New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-06
MORE TAMMANY FRAUDS
CITY ROBBED THROEGH HUN
DREDS or DTHlIIES.
ACCOUNTS COMMISSIONER SAID TO RE
DRAWING THE MESHES ABOUT OLD
HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT
FOREMEN

What appear 70 be glaring frauds IN the old
Highways Department under the Tammany ad-
ministraton have been discovered by the ex-
amners in the Accounts Department Several
hundred fraudulent names were carried on the
payrolls. II is alleged while the money for the
dummies went to foremen. who regularly cashed
the fictitious laborers checks. Nothing has been
turned up TO connect James T. Keating, ex-Corn-
missioner Of Highways. with the Irregularities
The stealing appears TO have been done by GER
tain foremer. whose accounts were certified
without proper Investigation.
For several weeks the Accounts Department
has been examining the books of the old High
ways Department When Borough President
Cantor took charge Of the books he placed them
under seal. that no alterations could possibly
he made bv any one interested. The story that
frauds We're being uucoye yered by the Accounts
Department came from Borough President Haf
ten's friends I'm The Bronx YESTERDAY. The old
= Highways Department books contained lot Of
data pertaining 10 the Borough Of The Bronx,
and President Haffen has been trying 70 get
these books for the last three weeks. He has
met refusal each time, it is said. for the reason.
confdentiaiIy stated. that the Commissioners OF
Accounts were finding lot OF cooked work anT
that It was necessary for them to retain the
books for an indefinite period
When Borough President Cantor was asked
last night about the alleged frauds he said
OF course. I was aware Of the retention Of the
books by the Commissioners OF Accounts. and
] cannot say that II is news 10 mo that gross
irregularities have been discovered. I don't
care to discuss the matter at all. because Mayor
Low at the proper time will doubtless make
public whatever the Commissioners Of Accounts
have discovered. I would not he surprised at
anything discovered in the old departments. |
have cut down the payrolls in my department
more than 100000, and still they are only just
within the appropriation. This proves to my
mind that the old Board Of Estimate and Ap-
portionment made up its budget knowing that ~
had not appropriated enough money TO pay the
salaries of the men left on the rolls. The mem
hers OF the board were aware that under the
charter they could revise the budget. no matter
what they placed the figures ar at first. II
Tammany had won the revised budget would
have been upward Of S105 0o000u instead Of
S9S.OO0,Oo0.
Mayor Low not at the city Hall yester-
day afternoon. and William Hepburn Russell
senior Commissioner of Accounts Is out Of town.
No verfcaton Of the report that frauds lad
been discovered could he obtained at the Ac-
counts Department.
The scheme of placing dummies on pa ayrolls
is one Of the odtime lodges in Tammany Hail
and all along there has been a suspicion that
the scheme was worked extensively under Mayor
Van Wyck's administration IN the discoveries
now being made II seems that The names of
laborers were regularly forged by some one and
that the money paid on laborers' vouchers went
10 men who never existed at all. This phase Of
the case is the one that is engaging rhe 1-ten-
ton Of the Commissioners Of Accounts a. this
time II was said last night that not only we're
some Of the best examiners in the Accounts De
partment working on the case but that regu-
lar detective assigned 70 the frauds had found
that some Of the foremen carried scores Of
dummies on their payrolls without going to the
trouble of having any one report for duty under
their names. II this turns out 10 be true he
frauds will he turned over 10 the District At
tornev for further investigation.
Ex- Commissioner Keating is ont of town. and
will not return Till March II