New-York tribune., 1911-03-07
.FOSD|CK PROBES DEVL|N
Reports to Mayor on Bronx Con-
demnation Proceedings:
RECORDS ALTERED, HE SAYS
Commissioner of Accounts Sug
gests Apprising the Dis
trict Attorney.

| Ravrnond r. Fosdck. Commissioner OF
Accounts. in a report made to Mayor Gay
nor yesterday, In regard to the connenina-
tion proceedings incidental 10 the opening
Of East 222d street, from the Bronx HiVer
TO 7th street. In The Bronx. declares
| "It snoears that the records OF the near
Inc ~ the first commission had been de-
I,berately altered in certain cases. IL
| v,rtber anneared that the award fixed FOR
certain damage parcels in the preliminary
renort Of the first commission had been In
creased in the final report and that IN the
,rtorim between the two reports the prop
erty in question had changed hands
Michael 4. Devlin. Louis Falk ana pierre
G.. Carroll were appointed condemnation
| commissioners on the proceeding on Api'i
40 1904. On June is, 1908, the commas
sion fled its preliminary report, granting
awards for damages In the amount OF '"o',- :
27425. Commissionr Carroll refused 10
| concur in the awards on the ground mat
they were excessive, and thereafter severed
his connection with the commission
wear later the two remaining members
of tho commission filed a final report IN
creasing the aggregate Of the AWARDS 10
| s3s7 537 25 Justice Bowling refused 70
| confirm II and appointed new cornnps-
sion which has just completed its work ana
allowed a total of s2l7,54 so, or $751;
os9 65 less than the figures set by the nrst
commission
In ending his report commissioner Fos'
dick saws: 1T is clear that DeVlin was
personally interested in the properly upon
| which he was sitting as condemhaCion
commissioner. Tho fact that the forgeries
discovered in the minutes OF the proceeding
occur only I'm cases where Deviin was
shown to be interested in the property IL
a coincidence which should be called 10 the
attention Of the District Attorney.
Michael Z. Devln Is principal OF PUBIC
ccboo, 3 He had been on other condemna-
tIon proceedines and at one time was IN
trouhle with the Board Of Education De-
cause IL was said he had been devoting time
70 that work when he should have been at
tending to his school duties.
Saws Figures Were Altered.
The difference between the awards fixed
In the preliminary report and the flnai re-
mort was remarkable in some cases Ihe
most interesting instance was that OF par
Gel No 49, The preliminary award was
1y,sO The final report fixed the amount
AT $500 "An examination OF the testi-
mony taken in connection with this dam
} age parcel" says Commissioners Fosdick
showed that the figures OF the city's eS'
nert as TO the value OF the property had
been altered upon the minutes Of the com
mission"
| Henry A. Stshl was the owner at the
time Of the preliminary report. A shor'
1 apa al rf n
marcel to Frank NJ Abbott for 5000. Two
weeks later the commissioners awarded
&c so for the property. Under oath Mr.
, stahI said he had sold his property to Mr.
Abbott at the solicitation OF Walter Baylis
, an employe in the real estate office OF
Stephen B. Ayres. Congressman-elect
Mr.. Abbott, a clerk, said that while he had
taken title to the property be himself had
no financial interest in II whatever. and
had acted in the matter only upon the per-
sonal request of his friend, Mr. Ayres
.Mr Ayres admitted at once" reads the
! report Of Commissioner Fosdick, that Mr.
Abbott was a dummy In the transaction
, that some time prior TO the purchase Mr.
Devlln, or, perhaps, his son. Frank Devlin
had told him that he had friend, Pierre
Shields, who wished 10 purchase damage
parcel The dummy In the transaction
! had given a deed In blank. which had beer
handed either TO Mr.. Devlin or Mr.. Shields
, 1t developed that Mr. Shields is one OF
; Mr. Devlin's teachers From a member OF
: his family and one or two of his friend:
4, was ascertained that Mr.. Shields had ap-
l peared in this transaction as n matter OF
convenience 70 Mr.. Devl!n, having himself
no financial interest whatever in the af'
fair"
DevIin's Bank Loans Probed.
In subpenang the records of various
, banks with which Mr.. Devlin had relations
, Commissioner Fosdick says he found de-
posted as collateral for loan of 5000 tC
Mr. Devlin a mortgage in the name OF
Pierre or Peter Shields on property which
proved to be a damage parcel In the pro-
, ceeding for the opening OF Bronx Boue
ward. Mr.. Devlin was on this commission
from 1906 to 1910. The report has not beer
-, made.
Examination OF the records in the Regis
ter's office. the report says, showed thai
, this property had been purchased by Harry