The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-02
TAX REBATES GONE ASTRAY.
BRooKLrN OFFICIALS SUSPECT 4 NEW
FORM OF FRAUD.
John Cutts Accused of Pock etiug Unclaimed
Reb.tes-Bundreds or Similar Cases OF
which nm Investigation L. to Re Made.

John Cults Accused OF Pock etiue Unclaimed
Rebate.-Hundreds or Similar Cases OF
which nm Investigation IL to Re Made.
1t Is possible that the arrest yesterday OF
John Cuts may lead to the dlscovery OF new
species OF fraud connected with the city Gov
eminent Of Brooklyn. Cults Is now In Ray
mond street jnil awaiting examination on n
charge OF grand larceny. He is 80 years old
and lives at lit Cumberland street. Tho fraud
OF which he is accused is obtaining tax re-
bate belonging to other persons.
Cuts holds the subordinate place OK janltor
OF the Board Of Elections building in Smith
street He has been active In Dem ocratic
politics iE the Twentieth ward and. 1t 10 said.
owes his appointment as janitor to the in6u-
enco OF Sheriff John Courtney. ex-Executivo
Committeeman from the ward, Before his
appointment. two years ago, he was junk
dealer and Speculation. Should the charges
against him be proved, 1t will he shown that
he has been carrying on his operations since
1885 directly under the eyes Of some OF the
more responsible city officials.
The specific charge against him is that he
collected from the Com ptroller s120 In rebate
money belonging to the Nassau Land Improve
ment Company. This amount was the excess
OF u special tax for eome Improvement or
other James Rorke. cashier OF the Emigrant
Industrial Savings Bank and President Of the
Nassau Company. is the complainant The
company. it seems. was not aware until re-
Gently that It was entitled to any rebate. On
max ing inquiry Mr.. Rorke discovered that the
money was paid 10 Cults. who represented
himself as the agent OF the company. nearly
two years ago.
The arrest OF Mr.. Cults at once suggested
the possibility that other tax rebates might
also have got into wrong hands 1t not infre-
quently happens that the amount raised by
assessment for special improvements exceeds
the cost ofths work. In such cases, It seems.
some Of the axpayers are likely to remain in
blissful ignorance OF the fact that they are en-
titled to refund OF assessments and never APP
ply for their money. This was tho case in the
bill against the Nassau Company. II q man
made himself careful observer Of the failure
on the part OF Taxpayers to get money due
them. no would be able to do q lively business
in tho collection Of unclaimed rebates
Comptroller Corwn said last night that
Cuttss name figures in hundreds Of such cases
in the books in his Office Cults In each case
representing himself MS the agent for the per-
son or company entitled to the rebate. To
carry out such a fraudulent scheme It would
be necessary for him to obtain duplicate tax
receipt for the original payment In the tax
office. Mayor Boody will at once institute an
investigation with view OF discovering how
this could be accomplished.
Cults was arrested yesterday when he was
making inquiries in the Comptroller's offlce
about an old rebate matter. Justice Walsh
committed him for an examination to -morrow.
Cults could give no explanation OF the
matter last night. but intimated that he might
have some revelations to make.