New-York tribune., 1909-05-16
COLER INQUlRY'TO STOP
An EXPECTED SEQUEL TO
GALL4HER'S DISMISSAL.
Borough President Ready to accuse
accounts Office Employees of
Subornation of Perjury.

Partly as a result of the dismissal from Of
fee of Ernest Y. Callaher, Commissioner Of Ac-
counts by the Mayor Friday, the investiga-
ton of the Office Of Borough President Coler OF
Brooklyn may be dropped forthwith. Mr.. Coler
told the Mayor yesterday that he was prepared
at any time to go before the grand jury aud
charge certain former and present officials in the
office of Commissioners OF Accounts with subor-
nation of perjury in connection with the investi-
cation of his office. He also called on Assistant
Corporation Counsel CroUell at the City Hall and
told him about his troubles with Commissioners
Gallaher and Mitchell. He laid the question: too
before District Attorney Clarke in Brooklyn, and
Mr.. Clarke said he would present certain facts
involving the conduct of employees in the office
OF the Commissioners Of Accounts to the grand
jury on Tuesday of this week. Said Mr.. Coler;
When I saw the papers this morning and
saw that the Mayor not standing for all
the things that are being done by the Commits
sioners Of Accounts I went to the City Hall and
told Mr. Croweu what had happened in my Of
fee in the last two years. since the Commls-
sioners of Accounts have been investigating ac-
counts there The Commissioners had spent
about $4,000 probing my Office up TO year ago.
and since then they have almost doubled the
number Of their employees
They haven't a thing on my Office, and they
won't be able to get anything on me, for the
simple reason that things have been done on the
level all the time The methods or the lnVesu-
gators Of late have been Of the Black Hand va
rietv. They have taken away books and papers
and vouchers, and made nuisances OF them
selves If the thing had been going on for only
2 few weeks it wouldn't matter, but It has been
going on for about two and a half years, ana
naturally, the bunch has got on my nerves Last
Thursday saw District Attorney Clarke about
the methods of the investigators, and he said
that on Tuesday he would take up the matter
with the grand jury
Mr GalIaher was surprised to learn last night
that the investigation OF President Coler once
might be discontinued. He said that u hso
been taken I'D at the request Of the Mayor anu
that the delays we're due to the HaHen lIIqUiiS
Mr. CaIlaher could not believe that the mayor
would check the Brooklyn inquiry.
"Nr Mitchell and I wanted 10 get into the
BROOKLYN matter together" Mr. Gallaher SAID
and when I got the Mayors note Friday vas
Immersed IN the papers. regarding the "otA
done in that case. The Mayor :was particularly
anxious 10 know when We were going TO take
I'D CoIer's Office before We had made nloch
headvay. II the investigation should be given
up il would be amazing. most eTtraoro'narS
thing"
Mr. calaher ssid he eouh not fathoua Mr.
coler's intentions 10 bring accusations against
.'forzner and p-ssSat" ,Ss>ers n me AGtcs %
the Couarais ssoners OF Account
Commissioner J. Purroy Mitchell. the head 81
the accounts department, returned 10 the city
to-day. after being away for more than tnres
weeks A good deal OF tbs criticism OF the de-
partrnent has cropped out since he has been
away. particularly the investigation of the CITY
carpenters who we're supposed to have delivered
citv property 20 Alderman Little Tim Sulh-
van The Mayor had Messrs- Crowen and
stover. of the Law Department. investigate tbs
findings Involving Alderman Sullivan. and they
convinced the Mayor that the charges were trlv-
ial and without foundation. Assistant Corpora
tion Counsel Slower said yesterday that the
city had been compelled 10 spend hundreds OF
dollars on account OF stenography and type
writing, besides the time Of the Mayor, the two
assistants from the Law Department and the
time of the employees in the Commissioners OF
Accounts office in a casa involving less than 81
worth Of second hand building material