The evening world., 1889-03-20
Hoboken's Common Council Uneartbs
Extensive Frauds.
Bogus Signatures Of The Mayor on In
prOVement Scrip.
VETERAN CLERK MANSELL ACCUSED.
He Is A~rraiEned In Court, but Refuses
to Answer Questions.

iHoboken is all agog again over new discov-
cries of official rascality.
This time it is the fraudulent issue of city
bonds by means of forged signatures to an
unknown amount.
Assistant City Clerk William G. Mansell is
believed to be the guilty official, and has
already been arrested and committed to the
city prison to await the action of the Grand
Jury.
Only two fraudulent bonds. amounting in
the aggregate, with interest. to : 1880, have
yet been discovered, but it is believed that
Mansell's operations, which extend over at
least two years, will be found to be more
extensive than at present appears, and that
many thousands of dollars will be involved in
the fraudulent transactions.
The startling discovery Inns only Just been
made by Comptroller Kaufman, who was
called upon to compare q city improvement
certificate of 1887 for $3.50, which had been
presented for payment with the stubs of the
certificate book. He couldn't find the num-
Der, which was /, 1919, or the stub.
suspicious were at once aroused and an eN-
animation of the book disclosed the fact that
the stubs had been carefully cut out in
various places and the edges of the papers
pasted together 30 as to conceal the mutila-
ton.
The certificates we're issued In 1886 and
1887 to pay for improvements IN Clinton
street, which Contractor p. L. Plunkett had
charge Of, the entire work to cost $8, 800.
They were payable in two years and bore G
per cent. interest. They have Just begun to
fall due.
One of them was presented on March /, and
Treasurer Smith drew the city's check for
the amount. which was $s46, The sigma
tures on both Of these certificates were dis
covered to be forgeries yesterday afternoon.
That Of ex-Mayor Kerr was very clumsily
done, while that of City Clerk McDermott
was simply traced over the impression of q
red-ink stamp.
A secret meeting of the Common Council
of Hoboken was held last evening, at which
Chairman Wlnees and Messrs. ~Erlenkotter,
Iimken, Kelly, Bruggemann and Malouey
II was here thst the revelation was first
made. They produced q sensation. The
books were sent for and upon investigation
with the corresponding stubs were missing.
The numbers are 1917, 1911, 1920. 1343, 1916,
1l88, 1903, 1888, 1865, 1885, and 1897.
There is nothing to show what amounts
issued, and they would probably only have
turned up when they were due. The earliest
of these eleven was issued about two years
ago, and the most recent O month ago. The
inference is that they are all fraudulent. The
certificate book Is mutilRted and patched up.
and the same a was in the first mentioned
cases.
suspicion AZ once pointed 10 Mansell, VINO
during this entire secret session was at work
in the clerks Office. The body of both GER
~tiicates was in his hand writing, and 1t was
known that he had access 70 all the papers in
the City Clerks Office, and had charge OF the
business of issuing these certificates.
He was arrested by Chief of Police Dono-
van at 10 O'Clock last night in his office, and
ON being confronted with the forged certif-
mitted that he had filled them up, and that
the writing, except tho signatures, was his
own.
He was placed in tho custody Of the Chief.
while the Councilmen continued their inyesti-
CATION up to 8 O'Clock this morning: 1t APP
peared that Robert ]. Dalton, a Jersey City
banker. who died last January, had nego-
tiated one of the certificates, and his lame
was endorse on It. His son was sent tor and
arrived after midnight.
He Immediately pronounced the signature
o forgery, but said that his father had for
scrip for ManseSii' in whom he had always
placed implicit confidence. When his father
died he owned O large number of certificates
which he divided among his children in his
will.
Mansell PASSED the night in q cell, and this
morning was arraigned before Recorder Nc
Donough on the charge of forgery. He took
this very calmly, and when asked what he
had to say he replied that he had no state
ment to make, and refused to answer any
questions.
lie is ,ffty-one years old, short and of
stout build, and has a heavy gray mustache.
Hoboken: and has three children.
He has been employed off and on in the
city departments for the past twenty years,
and Is well known as a shrewd politician and
worker. For the last eight years he has been
assistant to the City Clerk, and his honesty
mas not once been questioned.
A leading member Of the Common Council
and one of the +" big combine " said to a re-
porter this morning: g have had my eye on
Mnnsell for some time past. for l suspected
thnt something was wrong" -.
Do you think he had any confederates p
No, because it would have been perfectly
easy for him to accomplish the thing. alone,
much easier, in fact, than if he had an ac-
complice."
Several other city officials, including Comp
troiler Kaufmann. City Clerk MoDermott and
opinion that Mansell worked the scheme
alone His relations with Banker Dalton, oil
Jersey CITY, were such that he could have
worked OF the fraudulent bonds upon him
without suspicion.
The complaint against Mansell was drawn
py City Clerk McDermott which directly
eharges Mansel with having committed the
tSrReries on the bonds and knowing all about
the frauds.
The outstanding Improvement certificates
VIZ DO coming In moro rapidly now thar
DISCLOSE evidence Of further crookedness or
the part of Mansell. The latter has beer
working hard for some time past to secure
TIC regular Democratic nomination for thu
0mee OF Water Register, the election occurring
next month.
He had pulled his wires 90 we'll and was IL
with the AldeTmanic combine that every on
teit sure that he would get II, until the pres
his chances.