The sun., 1899-02-02
JAMES KANE INDICTED.
SEWER BOSS HIULED UP FOR PASS
ING ENCESSITE BILLS

He Gave Contracts for Cleaning Sewer Bn-
sins to Cunningham at S4.T5 Each With
out AdVertising-The same Work Was
Formerly Done FOR St.IO-BRii $1,000,
James Kane. Commissioner of Sewers, was in
dicted by the Kings county Grand Jury yester-
day for awarding q contract to George Cunning
ham for cleaning the sewer basins in Brooklyn
without advertising for bids, for violating and
evadng the law prescribing his duties as
public official and for approving hills agRre-
eating $4,000. knowing them to be excessive,
and with intent to commit Il fraud on the city
of New York Commissioner Kane was noti-
fled that an indictment had been found against
him, and he appeared before Judge Aspinall Ia
the County Court in the afternoon, acconi-
panied bv his counsel James p. Judge, and
james Dunno, former keeper of the City Hall.
LAWYER Judge waived the reading Of the in
dictmcnt and asked for an adjournment until
TUESDAY Assistant District Attorney Van
Cott objected 10 this delay, Judge Aspinall
said that as Commissioner Kane was public
official no harm could come from granting the
delay asked for. lie set down Tuesday rs the
day for Commissioner Kane TO plead to the in
dlctment Assistant District Attorney Van
Cot. suggested that the bail be $1,000 This
was satisfactory to Lawyer Judge and James
Dunno signed the bond. The indictment 10
for misdemeanor and ie punishable by not
more than one years Imprisonment, or fine.
or both.
Commissioner Kane wQs summoned before
Supreme Court Justice Maddox Ia BROOKLYN
last summer in taxpayers action to explain
why he had given Il contract To George 'un-
each. when in 1876 and 1896 William II. Bel
payers who anneared in this action we're HI
ram Il, Steele, J; Hnmpdcn poyGhcrty. James
rl!l, all members, Of the BROOKLYN League.
They rontendcd that the price paid by Com
tant. Commissioner Kane held that the sew.
ctS needed cleaning and that it was case OF
emcrg 'ncy. and he had granted the contract
under the emergency clause in the charter
There are 400 sewer bnsins in BROOKLYN. II
Is said that C@ontract9r @ Cunninghams bill:
mn6n 6s %amoHntG AMOUNT D' to s'S only " sG660 % Follow %
ING the, examination belQre-Supreme Court
Justice Maddox, the Brooklyn League, notified
Comptroller ,CoIer that If hc. pat the bills
in di?Tpntc he would be held: pcrssoqally re-
sponsibc. When the hl came before him
District Attorney Sieclc. who was one Of tho
RESIGNED ] % from The ro"kyn @ a TcsgSe ey "H''H lew
days before the close "f tho wear. LAWYER
Judge, in discussing the ease YESTERDAY. said
Grand Jury in order to satisfy the unre asun-
able demands of his former associates in the
The Indictment cannot stand" he said
because it is founded upop sections Of the
;ention OF Commissioned Kane to demand a
speedy trial in order that the matter NAV he
NlSlOSed OF ana the Tom missioner placed IN
true lignt before the public
Commissioner Name has lived in Brooklyn
for over fifty wears and has always been prom
inent in democratic nolitics. He is the DEM
| ocraic leader in the Third Assembly district.
He represented the Sixth. ward in the Board
Of Aldermen for Years and was elected Regis
TOR of Kings county in 1872.
District Attorney. Steele announced yester-
day that the trial Of \ L. Jensen would "Cin
on Feb. n. The case was Yesterday removed
from the County Court and the trial will he be-
| fore supreme Court Justice jerks. Jensen
WAS clerk in the office Of t"mptioller George
W. Palmer and is under indictment Tor TAX
ing an unlawful lee for performing an Official
act II is alleged that ho accepted IA reward
OF $1,000 IRON Cont trn"tor Daniel noody Tor
Fastening for payment the latter's bills against
the. city for nnG in Fast New York avenue
with earth.