New-York tribune., 1905-06-24
HILL AGAIN ARRESTED.
MORE PADDED PAYROLLy.
PhiIadeIphias Filtration Bureau
Scandal GroScs.

Philadelphia June 23.-Much surprise ras ~
casioned to-day by the issuance Of an additional
warrant for the arrest Of John W. Fill, forrns,
chief of the filtration bureau, the charzs NJ
forgery In connection with filtration contracts.
Mr.. Hill Wednesday had hearing before
magistrate on similar charges and is now under
$4,000 bail for his appearance at court As in
the case Of the previous warrant, the affidavit
was signed by Captain Of Detectives James /
Donaghy and charges Mr. Hill. as chief Of the
Bureau of Filtration. with forgery In causing
the utterance and publication Of false records o,
work done by Daniel J. McNichol. contractor.
for the purpose Of defrauding the city. The OR
tracts in connection with which the alleged o.,
fence was committed are not specified In n.
affidavit
The warrant was served on Mr. Hill By CAP
tain Donaghy while he was in conferences WITH
Attorney Magill, his counsel in the lattsTs
office He was taken to the City Hall and ar
raigned for a hearing in the Central Police Cour.
before Magistrate Eisenbrown. AS the hearing
was about to begin. Mr. Magill. counsel for Hill
addressed the court and said:
Mr.. ]. W. Hill appears before you now for ths
second time in forty-eight hours. At the pre-
vious hearing you held him in 5000 ban fos
court. He is again here in response TO an afi-
davit, which, with the exception Of one two
words appears to be an exact copy Of the first
.
1 understand that the prosecution proposes to
press for an immediate hearing under this aa-
davit. I would ask that you allow US reasonabls
time in which to prepare. so that We may be
able to answer charge the very nature OF
which do not know and no intfmaton Of
which is in the affidavits.
Mr.. Hill is no ordinary criminal. To press for
a hearing at this time partakes OF persecution,
appeal for a continuance
In reply, Judge Gordon. for the prosecution
said
very gladly take the opportunity TO outline
the facts upon which the charges ara based 7
agree with Mr. Magill to his saying that his
client is not ordinary criminal
He is an extraordinary one-extraordinary IN
the manner in which he has continued to perpe-
trate his crimes. He deserves all Of the superia-
tives that can be applied to him. This charge ID
the same as the former one, except that II deals
with another instance. At the last hearing he
was charged with forgery under contracts Nos.
II and 49, aggregating about S3O.OS. 1 wish
now to show independently series OF forgeries
amounting to $4,000 that were brought directly
homo to Chief Hill. and TO show 1t by entirely
witnesses.
The magistrate ordered the hearing to proceed.
Charles H worman, auditor in the City Con-
troIer's office was called to the stand to produce
eleven warrants that had been paid to Con-
tractor McNichoI for work done. These war;
rants were issued upon the reports Of the assist
ant engineer in charge of the work and John
w HILL as consulting engineer. They covered
a period from March IL, 1902. to February Z,
1903, inclusive.
.It is In these payments" said the prosecuting
attorney that 1 will show frauds amounting
to the sum of $4,000, charged for excavation
over 1S feet. But will state now that in the
first two estimates Of work done there was no
charge for excavation over that limit. In ali the
others we will prove padding"
~ IT- ayT7r11fly flyra7f IN fHa
Filtration Bureau as clerk. was one of the
principal witnesses against Mr.. Hill. He testi-
fed to having discovered discrepancies in the
statements on which the warrants for the pay
ments to the contractors were issued. In one
case where the contract called for only ten cubic
yards Of excavation the report showed 67586
cubic yards excavated.
Witnesses were produced to show that IN th5
majority of reports work not done by the con-
tractor was charged for, resulting IN a loss to
the city of thousands of dollars.
At the close Of the hearing Hill was held IN
600 for the charges preferred against him this
week. William Waterfall. a manufacturer. be-
came his bOndSman. Both cases against Hill
will be returned to court at once.
There were many rumOrs afioat to-day that
as a result of the arrest Of Mr.. Hill other per-
SONY of prominence in municipal affairs will
be arrested. but up to a late hour tonight no
other arrests had been made
Mayor Weaver to-day decided on a special
session OF City Councils, to take up the matter
of city finances and to consider propositions for
the removal OF the dangerous railroad grade
crossings.
Sy,r