The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-06-09
PAYROLL FRAUD
IS CHARGED By
MAYOR OF ORANGE
Shoenthal Claims Salary of Sick
Sewer Engineer Was Drawn
by Others.
SENSATION is SPRUNG
ON COMMON COUNCIL
Full Investigation Tomorrow
Observation-Disclosures Pay
Regularly Taken.

Dnearthing an alleged fraud in the
city payroll of Orange, Mayor Shoen-
thai, of that city, called a special meet
Ing OF the Orange Common Council last
night n asked for appointment of
a special committee TO investigate his
charge that the name of Engineer II.
c. ~Haulenbeck, of the sewer plant, i'll
Tor the past four months, had beer
~traudulently carried on the payroll for
that length of time. He claimed THE
engineer had not received the money,
SIS a week.
IL was decided that the entire Council
should investigate the sensational
n sc tomorrow night. The other two
engineers at the plant will be sum-
moned as witnesses, and the Mayor will
be invited to attend.
In a special message the Mayor said:
During the past week 1 became
aware of the fact that for the last four
months the lame of H. C. Haulenbeck
has been fr%audulently carried on the
weekly payroll of the sewer depart
ment by the city engineer as an en-
gineer at the pumping station at the
rate of SIS per week, and that the
money has been receipted for by Peter
Duff, an engineer at the pumping sta
ton and on one occasion by Josiah
Wright, a clerk in the sewer depart
ment. Haulenbeck never received the
money for which his name appears,
and I am informed by him that he
never authorized any person to sign
his name on the payroll nor did he
know that his name appeared on the
payroll.
GAS soon as l received information of
this fraudulent practise l made a suffi-
Gent investigation on my W account
to satisfy me that the information was
for last weeks payroll because the
city engineer had included the same
fraudulent name on the list. 1t was at
tempted to explain to me that because
Haulenbeck had been i'll the other two
engineers had been working on his
shift, making twelve hours each in
stead of eight hours and thatthe money
which Haulenbeck might have received
had he worked, was divided up be-
tween the two engineers for their extra
time. Late last week a new engineer
was put to work in Haulenbeck's place
at the pumping station. This was done
after 1 had started my investigation.
Hits ut City Engineer.
1.-The city engineer attempted to
correct his payroll by crossing off
Haulenbeck's name and putting down
extra time for the two engineers and
for the time of the new man, but un-
der the circumstances l deemed it adj
visable not to sign any warrant until
I could place the matter in the hands
of your honorable body.
ITO me the attempted explanation is
no legitimate excuse for the fraud
practised upon me and the city. The
payroll is submitted to me each week,
with the city engineers affidavit that
the same is correct. Haulenbeck, as a
matter of fact, has done no work since
about the middle of January, and he
informs me he has received 10 pay.
The carrying of his name on the pay
roll. the signing of his name and the
division of the money were all, in my
opinion, unlawful, deceptive and in
fraud of the city.
'"Phe money for each payroll is paid
each week to the city engineer, whose
duty it is to pay off the men. From
the time the fraudulent practise start
ed the sum of about $342 of the city's
money has been paid out by the city
engineer on H~aulenbeck's name.
Because of my desire not to cripple
work under way in the sewer depart
nent and the possible crippling of the
public service in this department l
could not see my way clear immediate
" to suspend the city engineer and the
other persons concerned in this mat
ter I have therefore called this spe-
cial meeting in order that proper and
adeouate action may be taken /
recommend that authority be given
The proper committee to suspend the
,fseials, PENDING investigation, and
hat YOU appoint a special committee
n investigate the matter thoroughly,
ana 10 find out if other dummy names
have been carried on the payroll OF
This department. The practise Is one
which no business man or private con-
,ern would tolerate a moment, and l
ook for such action on your part as
+ zdl result in stamping it out forever
n this city. I would also recommend
no adoption of some new regulation IN
all departments having pay-rolls by
which the perzons receiving the money
o,ill be obliged to appear personally
,afore the auditor and tax collector as
an now the members of the police and