The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1893-11-29
HELD BACK BY BOOOy.
True Facts of the. --latest Scandal
Kept from the Public.
Contract for Building New Precinct
Station Denounced as a Job
Experts Said to Have Cut Down the
Bills Onc.Hnlf.

1t was said on good authority in
brooklyn to-day that Mayor Body is
in Il quardary aS to the best way to ac-
quaint the taxpayers with the true
facts in the last city scandal.
For this reason, 1t is said. the report
Of the two experts appointed by His
Honor to investigate the bills of con-
tractors who remodel,cd the Fourth
Precinct Station, at Myrtle aud Wander
bit avenues for Justice Haggarty's po-
lice court has been withheld from the
put lie for over week
The report made By the two experts,
p. =. Car!in. Democratic contractor. and
Wesley C. Bush, Republican, IS said on
t!e best authority to brand the work on
the court as n job. even on q liberal cs-
timrte Of the prices that should have
been pad the contractors, and cut the
charges in the bill down Just one"half
The report OF the two experts vas
handed IN - Mayor Roody ten days ago.
But although, ne. Comptroller Corwin
the Legislature to audit the bills and
remove all faint of scandal from their
face, no action has yet been taken. ,
People who know that the report OF
last Friday Mayor Body called secret
conference OF the Commission, but de-
ciared 1t adjourned until further notice,
before any action could be taken.
The Mayor, it Is said, Is so surprised
at the action of the experts in cutting
the bills down from $1,000 to about
$1,000, that he is anxious to keep the
matter quiet as long as possible.
Everybody in Brooklyn Is familiar with
the scandal OF Justice Haggerty's court.
II originated in the City Works Depart
ment.
Alderman Heaney, as Chairman OF the
Committee in charge Of the work, au-
thoriHed the City Works Commissioner
to have the old stat!on-nouse remodelled.
The contracts were let in 1891 without
bids being advertised for. When the
bills came in. amounting to between
whole business was illegal. Taxpayers
protested. but the LEGISLATURE came TO
Mayor Boody's rescue by the appointment
OF the Commission.
lCgalze the eXorbitant charges of the
contractors appointed Wesley G. Bush,
President of the Mechanics and Trad
ers' Exchange, to 30 over the work and
the work Mr.. Bush, as n Republican,
refused to act unless a Democrat were
appointed with him. p. j. Cariin, who
built the Hall OF Records and the new
Brooklyn Savings Bank, was then APP
pointed.
The experts found as soon as they be-
gan their work that the CONTRACTORS had
charged scandalous prices. They also
found that the most fragrant cases Of
fraud were in the charges made for fur
niture, carpets and stationery. They
could not act in these cases. as they
We're. only supposed to look into the
building part of the courthouse. They
however, Informed the Mayor
Mayor Body could not be seen at his
office this morning. as he left shortly
after his arrival.
one of the experts, however. admitted
when closely questioned, that the report
had been given to Mayor Body some
time ago, and that most of the bills Of
the contractors had been cut one-half.
1T is time" said Comptroller Corwin,
to an Evening World" reporter. that
We have received this report. 1t was
sent in last week, but has not as yet
been made public"
mayor Body called a meeting of the
Commission yesterday, at which the re-
port was read. think the report re-
duCes the bills of charges of the con-
tractors some $4,000. The reduction was
so extraordinary that we considered 1t
advisable to consult other persons be-
fore acting on the report. We decided
therefore to write letters TO various con-
tractors and get their views upon the
subject"
1t is said that the experts claim that
the actual cos: of the work done by the
contractors did not exceed 5000.