New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-02
BROOKLYN NEWS.
INDICTMENT AGAINST KAN T.
SEWER COMMISSIONER CHARGED WITH
PRESENTING FALSE BILLS.
THE ACTION THE RESULT or CONTRACTS FOR
CLEANING BASINS WHICH WERE LET


THE ACTION THE RESULT or CONTRACTS FOR
CLEANING BASINS WHICH WE'RE LET
TO GEORGE cUNNrNGHAM
James Kane Commissioner OF Sewers Of the City
OF New-York. and Of the best-known Demo-
Gratis in the Borough Of Brooklyn was indicted yes
terday By the Kings County Grand Jury on =
charge Of presenting false and fraudulent bills Tor
cleaning sewer basins in the Borough OF Brcok.
Ign Rumors % his indictment have been heard
for several weeks about the county buildings
Commissioner Kane appeared before Judge As
pnau, IN the County Court a. Fla Clock anu
gave himself up. He accompanied by MS
counsel John C. Judge and his bondsmah. James
Dunn OF No 81 Clnton-st., former keeper OF the
CITY Hall IN Brooklyn. A. soon as Kane presented
himself Assistant Dlstrict-Attorney Van Cott ap-
peared a. the representative Of the Dstrct-Attor-
news Office Judge Asp!nall asked whether the
Indictment was for felony or a misdemeanor and
Mr. Van Colt SAID T. was FOR misdemeanor
Ny Judge asked until February :, and this was
granted Bail was fixed in 5000. The punishment
which will be meted out to Kane. II he Is con-
v!cted may be Imprisonment IN the penltenuary
for q year and fine
Kane awarded % George Cunningham. a con-
tractor and a felow-Democrat, contract Tor
cleaning sewer basins. The paid was consid-
cred an outrageous price. and the AFFAIR was ireeiy
ventilated az the time. Cunningham received - %
each Tor cleaning the basins. while under me
Wurster administration Cunningham voluntarily
bid FOR the same work promising 10 clean them
Tor 81 Is. II IL charged that the sum OF - 20 IS
grossly I'm excess Of the proper price, and that
Kane let the contract his friend without adver-
Using Tor bids as the law directs. and without au-
thorlty from the Municipal Assembly and the Board
OF Public improvements.
The fourth count OF the Indictment charges that
Kane approved bills OF Cunningham amounting 10
s go knowing them 10 be excessive. and intending
TO defraud the city Of Network when he did SO.
The Brooklyn League. made up Of non-partisan
pubic-spirlted citizens. first brought the matter 10
public notice last summer and District-AtIorney
Marean's attention was called to the matter at mat
time
There are more than seven thousand sewer basins
in the Borough Of Brooklyn and the contract ca''s
for cleaning them three times a year. II does not
require much figuring to show that there was an an
Il Cunningham received - . for Work mat was
=, G'1 Irv fook I'D the investigation of the
case or Tuesday afternoon. and commissioner haNe
was summoned TO appear before IT, 49, -. ..,.o-
hasin Nv Work reas hed Controller Coler last summer
ne mace ar immediate Investigations and man
hv the Controller ever since and cunning am nov
alleges that tae city owes nearly S-0'W TO III" 'O'
ivhen controller Coe- was asked recently 81 he
BEN div audited 6y Kane he said that ne did
not ami was surprised that they mad ever pen
ham 10 bring su, ana collect in that way but that
the II rfer lad declined ,,. -. 80 .
Commi7sorer Kane alleges In his behalf that me
work or cleaning rhe sever ba sins was done unoeI
80 sr7e-gercv clause OF the charter. ana t1at ne
was Justified in giving out the work as ne cla -,
James Kane is orc ~ Iiusn " -ausnIn ni,.,
mate friends and while James McCiarry was 4tiI =
Vas ono ~ The Big -Four with M'Garry. JONI
Da-rnar and Michael j. corey. He has served "a
Alderman from the Sixth Ward. and served TWO
years as County Register .-.,o-
When Frank Gallagher the young newsps Pc
man Va nominated three years ago Tor oenalO
a. .1o rTrd Di-fri~t Kane who then out 81
,e7.e vra1re5 rlo place ard last fall he had Ca
laghc- burned dow" by The district Leaders H rsee
ie shout ef-v-hve years old and Ives a. No, ls'
conrress-s- In the Sixth Ward on ne sane DOS "
win Edward VI. Shepard and FREDERICK w hin
-ichs