The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-14
DID STATE PAY DOTY'S BILLS?|
NEW LINE or QUESTIONING At
THE QUARANTINE INQUIRY.
Charges That the Health Ofncer's House.
hold supplies We're Charged to the
Public Flowers for llis wife Also
some Unusual Bookkeeping Methods


hold supplies We're Charged to tho
Public -piowers for llis wife Also
some Unusual Bookkeeping Methods.
Charles Dushkine, representing COM
planning immigrants. made an effort
yesterday to show that DIR. Alvah II.
Doty. Health Officer of this port. had
bought things for his personal use at
Quarantine and that the State had paid
the bills. The effort revealed slipshod
way Of bookkeeping at Quarantine. IL
nothing more serious. Lawyer Dushkine
will continue probing this morning before
Charles n Bulger. who is conducting the
investigation.
The chief witness yesterday was Maurice
J. Doyle. head clerk at Quarantine. who
admitted before the end OF the session
that he had had mo experience in book
keeping and that 'since he had talked
over the subject with Mr.. Loomis no had
been able To see where his system could
be improved"
Doyle said that his bookkeeping system
affected only the receipts and disburse-
ments of money. He said that some
.pratique" slips, showing the number Of
passengers detained on the arrival Of
steamships, had disappeared and that he
could not account for their disappearance
Mr.. Dushkine asked the witness IL the
State had not paid for llacs and roses
for Mrs. Doty and he answered: Not
that | know Of" The duplicate of bi II
for 81 200. rs was put in evidence. and the
lawyer declared that it represented things.
including peonies. dahlias, roses. lilacs
three shirts. kitchen utensils $50 re-
frigerator and dozen tumblers that
, the State had paid for on the Health
Offcer's account with department
store. Doyle, who was reluctant wit
ness. finally admitted that it might
appear az if certain articles paid for by
the State had gone TO DR. Doty.
4 bill from a Staten Island florist was
shown to Doyle The name Of Mrs. Doty
was marked after one item and ditto
/ marks below after four others. The
bill w8s for $40 worth of hydrangeas
bought on April "a Doyle admitted that
/ DR.. Doty eicned the check that paid the
bill but remarkcd that he didn't know
hut that Mrs Doty bought the flowers for
! the Stnte." Cross questioning brought
from Doyle that on the face of things it
! looked a. il MIR Doty got the hydrsnge8s
This imprssso was fortified later by the
test imony of c. ID. Dean. superintendent
of the Quarantine grounds al Rosebank,
who said Il think | put Mrs. Doty's
name on the bill. but | am not sure"
Mr.. Dean said it was his duty TO o, k'
florists bills and he did. He also be-
lieved that Mrs. Doty had ordered some
Of the items on the bill
Doyle resumed the stand after Dean
had testified and told more about the
way of keeping accounts. Some bills
thst had been paid were not o. X. d. the
witness admitted. The office owed S85 ,0OC
to the grocery man. butcher and milk
man on October /. 1910. DR.. Doty had
not paid the bills of grocer. milkmar
and butcher from July O. 1909 to March
|, 1910 A coal bill for s7il a5. which was
not o. Nd but which had been paid. was
offered in evidence. Doyle said he had
no record by which he could tell when
or where the coal was delivered: that the
bills came - him and he paid them.
i. X Sutherland. formerly head book.
keeper at Quarantine. Doyle said, had
charge of paying bills before October /
1910 He also kept no records. He de.
fsulted for about $500. Doyle said. and
was retained three months after the
discovery of the shortage. He made !,
up before he got out. The departmen,
never advertised for bids for supplies
for boats without any contracts. Origi
nally the groceries were bought from ;
staten Island dealer. but lately they wer,
obtsined from a large firm i'll Manhattan
DIR. Doty said last night: Il will he rep
resented at the hearing to day hy counsel
and | nave put the matter entirely in hi
hands As | was not at the hearing to
day am unfamiliar with what occurred
Mr.. DOYLE did not report to me in reGart
10 his testimony. He is one of the bes
men | ever have had in this department
He has been with me sixteen years and j
, honest and efficient. | am tired of thi
whole affair and henceforth ] Will leav
, it in the hands of nv LAWYER"