The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-23

That Is, in the eleven years that had
elapsed since Odell secured complete CON
troll of the county machine in 1892 the
Sheriff's yearly bill had about doubled in
lation Of the county did not exceed Is per
cent. The smallest bills on the averag e
for any Sherif's term were. presented by
Sheriff Beakes, who was on the outs with
Boss Odell because at convention time
he refused to retire from the candidacy in
favor Of 0dell's brother, Hike, the present
postmaster of NewburEh, who had decided
that he wanted the job. The annual report
wear 1902 showed that there were ,343
prisoners consigned to the Sheriff OF Orange
county in that year, that number being
exceeded by only seven counties in the
Be- State, nearly every one OF which had a
population at least twice as large a. that
of Orange, and the ffty-,hree remaining
Counties many Of them with much larger
population than Orange, had totals of
prisoners for the year less by several hun
bred than the number committed to the
jails in the Governor-ChaiT1nan' county.
In the light of these facts the Democratic
minority in the Board of Supervisors was
moved TO act, this resolution being intro
duced:
Resoired, That, all bills received by this
board from the County Clerk. sheriff. Surro-
Tie Poor. coropsrs and ali biils tEom What
lied and printed in the annual proceedings
Of the board i"
The resolution was voted down, Senator
Supervisor Goodsell, the Governor-Chair-
mans personal representative CT the board
leading the machine opposition "a. the
measure Later another resolution of like
content was introduced, but it, too,perished
at the hands of the Odell henchmen.
Then appears in the proceedings. Of the
board this resolution. introduced by Mr..
Coldwell of NewburFh, a Republican de-
Il.I l,-,N sf,-a No hou al
maintained his self-resrect and on occa-
sions refused to take orders from the Odell
machine"
Resolred. That this board request the sena,.
tor (GoodselD and the Assemblymen !Beden
duce bill in the Legislature. of this State
making the office OF Sheriff and County Clerk
saltried Offices. the same to take effect at the
expiration Of term Of the present incumbents.
The machine men were surprised and dis
pleased. The Offices referred to had al
ways paid fees to the incumbents, and good
fat fees at that In the light of the pub
several OF. the Odell Republicans hesitated
to put themselves on record against the
measure. The resolution was carried, vote,
IS to 10. The report of the proceedings
contains this supplementary note
Not voting, Goodsell and the chair
man."
With the passage of the resolution a
measure of economy seemed certain of
adoption. What happened? Nothing until
April, 1908, six months after the resolu-
ton had been passed, and then Senator
Supervisor Goodsell, Governor-C Hartman
Odell's representative on the board, told
the board that he and the other represent
atives OF the county in the Legislature
as they had been formally instructed to do
"Mr. Goodsell" says the report Of the
boards proceedings, written by Odell's
machine clerk, found 1t would be difficult
AANS- d. 4l,Ntts IaHA IL l.a
did not care to take the resp onsibiity of
presenting a bill of this character unless
the amount of salary was named in the bill
and other matters" Senator Goodsell
representatives at Albany didn't know
Just how such a bill should be framed,
and the board accepted the explanation.
At the time when the Senat Supervisor
confessed his inability and the. inability
of the other representatives of the county
in the Legislature to draw proper bill
to be introduced at Albany the Legislature
was about to adjourn and the passage OF
bill in that session was impossible.
Comparing the bills presented by the
for the preceding three years with the
average incomes Of the Sheriff and County
Clerk in other counties, 1t was estimated
that the failure of Goodsell, Bedell and
Orr to carry out the instruction OF the
board will cost the county Just about 600,
as no change can be made in the manner
OF paying the county officers during their
term Of Office. Both Goodsell and Bedell
are up for reelection this fall. AS Good
sell is member of the Governor Chair
mans railroad committee in the Senate
30 Bedell is member of Odell's railroad
committee in the Assembly and chairman
of the committee.
Before Senator-Supervisor Goodsell told
the board that he hadn't done what he had
been instructed to do, resolution had
been passed under pressure imposed by
publicity which said that 1T had come
10 the knowledge Of members Of the board
that a great number Of arrests are made
Of alleged tramps In different places in
the county and that itappears that some
Of these prisoners ere unjustly held for
long time without sufficient cause and
authorizing the appointment OF COM
mittee 20 Enquire into the matter and re-
port TO this board, who Is responsible for
this seeming abuse Of power and the mis-
carriage Of Justice and this useless expense
TO the county"
The chairman of the board appointe
committee OF three, ono Of whom was
Senator Supervisor Goodse,l, Odell's bench
man He refused TO eerve, az slso did the
two others nsne6. Finally, corrmittee
composed Of Col. Charles II. Weygant, n
former Mayor Of Newburgh and an indie