The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-24
JUST CONDENSED VOUCHERS
REPLY TO CHARGE or STAMP
GRAFT N QUEENS.

Bunehed the . Figures ~ Ten VOaeheFs Az
en- one 70 save Time and Trouble
-BuuS Time fer MeNaIly before the
Grand Jury CraseR ASKS 10 Ne Heard
One Of the most exciting and prolonged
sessions ever held by a Queens county
Grand Jury took place in the court house
In Long Island City yesterday. when the
present Grand Jury 81 that county. who
are investigating the charges Of oficial
corruption unearthed by COMMISSIONS
Fosdick against officials In the Borough
Of Queens. took up the inquiry into the
charges that vouchers for postage stamps
used in the once oi the Borough Presi-
dent had been raised from Is 10 $50. by
which the city was deirauded out Of more
than S7.OO
Starting at ~ O'Clock in the morning
the session lasted until after 3 O'Clock last
night Louis }. McNally, a junior clerk
In the Once Of the Borough President
who IL is alleged had charge Of the postage
stamp vouchers. was taken hack and
forth from the Grand Jury room several
times during the session When not be-
fore the Grand Jury he was kept in a
small room in the District Attorney =
apartments in the court house A. times
during his frequent examinations his
voice could he heard ont in the corridor
n the court house.
! During the DIV Municipal Magistrate
John ". Crsgen. who wss secretFrv To
the BorouGh President M 10 the frat NJ
/ the new year. when he took his sect -
a Magistrate. nervOusly prced the court
corridors outside, He appeared before
Justice Garretson in the Queens county
Supreme Court with his counsel. Clarence
Edwards. where Judge Cragen pettioned
the Court n direct the Grand Jury 90 cell
him a. a witness In sworn petition
which he presented % the Court, after
citing Mayor Grynor's letter 10 District
/ Attorney De Witt, based On Commissioner
Fosdick's report he declared that the
charge of fraud IN the matter u the pur-
chsse Of the postc e stamp supplies wss
! false.
Continuing the petition set forth thrt
/ the purchase % the stamps was entrusted
I % LOUIS J NcNPlly 1T mad been his
I custom the petition read. when he
/ had obtEined ten receipts for s. each a.
liter one oi them 20 show the amount
Of ten end send that in rs = mere memo
/ rPndum. casting sside ~ destroying the
other nine. md thst your petitioner
verify believes that said explanation IL
| true. thst Sid MCNslly hrd no rpss0n
Tor mixing such alteration except for
convenience IN reducing the bulk u
! piper end In mr. king the amounts received
/ hv him for ste mps correspond in dates
/ and rmo'ints with such memoranda
md thrt he was entirely innocent 81 anv
] criminal intent end FctWlly expended
for the proper purpose the amounts
/ received Nv him afore~rid
! In conclusion CFagen offered himself
a. a witness before the Grand Jury IN the
an privileges and rights because u ex
emption from being required % give evi-
dence against himself
To the petition was appended an am
davh made by Louis J McNally IN which
he swore that he was the person men
toned ia the affidavit Of John NJ CraRen
and the statements made concerning him
IN that afiidavit ara true. Continuing
McNally's affidavit reads: I actually
pa "a for the stamps used IN the ofiice q
the President ~ the Borough 1t QUEENS
the full amounts shown In the memoranda
made by me by changing postmastsrs
receipts from IS % $50 In each instance
when ! made such change ! had ten re-
oeipts for g. each and cast aside or de-
strOyed the other nine and the latter were
never used by me for any pur oP
In conclusion he swears he made the
alterations without any intsnt 20 deceive
or dafraud the city. and he also waived
his rights and asked - be- called A. wit
ness before the Grand Jury
In passing upon the petition Justice
GarretsOn said that % was not for the Court
- direct the Grand Jury m the matter.
| nut he accepted the petition. and summon
/ ing the Grand Jury before him turned the
/ petition over 20 them, when they again
Z retired
! Then began the session of IN, Grand
! Jury which lasted until after : O'Clock
! last night Judge CraRen remained until
they TOOK a recess until tomorrow. but
/ was not called ~ a witness. But there
I we're plenty Of other witnesses ~ fill IN the
4 intervening time
/ Miss Matilda Ryan. Who has charge Of
/ the postage stamp sales IN the Long leland
/ City post once. together with Postmaster
George Ripperger VINO was there with
/ the books % the once. and Dennis Nc
| kneny and Francis X Husssy. clerks 10
| the post ofice we're Rmong tha Witnesses
I In addition 20 young McNally, among
I the Witnesses from the Borough Hall
were David W Murphy. chief hOokkeeper
I in the president = Office and James R1uIke.
a clerk in the Borough Hall
/ Toward evening John Nipple n l5t
/ Young street. Long Island City clerk
l IN the Borough Hall. was alao wanted "a
witness. Mr. Nipple sent word that his
! brother, Joesph Nipple. was buried yester-
day and he was too ~ - attend Or &.
" Platt. tho county physician. was sum
monsd and accompanied by Detective
George A. Bolton 81 the District Attorney
Office they went together IN an aut0mo-
bile 70 Mr. Nipples house. where he wss
taken from his bad and brought % thu
Court House He was kept before the
Grand Jury for about an hour. when he
left in the car II DR. Platt Just before
the Grand Jury finished the night session
young McNally was again brought before
IL. and his voice mingled with sohs was
clearly heard outside the Gr1nd Jury room
ns his examination was resumed
When the Grand Jury finished its session
and the Jurors fled 1ut n the building
nothing could he learned concerning
what action had been taken. II Ia not
known whether they voted IN find indict
ments or not Judge Cragen remained
until the last bu, no infOrmgtion was o.
m obtained II "a probe ble that the
result ~ the inquiry will not be known
until the Grand Jury meet again to-
morrow morning.