Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-01
THE AUDITING COMMITTEES BOMB
At Last Exploded by the Publication of
Affidayits Alleging Crooked
ness in Office.
wYMAN NASDMURPHY OVERWHELMING
They Claim the Charges Are From Disappointed
Office Hunters.

before court OF Justice. criminal charges
have been made against Mayor Wyman and
Chief Murphy, and affidavits produced to
prove them. The accused deny the accusa-
tions, and claim they were made
by men disappointed in search
for office and anxious for re-
venge. The disclosures were made by
the auditors in their report to the SUBJ
Auditing Committee The report follows:
Your auditors would respectfully report
ton of ten days employed in examining the
car register of the Pleasant Valley Company
our time has been occupied in investigating
the account books belonging to the Mayors
office from the beginning of Mayor Wyman's 8
nrst term in April, 1854 up until the first OF
october 1881, excepting the witness fees and
fines remitted or amounts changed during
Mayor Wymans first term, deferring to q
future supplementary report
One of the gravest points developed in the
examination of Mayor Wyman's books that
not to say criminally carless manner in
which the original docket is kept The ell
tries therein are made by lead pencil, thus
being easily erased and the records falsifled
thereby, and the evidence is not wanting to
show that a gum eraser is one of the princi-
pal implements in use in that office.
We herewith submit exhibit marked "R, !"
which embraces court costs, Jail and work
troller and fees paid by Sheriff to Mayors
of the City OF Allegheny, covering the
period from April, 1854, up to June, 1891.
Large Unaccounted Amounts.
The total amount collected by Mayor
Wyman on this account during his incumb-
ency, first and present term, amounted to
$S,S3l 0S. OF this amount the sum of 81, ,9Os so
has been accounted for and paid over to the
City Treasurer, leaving a balance due the
city and unaccounted for of 81 Az %.
EN-Mayor Pearson collected during his ad-
ministration as Mayor on above account, as
troler and Sheriffs office, the sum OF
s., AIS 10, of this amount the sum of 81, ,563 81
was accounted for and paid over to the City
Treasurer leaving balance unaccounted
These arrearages dc not include officers
cases, ms your City Solicitor rendered an
opinion that your city had no claim on such
fees.
In our investigation respecting the i'm
posing and collection of witness fees, we
find, by reference to the witness fee book in
tration, that the sum of s1,944 70 was col
lected from prisoners on this account, and or
this sum sl72 Is was paid over to yitnesses
81 az go uncalled for. In a great number of
cases it was impossible TO find to whom the
fees belonged, owing to seemingly premed-
lts ted |obscuring Of these accounts
We made a careful investigation relative
to fees on this account earned by officers in
the employ and pay of the city during the
time of giving testimony, and find that there
is due to the city on this account from ex-
Mayor Pearson the sum of 1892 s.
Touching the witness fees collected dur
ing Mayor Wyman's administration, we are
is first 70 term for tSe record of no such fees
was kept. In the present administration we
find the sum of S, ,569 collected and entered
on the witness fee book. OF this amount the
sum of $l2 80 has been duly paid over to wit
nesses entitled to them, leaving a balance,
uncalled for of 81, ,556 So Of which amount we
find that city officers testified in cases where
due and payable to the city. We find in
examining the witness fee book and the
book of testimony that in great number of
cases where fees have been taxed and col
lected no witnesses appear, neither is there
any record regarding them. In nearly all
instances where a number of defendants ap-
pear in one case, the witness fees have been
taxed on each individual and thus cumula-
tive taxes are extorted which is contrary to
law
Witnesses Not Registered.
One singular feature connected with the
witness fee receipt books in present use is
the fact that of g. 13s witnesses supposed to
have testified, the meager number or 50
names appear in the column devoted to the
names of witnesses. while the insignificant
number of 25 witnesses attested and signed
for the fees paid them;
We herewith submit a tabulation, being
mart of Exhibit ssS" which shows cases
wherein parties arrested on view have been
taxed and amounts collected from them for
witness fees, when the records fail to show
that single witness was called upon to tes-
tify; also cases wherein officers testified and
fees for same collected and not returned to
city as they properly should, and also where
q number of defendants appear in one case,
the fee for each witness has been taxed up
to each individual defendant thus extorting
cumulative fees in utter disregard to State
statues governing same.
Respecting the amusement license fee COL
lected by Mayors office prior to 1855, we are
unable to present the report definitely, as
important data in the shape of statements
and affidavits respecting apparent discrep-
ancies between the amounts received and
the amounts entered on thg-stub, has re-
Gently been furnished us together with
number of large fines that were imposed
and collected, but which do not appear on
the Mayors docket, will require further
report.
For the same. reason we only examined
into the matter of remitted fines beginning
with April, 1889. and find that the dockets in
use during ex-Mayor Pearson's term of Office
show remission of fines and alterations of
figures to the extent of S2016, and we also
find that by the docket in use during the
present term of Mayor Wyman from April,
1S90 to October, 1891, fines were remitted
and figures changed aggregating 5000.
These sums have been illegally diverted
and the alteration of figures after the judg-
ment was entered and entry made on the
docket.
Grave Charges Made.
After the Auditors report was read the
subcommittee made public three affidavits
1t had secured They will be presented to
the Auditing Committee this week The
most important was from Lewis Koerner,
who, during the seasons of 1884, 1855 and
1886, was superintendent of ii. o. Price &
Co. S place of amusement at the Exposition
grounds. He testified that during the sum-
mer of 1885 a theater was run for IL weeks,
and that Chief Murphy was paid S25 per
day license. He also claimed that va
races and show licenses. In addition,
Mr.. Koerner testified that wheel of for
tune was run while horse races were under
way, and that tor police protection money
was paid Mayor Wyman, Chief Murphy
and Detective W. L. Braun for Wyman
and Murphy. A portion of Mr. Kcerner's
testimony reads:
In 1884 we paid $500 a day, and in 1885 the
first day we paid John r. Murphy $40O, and
the second day paid Mayor james G. Wyman
$780, and on the third day we were stopped
running the wheel by w. i. Braun, the de-
tective, who called and said: "You will have
to stop the wheel as the newspapers are
giving us fits"
The testimony closes with the statement
that during the seasons of 1884, 1885 and
1886, $4,000 was paid for licenses and priv
ileges. .
In another affidavit Koerner alleges that
he paid Mayor Wyman S100 for Sam Mason
and others for the privilege of opening a
gambling room on Federal street. The
agreement, Koerner claims, was that Wy
"a 1<v,,r h.