The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-03
tool. CLOBRIDGE In JAIL.
.,,D TO BE IMPLICATED IN TIE RE
RATE FRAUDS IN BROOKLYN

I0H
mice aud Had Charge of the Rebate De-
,.,,ment-Janitor cutss Says He Was a
r.,,paw of the One.armed Second Ohacer
-, the Fighting Fourteenth Regiment.
4. uas foreshadowed. the arrest OF John
o.I,s tho iantor OF the Board OF Elections
trildinc in Brooklyn, on Tuesday, for the
,,ouIulent collection OF S10l. 90 rebate money
dus the Nassau Land and Improvement Com
nsnr. has been followed by tho Implication OF
another city official nlllng a much moro re-
.nonsible place. Lieut. Col Seldom c. Clo-
bridge OF tho Fourteenth Regiment, n ono
armed veteran. who has been the assistant
tookkeepcr in tho tax Office since his APP
rointmcat fourteen years ago, has been ono at
lcast Of Cutts's confcderatcs. Ho was ar
rssted yesterday morning. soon after reaching
ths office. BY Detective Joseph BnCnarcllo Of
N. District Attorneys staff. In the presence
Of Tax Collector Swan and his follow clerks
with whom he had been 80 long associated.
There was much surprise in official and mill
fairy circles over the announcements OF the ar
vest OF the genial rudy faced veteran OF the
fourteenth. II had been no secret among Col.
ClabridGcs intimate acquaintances that he
had been long pinched in money matters and
that his salary Of 81 400 year failed to meet
The demands made upon him in maintaining
his social and military standing. Creditors
were constantly lowering around him and were
seen occasionally near his desk in tho tax
Office No one. however. ever questioned his
integrity. and his military friends and Repub-
lean associates In tho Twcntythird ward re-
Laricd him as n man OF honor.
Directly after his arrest. Col Clobridge was
escorted by Detective Bagnareilo to n private
.lice and questioned by the latter in the pres
,.,ft all a,tp Sxva nd n In
also OF the District Attorneys Office Col Clo-
bridge was informed that Cults had declared
that he tClobridge) had participated with him
in obtaining tho rebate duo the Nassau Land
snd Improvement Company on Feb. TO- 1901.
and had told him tCutts) how tho money could
be obtained. thus giving him the necessary In
formation to carry out the fraud. Col. Clio
bridge. on hearing this statement replied that
more than half Of it was true. but that no did
not care to go into details at present. He adj
mltted. however. that he received part Of the
money from Cults Just how much he would
not say. Collector Swan then asked Clobridge
iii was true that Cults had received alto
gether $1,000 or more OF rebate money during
his swindling operations. CloprldRe. after re-
fecting moment, replied:
L don't think it was as much as that"
Clobridge was then escorted from the office
to the Adams Street Police Court and arraiRn-
ed on q charge Of grand larceny In the second
degree. The complaint was In the form. Of an
EMPLOYING the substance Of the above CONVEX.
sation with the, accused. Clobridge pleaded
not guilty and; waving examination; was
there until 2 O'clock. when he taken to the jail.
Clobridge had special charge OF, the un-
as ne o The hf
who had been oyershareed for public i'm,
QUITS since 1851; when both Of them joined
the Fourteenth Regiment and went to the
their retuvn. Each eame back nf heate a.et
coming Captain q COMPANY IT. which POSITION
he retained until three years ago. when he re-
tired from the reeime emit owing to iii health.
Cults was brought from the Jail to the Dis
further statement for the present When he
Sn.a 81 s SbrS e The Al stsss sssssS
several years, Cults made this e1planation:.
! alone to blame for this he and wepe I'D
years ago. While was doing nothing. he CAME .m
70 me and said he would give me a chance to
He told me that he had been appointed
It was his duty to collect certain amounts that
sa h sss ~. sason
re 1t se
and collect the money. For this service was
only to receive q percentage. Col Clobrldge
whieh eams psa ali eRe
sands all 6a bhn
action. did not talk Of the matter. but be-
leyed Col Clobridee acted with due authority
came to this country when a boy. The custom
In the tax office was not to send out letters
ba se 70 Of the
o. agent can gsf the Necessary papers to
Srisina Bills have Been misiaid and cannot ts be
!S na This vas the method adopted by Cults
II wh he 9 n. m.da
[rs S I'D nis 1oi, ala a to CiobridGe
lS ss 10 far We have discovered none Tor
OF the year. made up my mind ID not
% recoCnize agents In these rebate matters,
ma = alter consulting with CORPORATION Counsel
'9 Y power Of attorney from the principals"
w9 weeks ago and at once Started an AMI in te
ration; He decided that Cults was not smart
ss to o. the G5 hnsef and
nesitated for q long time to suspect tho gallant
'ne.a armed soldier who had charge OF the de-
1artment. and placed the whole matter in the
hands Of DISTRICT Attorney Ridgway.
lien. James McLeer nnd Col. Henry w.
licheti OF the Fourteenth. who ts a soarclier
n the Tax Office. were dumiounded whom they
loard Of their comrades arrest and his subso-
ueht partial confession. IT Is rumored that
}ol Clobridge has been moro or less irregular
y his habits for somo time. and that he has
lad some financial entangleme nts. He Is a
ne looking man, and made a fine Appearance
u horsebacK at the head 81 tho Fighting Four
senth during Col Michelps absence from the
ommand
1t is probable that Col. Ciobridge would have
cen removed from the tax office long ago BIZ
'ollector Swan had he not been protected In
rs place by the law In relation to veterans
On reaching tho jail Col. Clohridge was net
laced Ia cell. but was courtsously allowed
0 remain IN the warden's. private ofilee await
lg the result OF tho Efforts OF his friends to
ecnre bail. Cults however. was locked up
Nth the common offenders. |
Ball In each case has bean placed al. $4,000
'sit her Clobridge nor Cults succeeded in Sc. |
uring 1t last night but they expect to do SO
his morning.
/