New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-04
A TAMMANY BID FOR VOTES.
THE MAYOR RAISES A CRY OF FRAUD IN
MAYOR sTRoNGs ADMINISTRATION.
HE CALLS IN REPORTERS AND COLONEL GARD
INER hTD THEArRIcALLY ANNOUNCES HIS
ALLEGED DIscovERIEs-THE DIS
TRTCT-ATTORNEYs SOL

EMN" RESPONSE.

Ing the power OF the law TO punish the guilty,
Mayor Van wych yesterday made proclamation
that he thought he had discovered frauds in the
former Department % Public Works OF the city.
He had received from his Commissioners OF Ac-
counts report long enough to condemn the entire
administration Of Mayor Strong II the number OF
words were considered but the report contained no
statements Of facts which seemed justify nd.ct-
rlents Tammany politicians about the City Hall
did not appear to feel much horror account OF
the revelations Which had been made By the Mayor
or which might be made after District Attorney
Gardiner got through with an Investigation. How
ever. they did seem to think that It was good poll
tics just now to raise cry Of fraud In Mayor
strong's administration, without making direct
charges against any Official OF that admnistra ton.
Ii was after p. m. yesterday when the Mayor
sent word to the reporters the City Hall that he
had something Of Importance TO communicate. and
when they rushed into his Office they found him
ready with speech to deliver to District-Attorney
Asa Bird Gardiner. who was present with an air Of
meekness to receive H.
WITH MUCH sOLEMNTTY.
When the reporters ready with sharpened
pencils and fresh writing pads the Mayor. address
ing the Disirict-Attorney said with much solemnity
Mr.. District-Attorney Five months ago-last
May-i discovered what / considered a scheme TO
ments. and | discovered enough make me
clude in my own mind that there Infamous
money then called TO my aid The Commissioners
Of Accounts, and left this matter in the hands OF
known since I was a boy and in whom have
absolute confidence. He has. after months Of dill
sands Of warrants made a report 10 me today
when refers TO special reports which cannot Dc
made puzzle now which leads me 10 believe that
the old Department of Public Works entirely
honeycombed Wth fraud, and. as ne present Mayor
up this combination II I drive guilty people to the
penenthry to DO II. want you 10 take this re-
end, and think there Ia enough evidence there 10
make some people who now stand high In tho com
state penltentiary. turn this report into your
hands and also the spefai rsports and desire YOU
steps as the evidence which may to you just-
hes. want you 10 pursue the guilty parties until
justice Is meted out, and this you must do whether
they a part Of the past administration or are
Of the present administration
COLONEL GARDINER ACTS HIS PART
with an air OF seriousness having no suggestion
OF the jaunty manner in which he pronounced the
to-he-with-reform' Tamnany policy last fall
Colonel Gardiner replied:
When you sent for me few minutes ago I did
not OF course. know your object. When I was
offered the nomination for District-Attorney I
pledged myself administer the office in the in
terests Of the people and in the interest OF good
government; and you may remember. you were
present the Hoffman House when the committee
notified me OF the nomination. ] again repeated
those words to that committee. and propose to
carry them out now. and don't care who the
party may be. If find he has defrauded this be-
loved city OF ours his political associations will
have nothing to do with It: ! will pursue him to
the Grand Jury The Observation-Disclosures office will
do It's full duty In the premises will carefully
examine these entire papers, and give my undi-
vided attention TO the matter.
The vouminous report of the Commissioners Of
Accounts contains list of the officials of the De-
partment OF Public Works during Mayor Strong's
administration. the records Of the Commissioners
and Deputy Commissioners being given follows:
COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC WORKS
William Brookfeld appointed February IL. 1895
resigned November 80. 1s05; Charles H. T. Coils,
a l!5s December l''' resigned December 3d.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC WORKS
Charles H. T. Coils. appointed February 49, 1895.
resigned December |. 1893; Adelbert II, steele APP
pointed by Coils December 2. 1870. resigned March
81 1895: Toward Payson Wids. appointed by Coils
April 1. 1893. 10 January l, 1888.
The list of officials includes the former consult
ing engineers Stevenson Towle Edward p. North.
Wilson Vance and Henry Dlmse; Charles W. Bar
ney, the former water purveyor. and his clerk.
John McManus John c. Graham. the former super
intendent of repairs and supplies; C. w. Birdsall
the present chief engineer Of the Aqueduct. and
Columbus O. Johnson the former water register.
The most serious charge found In the report Is
that the books OF the Department were kept in a
careless and faulty manner. The portion OF the
renort dealing with that subject is as follows:
The hooks and records Of the Department of Pub
Nc Works during 1885, 1896 and 1897 care
iesslv kept full OF Inaccuracies and omissions
MANY not fully written UP; IN fact, we're In such
condition that only by the most persistent scrutiny
could any accurate Information be obtained from
them. ,,, -,
As an illustration 10 show the condition Of the
hooks we refer the receipts and expenditures
embodied in this report the preceding page under
the heading Of Fund Accounts, which show as
follows:
Total receipts 1including balance January - -
1889
Total expenditures .'.''.'''.''''.'''' iio'''o- -
Unexpended balance ..............,... soosss4I 10
The Department books show unexpended bal
nee nj e. 377 500 0S whereas, II. shown above.
The total expenditures subtracted from the total
receipts the balance should he S,0ssSf 49,
The Department books. therefore show an unex-
pended balance OF S2s9o44 So more than there ac-
tually should be- .,
great harm can result from this careless bookkeep-
ing but II goes far TO show the carelessness and
mtfcr Indifference with which this Department was
conducted.
WITNESSES SUBPGNAED
In order 10 arrive at the proper unexpended ball
ance Of this department. we subppnaed witnesses.
and found that the bookkeeper who held the place
Last wear and who had charge of the appropria-
ION and fund ledgers. acknowledged that he neg
iected 10 credit the fund account for certain spe-
clfc amounts and gave as an excuse that he did
,ust the same as his predecessor had done
Another subject of which you fully aware.
and which touches the manner OF keeping the