New-York tribune., 1911-12-29
ARRESTED AS GRAFTERS|
Robert RaphaeIs and 7. J. Butler
Accused of Petty Frauds.
EACH HELD IN $1,000 BAIL
Fosdick Says They Are Members
of "city Hall Crowd That
Deceives Office Seekers.

n. po,hae,s. of No. 81 West sSo
-, rha Bronx. and Thomas j. Butter >
=. ~ o-o, Morris avenue. we're arres'eu
,,o.tordav on complaint OF James W. Doo-
hi,,z ,rd George Freer, both In the oilIoe
=, povmond Fosdick. Commissioner OF Ac-
counts. as part of the crusade of the MAJ
10 break UP the system OF petty gran pm
in the corridors OF the city han anu
the offices Of the city departments d.
vera taken to the Harlem Police 'ou' T.
where they were held in N"o Dan '"O"
for examination on January II.
,s soo, as Butler was free he was asdi"
arrested by inspectors from Cofnrilss'o"e
Fosdick's Office and taken to the io''''
-, u,bore he was held on the charge ol
accounting n bribe. The hearing on u'i'
charge will he held Sunday morning
Cbief Magistrate McAdoo issued two war
rarts for the men on Wednesday at the re-
ouest of Commissioner Fosdick one wal
rant included both Butler and RaphaeiS
ord was based on the testimony OF Henry
If Lazarus. formerly city marshal oi
No 10 East ll6th street. in an eXamiha-
81. haid hv commissioner Fosdick. Laz-
arus said that early in 1911 he took up WIN
RdnlaplS
,bo sinking Fund Commission lease lot
,oor,ain property in 18th street between
First and Second avenues. Raphaels lh''o-
ruced him to Butler. who promised 10
cure the lease for $780,. the money 10 oo
maid IN "a prominent city ofhciai' hcoo'
inc IN the testimony Of Lazarus, he Hdue
= cback for $50 payable to cash ana gave
,h, money to Raphaels to give Butler but
-. ro,,,.ing 70 accept a check. The lease
. 30, secured nor was the money re-
turned.
The second warrant was for Kaphae''
epd was based on the testimony oil hdN
cobranskv. who runs a detective agency at
No 1858 BROADWAY He said he wanted W
GO, on annointment as "A city marshal anu
was introduced to Raphaels In FEBRUARY
,o,, hv Harry Wasserman, an auctloheel' L.
p,nbaels said that he would get Schlahsky
,ha r1aca as city marshal for sloO ana
scbIanskv sold his business ana pa""eu
~, ou,n and his wife's jewelry TO raise the
money which was put in the hands OF sam
! Vorzimer as stakeholder After hii'e "e'N9
| ~ promises by Raphaels, SchlansKy got
his money back from Norzliner' MS puS'
moss having been ruined in the lheahti'le'
Schlansky's testimony was corroooi"'eu ~
Wasserrnan and Norzimer.
| Commissioner FosdiCk made report 10
tho \1avor Yesterday on the cases or Butter
and Raphaels in which he mentioned tour
other cases In which they had obtained
money on the promise to get faVors from
citv officials The total amount involved IN
tho six cases was 2,34s. Of which between
q O00 and SlC0 was returned to the men
| Who had maid il over Butler was SUBJ
,,oraod nv Commissioner FOsdick and ac-
| courted for part of the loans which he had
been unable to pay and said that he had
done contractors work for small part.
| The offence with which the men are
| charged is a misdemeanor under the sec
ton Of the city code which makes 1t against
the law to promise TO obtain an ONCE or
privilege from the city on the payment OF
money. The punishment is fine OF $1,000
or year In prison. or both.
Commissioner Fosdick said yesterday
that the mention by Butler OF "a prominent
city Official was only a part Of the patter
of the game. He said in his report to the
Mayor:
| The particular form of fraud outlined In
! these six cases Is by no means new or un-
! common Similar deceptiOns have been
| nractised for years in both the City Hall
| and i'm other city Office buildings where a
crowd of semi political camp followers Is
| attracted | think II can be said without
exaggeration that there is hardly depart
ment head I'm the city who does not run
| the daily risk OF being sold out" TO use a
popular expression. by men who trade on
! ignorance and credulity in claiming to rep
resent him. The danger and suspicion TO
which an official is thus exposed cannot be
overstated
In speaking of the cases Of Butler and
Raphaels Commissioner Fosdck said that
all the instances Of petty graft which his
examiners had found in the City Hall had
been traced back to the two men arrested.