New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-21
WILL ACCUSE AHEARN.
City Club Medium for Presenting
Formal Charges to Governor.

The first formal charges against Borough Fresi
dent Abearn to be submitted to Governor husH
will be made by the City Club This action wa
determined upon Friday evening. after George NC
Aneny president OF the club had had conferences
with the Governor at Albany that afternoon MI
McAnenys visit to the Governor followed the ~
petfon of the investigation made into MI AIieh'
administration of his Office by the Commissioners
OF Accounts.
In sending TO Governor Hughes last THURSDAY
copy of the report and Of the stenographlc 49,
Of the hearings at the investigation, Mayor W
Clellan committed himself TO no u - oniD-
mentary on the report than to say that IN ms op
ion 1t disclosed conditions which demaIue t STavor
by the Governor The City Club thinks tilat -i 80
Mcclellan has done his full duty in the case ou
Governor Hughes told Mr.. McAneny that oe 10 !.
taking anv formal action on the report ne IelI tna
It was necessary to have specific charges dsai' 10
Mr.. Ahearn filed with him II this were uO e.
said he could then determine the nature OIL ei.o
hearing 20 given the charges ana SCI -
which would be convenient to all the parties e0
cerned. $780,,
As soon as Mr. McAneny returned from Albany
he let the officers of the clGb know OF ms me- =.
with the Governor and It was decided TO besIn az
once the formulation of SPECIFIC cnaIges t-a.
the president The preparation OF ths ci't
viii he the work OF the law committee Of the CLUB
which ia composed OF william G. Choate anu Ne Ne
son S, Spencer of Manhattan ana HehFy -.
CERT of Queens They set to work Yesterday
morning on the findings of the Commissioner VI
Accounts and the testimony adduced AT the Hest i
inas before them. No one of the com nlttee WouIu
saw Yesterday what would be the specific charges
made against President Ahearn. but II is expecter
that the committee will complete us I""oi7 ~
week when the formal charges will be preSen'e"
to the Governor.
In the statement Issued by the city CUB yester-
day It is said that the club takes up the SUBJECT
because the need OF formal prosecution "ich
the Mayor could not undertake. The CHy CiHn
will be prepared to furnish counsel In support Ci
the charges The club acts also with the kno"i-
edge Of the bureau Of municipal research whose
function ends with investigation and In pursu-
ance Of the sympathetic interest the City club mas
had I'm the matter from the beginning.
According to the provisions Of the city charter.
borough president can be removed by the Gov
ernor only after specific charges have been pre-
ferred against him. At the public hearing or he
charges which Is provided by law. the accused
official may make defence and be represented oy
counsel.
In their report 20 Mayor Mcclellan the Commits
souers Of Accounts held President Ahearn respon-
sble for all the evils existing in his Office Many
irregularities had been found the commissioners
reported In the administration Of the various bu-
reaus under his control They also said that ex-
travagance and incOmpetency were prevalent
on the same day that Mayor McClellan sent the
report 10 the Governor Martin ". lAttleton, coun-
sci for Mr.. Ahearn submitted brief 10 the Gov
ernor in which he held the Commissioners Of Ac-
counts responsible FOR failure to discover in the
quarterly Investigations the alleged reprehensible
conditions in tile Borough Presidents department
Mr.. Littlston also cOntended that his client had
not received fair show at the investigation, as
he not allowed 70 be represented by counsel
nor TO cross-examIne the witnesses.