The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-11
REFORM IN new ARK.
City Department Tainted With
Frauds - Nice Rev
Citations.
Special to the Jersey Cftu Neaps.

NEWARK, Oct. IL, 1895.-Mayor Leb-
kuecher yesterday confirmed the rumors
current on the street that some one
connected with the Street Department
had been charged with malfeasance IN
office. He admitted hat charges had
been presented to him, and that he had
ordered an Investigation, as he always
does in such matters.
"At present. he added, 81 do not feel
that the matter should be made public.
but when it is thoroughly investigated
the press will be placed in possession OF
all the facts in the case"
Instead of one official being accused.
it is said there are many, and the direct
charge made against the suspected ones
is conspiracy to defraud the city. AT
present it is intimated that hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of dollars have been
stolen, and it was all done through a
conspiracy Matched by some of the en-
ployes in the night street cleaning divis-
ion of the Street Department.
The investigation up to the present
time has disclosed the fact that the pill
fering charged has covered a period OF,
perhaps, a year. and arrests may be or
dered at any moment.
The scheme showed deliberation, and
to be successful it had to have the col
fusion of owners of teams engaged by
the day to operate the machine sweep
ers, it is claimed. They will be prose-
cuted if guilty, as we'll as the regular Of
fcials who are suspected of having con-
ceived the plot. The method followed
was so simple that wonder is expressed
that it was not discovered earlier.
CONSPIRACY CHARGED.
All OF the principal paved streets are
cleaned at night with machine sweep
ers. The city owns the machines, and
the men who are hired to operate them
drive to the city stables with a wagon
which they use later to carry the dirt
way from the streets. For doing that
the cartmen are paid at the rate OF fifty
cents a load.
foremen or other officials have entered
into a conspiracy with the cartmen 70
credit them with work not performed
and give checks for many LOADS OIL alrs
not carted away at all.
driver would tax away one load OF arr,
dump it on another part OF the street, re-
and receive another check. and repeat
the practice until six, eight or ten
checks, for which the city Wouid pay
the holder fifty cents each, mad peeh Cd
tanned.
Along with being paid for work never
performed, the conspirators IN some II
stances would fill their wagons at one
point on the street, drive away a snort
distance. dump it. and then MI the
WACO again with the dirt they had
previously dumped. "a
The amount of money Iost py the clay
in this manner is not and possibly never
will be KNOWN, but it is said to be very
large. inasmuch as the stealings cover
a period of more than a year.
evidence to that effect has been obtained
and the practice is supposed to ave
originated with some of the employees OF
the last appointive Board OF y NO Morx Smart
ment are E. F. Mccormack, Assistant
Street Commissioner; A. NJ. Gray, super
intendent of S%weepers;. W. F. McCon-
ichie. Timekeeper, and the following
Grsv George Garfield, John Ashman,
Alfred Duerr. Patrick J. Byron, John
NJ. Vogel, Charles Dehmer and Gilbert
All of the mel mentioned are not
'iNa FRAUDS DIsCoyERED &
not by any means a new one, for an an
Investigation was in progress, on the
same subject about four months agq;
board was called to the subject again
and on that occasion an INVESTIGATION
was held without anything wrong pelng
disclosed. On tDOLu liOoC
individuals were accused and a general
conspiracy was not suspected. Since the
investigation a close watch has been
maintained and it resulted in the present
disclosures. All the suspected officials are
said to be a~ppointeeS of the old Doard,
and this led Commissioners Van Duyne
and Joralenon to take an especial M
terest in the Investigation.
The charges were informally MADE az a
secret meeting of the board held after the
meeting of the Street Committee on
Tueeday. President Van Duyne was depu-
tized on that occasion to more thoroughly
investigate the charges, and he did SO
yesterday morning with City Counsel
Riker's aid.
General Superintendent Munday. Super
intendnt Gray, Timekeeper McConlch1e
and several foremen were carefully eX-
mine and the finding of the investiga-
ton was submitted to the Board of
Works yesterday.
In this department the officials who
superintend the workmen and issue
checks for work performed, also act as
paymasters. Money for the department
is drawn in one warrant, no matter how
| many employees may be on the payroll,
and if is presumed the amount to be
| withheld from the money obtained by
collision is deducted when individual pay
| ment is made. A law passed by the
last Legislature required Individual pay
! too much work and by advice of City
Counsel Riker the Mayor has issued
| gross warrants for the salaries in the
Street Cleaning Department. Unde the
| law. it is held, no salaries can be law
fully paid except on individual warrants
signed by the Mayor. City Auditor and
president or clerk Of the Board of