New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-27
SEWER CASE OPENS.
District attorney Clarke Tells of
UethOds of COnspirators.

Declaring that the city had lost S31S981O through
a single sewer conspiracy. District Attorney John
r Clarke Of Kings County began yesterday the
prosecution Of the alleged OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
o. Miles lawyer of Brooklyn; Martin ]. Nc
NIahon, chief Of the Bureau OF Claims in the Con-
trouers office; John b. Scanlon, an inspector con-
nected with the bureau; Daniel Casey. a former
deputy sheriff; Frank N. Wandeu jr, and Charles
N. Wells, clerks in Miles's Office. The case came
up In Part Of tho County Court, before Judge
Frederick z, Crane.
E1l-Dstrict Attorney Frank Brundage Of Buffalo,
will conduct tho case for Miles. Wells, Casey and
Wandeu. Mcmahon and SCanlon viii be defended
by Luke D. Stapleton. Controller Metz was present
as a witness for Miles. District Attorney Clarke
and Assistant District Attorney Elder are conduct
ing the prosecution.
After jury had been obtained District Attorney
Clarke opened the case. saying in part;
In the last two years these eonsPirat3ogT,s have
rooLed IlS Sl 5z u ~ FrsTIIsDt - ses
upo1 which he brought action against the city
to take the cases upon the consideration that no
should receive 80 per cent OF the amount gIanIgG IN
an blank pieces Of paper without dates, fixed sums
or afHdavits Those things were attended 70 after
the blanks containing the 5sh4tures MeIF olGusI.J
back 70 Miles's office Then they, Were hNs9 anu h
amounts we're settled on. Next. Wandell or Wells
signed them as notaFleS anu as f b S
After the blanks had undergone this transform
ton they were forwarded to Mcdahon IN the Con-
troIlcr'z' Office. and he showed them through. It
parent discrepancies and 10 instruct the inspectors
whom he sent to investigate the cases TO make big
all0wances one OF his chief duties was to shut
out claims presented on NIles's cases by other
lawyers. Inspector Scanlon was MS nsht mana
There are certain districts OF the city which are
sewers The city is liable for the damages re-
NIilCs's runners secured most OF their cases in
these districts. As a rule. the claims arising in
have paid Miles to have handled them If he had
not padded them.
and ignorant and chleny LorelgHers- 10 make the
securing of claims easier, Niles Aad ltaIan runners
I'm the Italian districts. Jewish runners IN the Jew
ish districts Irish runners IN the IrSlL districts,
and Americans attended 10 the rest lhen there
were various self-consututed runners. who sold the
claims that they were able 20 PICK up 20 Miles for
81 each The claims imply dumped into his
ONCE like junk-uugation at so much pound.
blanks and with contract slips giving Miles cents
each dollar that he was able TO collect Then
they would out for claims one. for instance.
would 20 TO an italian shoemaker. The shoemake-
would have a little basement, with, eighteen or
twenty pairs OF second hand shoes and "a few rusty
tools in a corner, and a shakedown in another.
s. Miles turned i'm a bin for S352S 26 The 26 cents
I-5rticII5Ts T;besS bius were Uresentei 10 the
copied OF in their own hands for delivery 10 the
lhsPeGtors when Jhey came ar9une me Soir
the claimants had lived at the addresses given only
a. few months. children often signed the com
were again and again forged 20 the complaints.
In one of Mnes's cases. an old dress and q broken
this ind involved these crimes The pres
entation or false claims against the city, grand
and conspiracy. II is only on the last OF these that
we have decided 70 base our prosecution.
The trial will be continued to-day. Clarke will
then introduce his witnesses