The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-08
KEARNY'S SHAME
Grand Jury Makes a Telling
Presentment Against
Officials.
CARLESSNESS WHICH is CRIMINAL
Where Money Came From to
Help Along the Esses
Annexation Bill.
Ioe-lll MONTGOMERY ST.
Telephone, 1854 &1ss.

The April term Grand Jury was form
ally discharged by Justice Lippincott this
morning. The September term grand in
quest which will be announced by Sheriff
Mclean on Saturday, and of which David
w Lawrence will probably be foreman,
will be sworn in and charged by Justice
Lippincott on Tuesday next.
1t was 11:15 when the retiring Grand
Jury, headed by Foreman Michael J.
O'Donnen and Under Sheriff John J..
colt and Judge Blair were on the bench.
A batch Of five indictments, making
sixty-six for the term, and a presentment
were handed to the Court by. the fore
man.
Justice Lippineott asked If the Grand
Jury desired the presentment made pub
lie.
Foreman O'Donnell replied in the affir-
ative, and Clerk Gritten then read the
presentment giving the result OF the in
quiry into the financial affairs of Kear-
ney township
This is quite lengthy and begins by say
ing that until the election of 1898 the
financial affairs of the township have
been involved in the most explicable con-
fusion. 1t says that the officials hav-
ing charge of the fiscal affairs of the
township between 1891 and 1898 have either
been wholly incapable of properly per-
forming their duties or have been guilty
of a earelessness which amounts TO
almost criminal misconduct. The present.
ment then goes on to say.-sWe have
found in the manifest incompetence of
these officials a possible theory upon
which to excuse them of actual crime. but
we deem it proper, in Justice to the
people of Kearny. to make this present.
ment as the result of our inquiries, so
that the carelessnes and incapacity OF the
past may not be repeated in the future.
Nothing could be more reprehensible
han the method which prevailed in this
township of raising money by the sale
of bonds. In 1891, the treasurer of the
township took it upon himself to sell some
forty thousand dollars ts4o,0oo) worth of
bonds which at the time, bore coupons
for accrued interest amounting to S42l.gS,
for which he received over and ABOVE
their par value, the sum of Ss4.45. rms
transaction occurred on November Is, 1891,
and the interest falling due ON March
i. 1892, including the coupons which had
accrued at the date of sale, was duly paid.
Whether or not the Township Committee.
authorized this transaction (Which cost
the township about $3.50 is not apparent
of record, hut on the 24th day of Novem-
Der. 1891, six days after the sale. they
adopted a resolution in which they ap-
proved of t..
/. v. Dorland who was treasurer Of the
town from 1892 to 1896 comes In for q
sound overhauling. In speaking Of him
the presentment says
The Township Committee elected IN
1893. in compliance with the demands OF
the people of the township, employed ex-
pert accountants to make thorough M
vestigation of the townships finances.
| These accountants discovered Mr.. Dor
lands deficiency and he admitted that
their statement of it was correct to the
extent Of 81, 739.7S, which he refunded By
check to the township on January 49, 1899,
and the interest thereon, amounting to
ss5S s2. bv a second check dated on the
2lst of said last named month
The accountants insisted that MIR. Dor.
lanfs,s account still showed that he owed
fhe township balance of $2,3l41u which
had come into his hands during his PEE
rod OF office as treasurer. Thls amount
M porland could not be prevailed upon
"a make good to the township until after
we had begun an Investigation, and then,
within three weeks, s covered e. + eyer m
AS specimen Of Mr. porland : reck-
lessness lii dealing with the township :
money, we may point out the fact that
n 1894 he took part In an expedition ~
trenton. Is lobby legislation IN which he
ana the members of the then Township
fsommiftee were Interested. pure chased hf-I
ts,ss tai51 nresented es 6il for the sls 10 hls
friends of the rownslaip COMMIT tee, and W
was M paid The amount thereeE by ~