The sun., 1906-12-31
CROOKED TAX CLERKOWNEDUP
NAMED THE REALTY CONCERN
THAT BRIBED HIM WITH $500.
Discovery OF False Entries In the Bronx
Bureau Due 10 am Accident -Boof-
keeping Methods Have Got 10 Ne
MOdernizeti, says the Comptroller.


keeping Methods Have Got 10 Bc
MOdernizc says the Comptroller.
1t looks as If reform in the city's book
keeping will be the result Of the falsified
real estate entries that have been discov-
cred in the Bronx Office OF the Bureau for the
Collection Of Assessments and Arrears.
Comptroller Metz said yesterday that by
this time next year the whole system OF
recording real estate transactions, taxes
and assessments will have been replaced
by the plant system, now used by the big
title companies.
The Comptroller said that he couldnt
think OF any word but rotten" to describe
the city's moss grown methods. Ii admits
of no way OF ascertaining the history OF
certain piece of property but searching
through the entire mass of records clear
back to the beginning. at takes month,
Mr. Metz declared. THE title companies
will tell you everything you want to know
in half an hour by referring to their plant.
This plant is a sort of card index con-
trivance. Generally speaking, every block
in the city is plotted on a card of its own,
with entries showing eve y transfer and
every cent that has ever been due or paid.
The Comptroller told the Bronx borough
deputy collectors about his plan at con-
ference Saturday afternoon. He under
stood, he said, that a sum had been available
for some time for reforming the books, and
he proposed to use it. He estimated that
the job of making for the city plant
of its own would take thirty men yea r
and would cost 100000. The cost would
be essened somewhat because Brooklyn
use d a plant" up to the time OF consoli-
dation and that is still available.
Hugh McMenamin, tn clerk in the Bronx
Office who is charged with tampering with
the records, has not been found yet. He
does not live at 9l5 East 10th street, the
address on file with James j. Donovan, the
deputy collector in charge OF the Bronx
branch, and several other addresses have
been looked up in vain. Before he went
away, though, Comptroller Metz says, he
made a written confession. He named the
real estate concern for which he had fixed
the books by erasing arrears due and ne
said that he was paid 500 Tor the Joo.
The discrepancy thus far detected amounts
| to about 81 600. Comptroller Metz thinks
there will be more. He argues that the
youth who was used for transaction OF
that kind would not be paid on to
| basis. Nothing has been proved yet against
the other clerk who is suspected Of partici-
| pating in the game.
The graft was discovered purely by acc-
| dent. A fortnight ago Michael McCormic
! a Bronx real estate dealer. walked into the
| had come to pay some assessments which
| he understood were due on some property
he owned in the north part OF the borough.
"Tve got some awards coming to me
| from the city for property that was taken
for public improvements, he continued.
| st would come in handy for Christmas and
| I want TO get it. But l understand that
| must pay up these assessments first.
Somebody looked up the records while
Mccormick waited and found that his as
sessments were marked Paid.
Funny" observed Mccormick. Don {
see who could ha' paid EN-" And he walked
out, thinking heavily.
Then the checking books were looked
into and il was discovered that the money
hadn't been received after all. Ii was
learned however. that that very piece
OF property had been sold the day before
by firm that had got hold of II after it
had been disposed of by Mccormick. A
couple of DAYS later the agent of title
| company found another phony looking
| entry. The experts got busy and proof OF
tinkering came fast.
The method was simple enough. When
the crooked clerk wanted TO make some
| property look as if il was without encum-
brance he simply wrote Paid in the book
| and forged the names OF the proper clerks
Two of the names that were forged were
| Michael Gardner. who is now in theoffc'
| in the Borough OF Richmond, and James
Tuite, now employed in the Mayors LII
cense Bureau. Both were employed in the
Bronx department at the time the assess
ments we're marked paid. II was the Gus
tom of the culprit to erase the forgery
as soon as the prospective buyer or his
lawyer had come in and seen II. He hadni
had time to erase the Met ,ormick entry