The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-20
Hoboken's Assistant City
Clerk Arrested for
Forgery.
BOGUS CITY CERTIFICATES.
The Names Of Ex-Mayor Kerr and
City Clerk McDermott Signed
Without Their knowledge.

DeZZlement, and nave been directly
responsible for five heavy embezzlements
of city funds Still another was discov-
cred last night, and at a little after mid
night William C. Mausell, the assistant
city clerk, was arrested on suspicion of
having forged Hoboken city Improvement
certificates for sum in the neighborhood
of $4,000. 1t is not one, but a series of
startling forgeries.
Until yesterday at noon no one besides
the person who committed the fraud knew
anything about it. The Council met last
night at eight o'clock, but after a discus
sion between the Finance Committee,
comprising Messrs. Erlenkoetter. Timken,
Bruggeman and Chairman Winges,
Councilman Erlenkoetter moved for an
adjournment, which motion was carried.
The Councilmen had more serious bust
ness on hand. They adjourned into the
Office of City Treasurer Smith, where two
forged improvement certificates were laid
before them.
When Clinton street was improved, be-
tween Fifth and Eighth streets, in 1886
and 1887, by Contractor p. T. Plunkett, inn
provement certificates were issued as the
work progressed amounting to s., 300. In
course of time they changed hands and
tificate for $3.50, which, with interest,
amounted to $S46, had been presented at
the Second National Bank for payment.
Mr.. Smith, seeing that the certificate
bore the names of the Committee
on Streets, drew q check for the
amount due to the bank. Owing to some
oversight the check was not fully
signed. 1t lacked Colonel Erlenkoetter's
signature but nevertheless it passed. The
certificate on which the money was paid
was forgery, but this was not detected at
the time.
HOW THE CRIME CAME TO LIGHT.
The certificate which brought the mat
ter to light was presented for payment
yesterday afternoon. 1t was for the
same Improvement, numbered 1,129, and
it's face value was $3.50. Treasurer Smith
handed it to Comptroller Kaufman, but
as the latter could not find the stub in the
certificate book, nor any trace of it, he
soon suspected the forgeries
The names forged were those of eX-
Mayor Edwin J. Kerr, who was in office
when the bogus certificates were supposed
to have been issued, and City Clerk Mar
tin V. McDermott. They were both pres
ent last night and said that the signatures
were not made by them The forgeries
were clumsy and ought not to have passed
as every official in the City Hall was well
acquainted with the signatures, especially
that of Contractor Plunkett.
Suspicion at once pointed to Mausell in
whose handwriting the bodies of the GER
tificates were made out, and who had free
access to all public documents and to the
safe. Chief Donovan was consulted, and
appeared on the scene just as Mausell was
leaving the City Hall at eleven O'Clock.
He tapped the assistant clerk on the
shoulder. and led him into the treasurer's
I Il
shown him. He admitted having filed.
them out in the course of his business, but
denied having affixed any signatures.
The certificate book was shown him, but
he could not explain the discrepancies,
nor find any trace of the stubs which had
been carefully cut out
CLUMSY FoRGERIEs
The signature of ex-Mayor Kerr could
easily be forged, but that of McDermott
had been traced over an India rubber
stamp with India ink, after which the inn
preston of the stamp had been carefully
removed. 1t was a clumsy job however.
1t was past midnight when the Council
men decided to have Mausell placed in
prison. They said that it was measure
for their own protection and in the inter
est of the city. Chief Donovan refused to
arrest unless a complaint were made in an
affidavit
Corporation Attorney Minturn was
called out of bed He drew an affidavit,
which Mr. McDermott signed, setting
best of the City Clerks knowledge and be-
lief Mausell was the forger of the names
upon the bogus certificates.
Mausell was arrested and locked in the
private Office of Chief Donovan. He re-
fused to send any word to his family,
although requested to do SO.
Everybody was excited Further
Investigations were made, and it was
discovered that thirteen certi-
ficates and stubs were missing. The cost
of the Clinton street improvement was
SS. .O12. on which 5000 had been paid in
bona fide certificates, leaving balance of
about 5000 still outstanding. 1t was
proved that the two fraudulent certificates
had been issued after the bona fide ones.
MR.. DALToN's ANXIETY.
Mr.. Dalton, who had been called up,
entered the City Hall at one O'Clock. He
pronounced the signature of his father on
certificate No. 1903 as a forgery. His
father died in January last. He said that
his father had cashed several warrants for
Mausell, and that he had sent neither of
them to the City Treasurer for collection.
Mr.. Dalton was in a terrible state of
mind when he heard of the crooked bust
ness. He said that he had been left five
they were all forgeries he would be
ruined.
The following numbers of stubs are
missing;-1, ,297, 1885, 1885, 1888, 1908,
,lSS, l,346, 1,a43, 1890, l 1,311 and 1917. 1t
is not known whether they are genuine or
forgeries, but is feared that they are
bogus
THE PRIsoNERis RECORD,
Mausell's past record is against him,
His peculations have been covered up by
his friends coming forward to pay up his
shortages He is married and has several
children, and what ought to have been a
comfortable house, but there are rumors
that there are tiiscords of which ne is the
cause. If he lived beyond his income,
his money was not spent in Hoboken, as
he was always considered to be living
quietly. He moved in the best society.
1t is feared that Mausell's dishonesty is
not confined to the certificates alone, as
Mr.. Dalton said that he had cashed salary
warrants for two Councilmen, both of
whom deny ever having given Mausell
such privilege.
Mausell was arraigned before Recorder
McDonough this morning. They have
been friends for many years, and the in
| terYieW was awkward and affecting in
| the extreme The white headed Recorder
spoke in a voice that was unsteady with
emotion, and Mausell seemed almost
stupid, he was so cool in refusing to say a
word. Ho was remanaed In default Of