The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-24
DAVIS and The COUNTY FUNDS
INOUIRY ~ JERSEY CITY As
TO LEADERS OBLIGATIONS.

Attorney for the Estate says That Al
Debts VIII Be Made Good Judges
Comment on Lax Methods In HandlIng
COuntys Moneys senate May Probe.
Prosecutor Of the Pleas Pierre p. Gar
ven Of Hudson county. N. j.. began a
personal investigation yesterday into the
unofficial charges that the estate Of the
late Robert Davis. the Democratic county
leader. IL indebted to County Collector
Stephen NJ. Egan for county funds which
Egan IL said to have loaned TO Davis at
various times in the last two years. The
Prosecutor had conference with County
Judge Robert Carey in the morning and
later in the day he visited the First Ma
tional Bank. through which the money
in alleged TO have been transferred from
the county account to Davis's personal
account by means Of checks made pa eyable
by Egan to the Jersey City Supply Com
pany. Of which Davis was the owner.
James r. Bowen. counsel for Mrs. Annie
Toppin Davis. Robert Davis's widow.
received yesterday copy Of sworn claim
filed by Egan against the estate for
moneys advanced to the Democratic
leader. Mr.. Bowen said last night that the
claim was either $50 600 Or $50. 500 Former
State Senator William d. Edwards. coun-
sci for the Davis estate. said yesterday
that two weeks or SO a 60 the estate paid
loans to Davis.
We saw to it, he added, that this
money went into the County Treasury"
Edwards repeated his statement that
all amounts which are found to be legally
due to Mr.. Egan will be paid by the estate
II is said that the money turned into
into the county treasury amounted to
S2s. 600 and was a part OF loan which
Davis got from County Collector Egan
to enable him to buy for $4,000 the old
Parmly Memorial Church property in
Grove street An unsuccessful attempt
was subsequently made to sell this prop
erty to the city as site for police head
quarters. The price asked. il is said.
was s7O.OOO, and Mayor II. Otto Wittpenn
and the Board OF Finance refused to buy
The old church was converted into
moving picture house. IT wasn't money
maker and was closed after few months
When Egan was first appointed County
Collector he furnished a SSOO,OO bond
bearing the names OF the following thir-
teen men. some Of whom are now dead:
+. F. {. Young. former Sheriff Carl Reump-
ler. Daniel +. Cleary. Henry Byrne. James
Doherty. NJ. 7. Connolly. Robert Davis.
Abraham Post Louis Fischer. James
Coyle. Patrick McArdle. Patrick McGrath
and John +. Boyle. new bond was
subsequently offered II was signed by
ten Of the twelve bondsmen. and Comfy
Counsel John Griffin refused to approve
it because il did not bear the signatures
Of Dennis Mclaughlin and Daniel f.
Cieary. VINO happened to be out Of town
at the time Ii was not accepted by the
Board OF Freeholders and is therefore
not in force
The signers Of this bond are Edward
Young. John +. Boyle. Patrick McGurg.
James Doherty, James Coyle. George b.
Bergkamp. James Mcnamara. Samuel
r. Rennar. Robert f. Jennings and Samuel
Maggie.
County Counsel Griffin said Yesterday
that the county is fully protected. as
the old bond remains in force until the
new one is approved and accepted
County collectors in Hudson county
have been allowed to bank county funds
wherever they pleased and they have not
been compelled to see to it that the county
rapniN al n danrs,ts
have had the widest latitude and have
been expected only to turn over 10 their
successors the amount Of money that
the county had in hand. Egan has never
been called upon TO show a balance
In speaking of these methods yester-
day County Judge Robert Carey said:
Every public officer having custody of
public funds should be required by law
TO publish each month over his own sig
nature a statement Of the balances on
hand and the amount in each bank A
bill making this mandatory should be
introduced in the Legislature at once"
A movement is on foot to secure the
passage OF resolution in the State Senate
providing for the appointment OF Senate
investigating committee with power to
probe the County Collectors office and
the Office OF the Hudson County Board of
Freeholders.
Davis was City Collector Of Jersey City
at the time Of his death All moneys re-
ceived in the course OF a DAYS business
in that Office are checked up by the Comp
troller and had to agree with the records
in his Office. II was common talk in
political circles that Davis had his eye
on succeeding Egan as County Collector
II Senate investigating committee
drops into Hudson county it is believed
that Prosecutor OF the Pleas Pierre p
Garven will wait until it concludes it's
probing into the county's financial affairs
before he asks for Grand Jury investi-
CATION.
County Collector Egan is one OF the go
called Big Six" who have undertaken
to succeed Davis in the management of
the affairs of the Democratic county
organization.