Evening journal., 1894-12-27
A BIG SUM MISSING.
Brooklyn Experts Make a Sem
sational Discovery.
NEARLY 100000 OF COUNTY FUNDS.


IL Is Alleged That the Deficiency Has Beer
Concealed by a sharp Banking Trick
County Cashier Tormey out of Town on
visit-Treasurer Is Liable.
BROOKLYN, Dec 27-Charles Dutton
and John r. Sparrow, expert accountants,
have been spending a month or so going
over the books and papers in County
Treasurer Adams Office. Their work Is
finished, and their report has been sub.
mitted TO the supervisors committee and
will be presented TO the board Of county
fathers today
This report shows total shortage OF
$50, 649. OF this S65 $40 was found in
the accounts Of the treasurer A discrep-
ancy of s2i, 100 Is shown between the total
amounts drawn by Cashier Lawrence J.
Tormey for the payment Of jurors and tho
total accounts actually paid jurors be-
tween the years 1884 and 1898. This dis
cropancy is against Tormoy.
This report was submitted TO the com
mittee on accounts Of the county treasurer
of the board Of supervisors last Friday.
At the residence Of Mr. Tormey, 212 Dean
street, il was said that Mr. Tormoy had
been on Christmas trip out Of town
since Saturday. It was likewise insisted
| that he will DO back this morning.
Expert Accountant William Chambers
found Tormoy short about $500 in his ac.
counts FOR the year ending Aug. 1. Tho
cashier lost no time in making this amount
good.
Tormey went into Office the same year
that Treasurer Adams did-lSs2. The
discrepancies in his accounts begin, ac-
| 20. h. o..
They vary from 81, 900 to 81, 600 for each
year during period of nine years. One
OF the supervisors in speaking Of the Tor
mey shortage, said
Shortage Cannot BE Explained.
It is possible to account for the short
ngos in the treasurer's accounts ON the
theory Of carelessness and miserable meth.
ods, but for the shortage in the jurors ao-
counts there is no explanation so far as 1
can see except the worst 4"
Tormey had complete charge Of tho pay
ment OF jurors. All the lists as certified
by the judges were sent TO him. He paid
the jurymcn. He was allowed the utmost
latitude
lie would ask the treasurer or deputy
FOR the lump sum Of several hundred dol
lars usually $500, and be given a check
Tor that amount ON one Of the banks of
deposit.
At the end Of the year he made out his
statement and made it appear that the
totals received by him corresponded with
the amounts paid out on the jury lists.
These statements were never questioned
by the committees of the board of super
visors
Since Tormey went into the office about
81, 900 earned by jurors has never been ap-
piled for. Accurate account has been Kept
of this, and this was taken oognizance of
In arriving at the S24, 600 discrepancy.
Iormey has been prominent in politics for
a number Of years.
Treasurer Adams Shortage.
Tho shortages in Treasurer Adams ac-
counts began the year in which he went
into office and continue up 70 year or so
ago. Adams is under a heavy bond that
viii require him TO make the whole 500.
600 shortage good
The late Deputy Treasurer Gardner did
most Of the signing Of checks for Adams.
10 Is said that he was very lax in making
payments TO contractors and officials in
advance He also made the Office AN ac-
sommodation exchange Office for those who
wanted to send treasurers checks to Al
bany to pay state taxes Hundreds of
checks and stubs have been found made
payable mostly to strangers and simply
marked cash. - There is no record of
these in the treasurer's books
The experts have also discovered that a
systematic method has been used TO cover
up the shortages year by year when the
suporyisional committee was making its
A plan was to draw a check for S12, 900
or 1000 at the end Of the month on one
bank and deposit on the next day in an
other. The effect Of this was to get a
credit from both banks for the amount of
the check. Before the check would oct
around for collection Co the bank upon
which the draft was made the account for
the first Of the month would have been
made out The supervisional committee
never thought Of questioning the big bal
ances shown in this way.