grim sati.
faction lie said that the Roosevelt Committee didn't
Mayor had male "dead set for the County Clerks
Office urged the reformers There Will probably he
dces Meanwhile II they not accessible the real es-
tate business Will be seriously embarrassed