New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-10
BEGINNING THE TRIAL OF PIGOTT.
THE PLAN OF THE PROSECUTION OUTLINED
ROSS MERELY A FIGUEEHEAD

THE PLAN OF THE PROSECUTION OUTLINED
ROSS MERELY A FTGUREHEAD.
The completion Of the jury to try james H. Iiso.
nlan clerk of the Buildings Department. iOr 'ios
In securing the payment by the cty oi i''so ann
fraudulent bill OF $11, 400 for the reviewing S'""u
erected by the city last fall for the Coiu"'DuS p''o
occnpied four hours in the Court Of sessions Eesler
day before the trial formally 0peI'u' i"o
iurv is made up OF these men:
NJ H. Applebaum, tailor, No MyrtleaVe'' hoo'''
H. Bendall real estate, Seventh-ave. ana Nhu-s'''
Join F. Reilly, jewesr. No. go kosciuSko-sl. john
Mclaughlin brass fnisher No. 6o3 Myrue-'Ne''
Charles E. Scott plumbers supplies, No. 262 Lex
ipgton-ave: Edward A. ODDS, manufacturer, NO. sos
Presidentst; Patrick IL. Mccormack, furniture No.
o5O Fifty secondst Charles P. Gray. agent, No. Go5
DE Grawst: Thomas p. Wilkinson. manufacturer, No.
"a Herkimerst. Thomas Hayden, Inspector, No. 70
Clinton-ave. Theodore Aug. Liebler Ithosrapher
No. 46l Washngtonave.; Frank j. Hertzog, book
binder, No. 25 Han-st
Assistant DistrictAttorney John F. Clark opened
the case for the prosecution. He said the trial
WAS an extraordinary one, from the circumstances Of
the case and the wide publicity 1t had secured Inc
osensble constructor OF the reviewing stands, for
which the city paid exorbitant price, was Patrick
Ross. but he was mere fgurehead, and Plcott was
the real contractor. lie was the plan clerk in the
Buildings Department Of the city, and could not legally
enter into any contract with the city according 10
BY Ross an old man In humble circumstances. The
actual cost OF the work $3, j62 90, and the bill
was $ll 400 representing enormous profits for
one. The amount paid to PigOt personally
s., 800, and the remaining 5000 went 10 some one
else. After the stands used the lumber
sold by Ifgott for $500 and the city got return
OF this Pigott paid the expenses for the con
structiOn of the stands by his personal checks. and
the dealers who supplied the materials did not hear
G Ross in the matter. When the city paid the bill
the money did not go TO Ross but to Fsott, and was
deposited in trust company by him. 1t would be
shown that Pgott guilty of felony in presenting
fraudulent bill TO the city, when a city official
he had right to enter into contract with the city,
CITY Auditor Weber the first witness and testi.
fed that the bill put in by T.. Ross had been audited
by Deputy Auditor Cornell Deputy Controller HUI
bert l.. Smith testified that for 81 400 were
TO pay the audited bill OF Ross no contract
for the work was filed in the Controllers Office as
the law required.
Alexander G. snyder, Of the lumber firm OF Ross
snyder, Of Thrd-ave. and Unionst., was the chief
witness called yesterday. His partner Is in no way
related 10 the Ross who figured in the fraudulent
bills. Mr.. Snyder gave evidence II regard TO the
lumber supplied for the stands. lie heard that Pico
wanted the lumber for the stands and went TO the
buildings Department and him. PgOtt ordered
about 10000 feet of spruce lumber Of all sizes and
BY check. =. Ross he never or heard Of
IN the transaction. The crOSs-examination of the
witness ELECTED nothing OF importance. The trial
will be continued to-day