The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-09
StIS CLERK STOLr FUNDS.
" violence Of Lack Of suDeF,isIon IN chart.
ties Department

Raymond B. Fosdick. Commissioner Of
accounts swors out a warrant for John
j. Macarthur u 1870 Fast Forty ninth
street Brooklyn. and appeared Agains,
htm yesterday afternoon IN Jefferson
Market court. charging him with grand
hrceny. Macarthur waived sHamina.
tinn and Magistrate Appleton held HI m
IN 8. So bail for trial.
Mac Arthur was formerly financial clerk
m The ch ildr-n = bureau u the Department
II Public Charities az ~ Third avenue
ana hl- dut,e- were - receive contribu-
tions from parents whose children were
beng cared Tor In charitable institutions
and - turn the contributions over % the
superintendent of the department
In his complaint Commissioner FOsdick
says that on December "a. 1909, Mac
Arthur received contribution 81 80
from Michael OConnsll u 1O55 Arthur
aTeniis, The BronG. but that he only
turned over SO Of the amount g. the
superintendent He also says that h. has
proof Of approximately 3s0 other cases
against Macarthur.
Macarthur received his appointment
on January p. 1907 He resigned by
request on January o. 1910 he IL AZ
present a bookkeepsr IN the Fire Depart
meni. having been appointed on March
Commissioner Fosdick IN his repor,
- Mayor GaynOr saws Of Macarthur
Ia order thoroughly 70 check his ac.
counts 10 was necessary 70 secure from a.
many Of the parents a. possible the or ginal
receipts which had been given for moneys
contributed to the support Of the children
% the thousands Of receipts rendered for
this purpose during his incumbency We
secured 1so. extending from the beginning
20 the end Of his administration ~ these
80 receipts Jsi cases we've found where
4 h@ original receipts Odd not agree IN amount
sith the carbon copies - cases where the
names ~ The parties paying the money did
not agree. 50 oases where The amounts Of
the or ginAl receipts had never been posted
~ the ledger 20 casss where the original
receipts did not agree IN amount With the
ledger entry. "a cases where the carbon
copies did not agree IN amount with the
ledger entry, ~ cases ~ carbon copie- for
which no r-ce pts we're ever given ~ the
y 80 io represented by the - receipts
ahioh vs we're able 70 secure only tno7 70.
or less than ~ per cent vas turned into
the rifv treasury
The total extent % winch these deial.
Gallons ran ~ - imDOssible 10 determine
% - estimated that 5000 receipts vsrs
given out by Macarthur during his In.
cum bency a. financial clerk IN this period
hs turned into the CIV treasury approxi-
maiclv ga On while an estimate on this
basis is by no means accurate. Il affords
some idea Of the possible scope Of he pecu-
.at ions
he responsibility for this condition 10
10 a large extent due 20 the utter lack Of
control exercised by the superintendent Of
ne childrens bureau over Macarthur
sccounts Not only vas the clerk allowed
IN r~~~ive the cash and no out the receipts
aIthout any serious attempt 20 check or
verify his work but he was charged With
he responsibility Of keeping the ledger
md NJ making the daily returns % the
The fact that his defal-
'afIous extended over the three years n
li- t1cumbsn~y Nhen the simplest kind
n check would have discovered them. IL
n if.elf a severe commentary on he bust.
l~-s administration n this bureau