New-York tribune., 1903-01-28

Tax swindles whereby the city has been
defrauded Of large sums of money, perhaps
mounting up into millions, by an organized
gang Of conspirators, were disclosed yesterday.
Four men. one of whom District Attorney
Jerome says is the ruling spirit of the con-
spirstors, were arrested suddenly, and, taken
directly from their operations, hailed be-
fore Justice OlEsted, sitting in Special Ses-
sions where they were charged with attempted
subor1lation of perjury"
The whole moved with thunderbolt sud
denness and speed. At midnight on Monday
the District Attorney gained his first informa-
tion; yesterday afternoon the alleged principals
had been arrested, arraigned and committed Tor
eXamir alton al p m. to-day. There are nn-
doHbtedly others in the organization, Mr.
Jerome says but he inclined TO doubt that
the prisoners had confederates connected with
the Department of Taxes. He said that un-
doubtedly the operations went back OF TINS
year He was not prepared to say how much
money was involved although he gave one in
stance in which an assessment of S2oo.ooo was
entirely wiped out greatly reduced
COMMISSIONERS DID NOT KNOW OF 1T
President Wells of the Department of Taxes
and Assessment and his fellow commissioners
were asked if they knew anything about the
arrests They said that they knew nothing about
them and that they had not instgated them
The men when arraigned before Justice Ohm
sted. declared individually and through counsel
their innocence protesting that they had been
arraigned Illegally, and asking for an immediate
hearing. They said they were:
PHILIP BAER. thirty-four years old, librarian
in the City Clerks office, of No 64 West
One-hund dred-and-tw -twenty-sev
WALTER P SAWYER, thirty years old, a
bookkeeper OF No. 162 West SiXty-siXth-st.
MOSES P. and NATHAN SPRINGER, brothers,
Of No. 80 West One-hundred-and-nine-
teenth-st.
The proceedings before Justice Olnsted moved
rapidly. An affidavit by County Detective Secor
was read, charging that the four prisoners act
ing in concert did feloniously, wilfully and cor
ruptIy attempt to persuade and induce me tc
commit the crime of perjury, md in doing
did violate Section 105 of the Penal Code. That
all Of said persons, each aiding and associating
with the others in said crime, did w-ilfully,
ruptly and feloniously attempt, persuade and
induce me to personate one Monroe B. Bryant in
violation of the statutes in such cases made and
provided" Continuing, it told how the detec-
tive went before the tax commissioners and
reduced his personal taxes from $4,000 to
$4,000
w r. Spooner,' counsel for Baer. and George
Simpson, who appeared for the Springers, pro-
tested against the proceedings and asked for
immediate hearing. Justice OImsted, after
somewhat sharp argument, fixed the hearing for
! p m to-day The men were then committed
When searched great rolls of bills were found in
possession Of the Springer brothers
District Attorney Jerome asked that bail be
fixed at $1,000 for Baer. $4,000 each for the
Springer brothers, and 81, 900 for Sawyer. This
done.
Max Grifenhagen- of No 249 Tenth-ave 2
manufacturer Of bottles, furnished bail for
Baer. but the other three prisoners were locked
up in the Tombs for the night
THEY APPROACHED RICH MEN.
The plan Of operations was simple.
wealthy man would be approached with a pro-
posal 10 reduce his taxes, the consideration
usually being half of the amount saved There
was nothing criminal, District Attorney Jeron7a
said. in a mans taking advantage of this
offer IT was as legitimate as for him to hire a
lawyer to effect reduction of the taxes Where
me prisoners violated the law was in falsely
IeFresentlng themselves or causing other persons
10 represent themselves, as the persons taxed
appended is the form of affidavit which must
accompany all schedules of personal propertv
the hrst clause Of which the prisoners are
charged with violating:
son 70 whom the within notice is addressede ~
t., ~ Looxe IS q true statement personal |
tslate on the second Monday of January, 80
llen mao no personal property not diScloSeCi
Ie SaIu statement. except bank stock or stocl 90
a - uoIs: that there is included in the
cr incurred in the purchase Of non-taxa HE
- Ife2 py -- or held for -- benefit nor for fy