New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-27
MORE FRAUD IN BROOKLYN.
ENCLOSURES MADE IN A REPORT TO
THE CONTROLLER.
~nwARp EASEMENT. CASHIER OF THE CITY
WORKS DEPARTMENT. ARRESTED on AN IN
p1cTMENT CHARGING HIM WITH GRAND
LARCENY-HIs STATEMENT

LARCENY-HIS STATEMENT.
disclosures Of extensive swindling which had
80, nernetrated IN the former City Works Depart
went OF Brooklyn for several years. were made
yesterday in statement issued by Controller Coer
"a one man who charged with direct COM
ro,,v IN the alleged frauds was arrested and held
tar examination He Is Edward Eastment Demo
o,,c Dolitician and ofice-holder. 1t was believed
that other persons were concerned In the frauds
"a that other arrests would follow. The discovery
=, rho swindling operations was made by experts
,,,loved by Controller Coler 20 investigate the
srairs o. the former City Works Department o,
p,oosvn They previously had made discoveries
n,oh resulted in the indictment of Theodore b.
,ru,s the former Commissioner of City Works;
yyu,aro E. Philips. who has been removed recently
,,, the office Of Police Commissioner. and others
rna frauds OF which Eastment is accused embraced
n forging Of fraudulent bills for the collection of
.oxes getting them passed through the Department
e,d audited by the proper officials, securing the
uorrants for paying them. making false indorse-
,nen,s on the warrants and then getting the money
=, ,hs warrants. The names OF fictitious tax col
,o,ors we're used in some cases and some o. the
,u,o vere Cor the collection of taxes In village
which did NOT exist.
ras,ment was arrested about noon on an indict-
roent charging him with grand larceny. and ar
rslgned before Judge Aspinal in the County Court.
uhsre he pleaded not guilty lie is one Of the
democratic leaders OF the Twenty fifth Ward. and
az the time OF his at his desk in the
City Works Department. where he is cashier He
has been employed in the Department for number
OF years. and lives at No. s34 Quncyst He has
been known lieutenant OF George Glendenning.
who the Democratic leader Of the Twenty NTH
Ward and il was through Gendenning's influence
that he obtained his present place The charge
against him is that he has stolen the ctys money
since 1884, to the extent of $1,000 EASEMENT was
taken TO the Office OF the District-Attorney. and
Assistant Distrct-Attorney Clarke. Afterward Mr..
Clarke had this to say:
WHAT MR.. CLARKE SAID.
This man Eastment was chief cashier Of the City
Works Department and he had charge of receiving
money for permits. and he collected about 200
or 1880 day. To him assigned the duty OF
regulating and auditing the bills for taxes rendered
from year to year. Of property belonging to the
city OF Brooklyn and County OF Kings. outside OF
Kings County on Long Island In 1894 he seems
10 have conceived scheme OF presenting false and
fraudulent bills to the city from pretended col
lectors OF taxes who never existed. Those bills
were passed through the various departments.
audited and allowed by several officials. After the
bills reached the Controllers office Eastment would
go there. get the warrants and then indorse on
them the name Of the payee; take them back 10 his
office take from his drawer the cash necessary
TO pay them and then deposit the warrants in
lieu Of the cash. thus making his accounts appear
taken between $1,000 and 700. lie is IN
dicted for grand larceny. but there charges Of
forgery and auditing false and fraudulent bills.
A little after o'clock Eastment arraigned
in the County Court before Judge Asphalt. James
Glendenning. a brother of George Giendenning. APP
peared his counsel. and pleaded not guilty
serving the right demur 10 the indictment
make any other motion. Mr. Glendenning asked
that bail be fixed. Mr. Clarke recounted the al
legged facts to Judge Asphalt. and said that the
defendant will be indicted for forgery and for
conniving at the audit OF false bills. Bail. he add
ed. ought to be fixed at an amount large enough to
keep Eastment within reach Of the Court in any
circumstances. Mr.. Glendennng objected. saying
that the statement by Mr. Clarke was not evidence.
He asked that bail be fixed at IS 900. which amount
the defendant was ready to give. Judge Aspinan
thought 5000 sufficient. and nxed the bail at
that amount. Eastment sat down to wait for his
bondsmen and several friends hurried of 70 look
for them While he waited the defendant had this
10 say TO the reporters:
/ positively deny taking any money from the
city of Brooklyn. started an investigation three
Controller had begun an investigation I succeed
one en Richard tnderh Of one Of the Queens Coun
" school districts. to whom was paid s4S4 s. had
h hoang 10 the peparment of city Works and II
there were any irregularities they were commit MI.
ted by outsiders for whom II seems they are try
ing to make me a scapegoat
Although Mr. Glendenning said in the courtroom
that he ready to produce bondsmen FOR East
ment 10 the extent OF $500 It was o'clock before
two men satisfactory to the District -Attorney and
the Court were produced. Then the defendant was
released. The bondsmen are Jacob Deng. OF NO.
rs Red,aye iauoaT E anu
THE CONTROLLERS STATEMENT.
Controller Colers statement was in part fol-
lows:
Tho various plans adopted for extracting money
from the public treasury show the greatest variety
and Ingenuity not only in the faprCa'G ION o. caas
after the spurious claims nad been successi hn
necessitated many OF virtual and actual Tor
gerry. and stamp the perpeiIaioIs az among ,he
such methods would occur and could be carried
These plans embraced:
First-Fraudulent bills Of real officials ,u.,
Second-Raisng the amount OF bills by subsu-
tut.ng fraudulent bills for twice the amount or the
Tbjrd-Fraudulent bills of mythical collectors Of
taxes in towns, villages and school districts. some
times following closely the names or the actual COZ
Ffourth-Frsudulen, bill. Of village which never
had any existence, never had any ohcias anu never
In the Preparation OF this swindle bll-heads were
printed TOR fictitious tax-collectors, VINO proDaDy
sTjndler or swinders as careful investigation and
inquiry develop the fact that the aiegea coleJ Zee
iectors and are utterly unknown 10 the postofhce
authorities and residents OF their respective com
mun!t!ef. In edch ana every Nhs7
made after due and full audit by the city authori-
Ties az reference 20 the specific facts In each case
will show.
HOW THEY WERE STAMPED.
SAMPLES OF the Endorsements the fraudulent
bills are given in the Controllers statement TO snow
tina, the bills bore the stamp of tho CITY WORKS
Department OF Brooklyn. those bills when were
passed In the time when Alfred 7. White was com
missioner OF City Works bearing the impress OF
rubber stamp with Mr.. Whites name and those
paid In the ,ino OF Theodore b. Willis being marked
With similar stamp with the name Of Mr.. Wills
substituted. The suppostion was that me biiIs
were cashed from the receipts OF the Departmeht o!
City Works or were deposited In banks as receipts
Tor money paid 20 the swindlers The statement
says:
Experts in handwriting who have been consulted
state that not more than three or four persons nave
participated In the penDanshp part OF TINS ,s"lhde,