The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-31
GRAND JURY PROBE
IN PLANR5' SALE
IS Malta THREAT
Freebooter Promises Official Ia
ycstigation if Committee
Fails to Do Duty"
SUPERINTENDENT DUGAN
ADMITS KEEPING MONEY
Claims Quinn Told Him to Keer
Money-Mattia Has Wagon
load as Evidence.

III the committee appointed by the
Essex and Hudson joint bridge com
mittee 20 investigate the sale Of old
humber from the Plank raad bridge fails
to do its duty, I will go as far as the
grand u and ask that body 10 make
a. Investigation" declared Freebooter
Richard F. Malta. of the Fifteenth
ward. TO-DAY. I know that no money
whatever from Superintendent Dugan,
of the Plank road, has been turned into
the county" .
Freebooter Malta said that he had
sent John Aduhoto to the Plank road
had been charged. Adabato, acting fol-
Freeholder Malta. bought a load of
planks. it is said. for 81. The planka
were photographed on the wager by
Freebooter Malta. and are now in his
rear yard, It 80 Crane street. Accord
Ing to Freeholder Malta some Of the
planks are too good to be discarded.
II could not get the kind Of planks l
wanted" he said. THEY are sold in
two grades. The cheaper grade sells for
Ave cents and Al c1ade for eight certs
a plank. For more than three month;
I have been looking over the records in
the office Of the county supervisor and
find that Superintendent Dugan has not
turned in a penny from the sale of lum-
Der since he was appointed. The last
record of money being turned in is an
entry by former Super n%tendent jack
son. Under the agreement between the
two counties Esscx should receive Ave
Fights of the proceeds and Hudson
county three-eighthe. What surprised
me most was the perfectly cool manner
In which superintendent Dugan admit
tSd that he had kept the money, saying
mat former F%reeholder Quinn. Of the
Tenth ward. ana other ~freeholders had
told him he could keen the money from
the sale Of discarded p,anks.
Admits Keeping the Money.
Superintendent DHgan,' continued
Freeholder Malta. may have been
honest in his actions. but he should
have known better than to have kept
the money
Flow many loads Of lumber 10 you
think are disposed o. Would you say
an average of one a day." Freeholder
Malta was asked.
There are, at least. twelve loads &
week ne said. OF course, there are
some days when no sales are made.
Twelve loads a weak. however, is a
pretty fair average. Some of the rlanks
are in a perfectly good condition and
are too good to be thrown away, A
man In the Board of Freeholders must
keep his eyes open. especially now that
there is tina 81, 900. 000 job on
Former Freebooter Emmett Quinn
SAID today that in his opinion someone
Is trying to make a mountain out of a
molehill."
II was chairman of that committee,
but my memory is somewhat dim con
corning the incident about which Mr.,
Dugan quotes me- he said. II viii say,
however, that 1t is my impression the
officials were only too glad to get rid
of the planks and that anyone car &c
there and take a load. There was only
one time that I can remember planks
were sold. I know positively we re-
ceived the none from that sale.
"Dugnn Honest and Capable"
Mr.. Dugan, in my opinion, is ar
honest and capable man. He has per
formed his duties efficiently. 1 am sure
everything concerning his connection
with the county has been upright and
honest end viii bear investigation"
The ~disposing of the planks came up
at a meeting of the joint bridge com
mittee In Jersey City last night. There
were two Hudson county freeholders
and -four from Essex at the meeting.