The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-21
GRAFT HUNT TURNS
+ TO LAWYERS BILLS
Title Searchers Tell at Doe In
quiry Of Queer Aqueduct
Contract Work.
BIG PROFITS FOR FEW
Everett Fowler Named in Dis
closurcs-New Way to
Get City's Cash.
BIG PROFITS FOR FEW

Title searches In connection with the
condemnation Of land for the Catskill
sauoduct were made by men who re-
ceived not more than so per cent OF what
New York city paid for the work In
certain Instances these searchers got
only Is per cent. Sometimes they got
nothing at all.
The city employed Everett Fowler.
Augustus H. Van Buren, and former State
Senator John j. Lnson to make title
searches. They engaged other lawyers
TO do the work for them. The city paid
Fowler, Van Buren, and Lnson the full
legal rate for their services The other
lawyers took what they could get.
Frequently the search OF one title
covered several parcels OF land, ana IN
these cases the city paid full price for
the labor of writing In the number OF
tho second or third parcels and substi-
tutinR the name OF another searcher. For
each separate parcel OF land there was a
saparste appraisal and condemnation.
Charges to the city multiplied with every
additional search. appraisal and con-
domination.
Proat for Lucky lawyer.
The city always paid the legal rate for
searches The subetting OF the work
did not mean an increase In expense. IL
did mean great profits for the fortunate
lawyers who were designated TO do II
BY the Board Of Water supply. Whether
or not any OF these profits came back to
New York city for distribution among
influential persons Is a matter OF specu-
lation.
This was the net result OF testimony
riven Yesterday in the John Doe inquiry
by the first witnesses called In the Dis
trict Attorneys new aqueduct invesu-
cation. This investigation Is to determine
whether or not the city was heeced OF
thousands OF dollars through the con-
demnation proceedings. Mr.. Whitman has
been informed that concentrations were
made OH appraisals grossly exaggerated
and he hopes to prove that this was done
with the knowledge of those who had the
proceedings In charge
Attorneys Edwards and Embree yesterday
mention was made of the New YORK
fund" There were intimations IN the tes-
timony that some of tie pronts from utio
searching went into this fund. IL IL the
or not some Of the honest graft paid
nv authority of the condemnation COM
uissioners to owners OF land IN mo aaue-
duct district did not also nnd us way
into this fund.
SIX Worked At Cut Rate.
Eorty-eight statements Of titles search.
with bills of expense attached, which were
filed with the Comptroller as vouchers
by Fowler Van buren, and Linson were
offered In evidence yesterday Inc oiiis
were made out by the searchers, VINO III
each instance charged the full legal rate
of Ave cents per name per year for search.
No, one Of the six lawyers who testified
yesterday got more than 80 per cent OF
what was charged the city, ana one OF
them said that II he had got 20 per cent
of what the city paid he could have mace
800 a DAY on the Job. IL was est,lha'eu
thac the city paid between $4,000 ana
$50 hoo for the work done in Ulster county
alone. .,a.
n f. McKensie of Port Even testined
that as soon he was subppneu 10 APP
near he called Everett Fowler on the teie-
phone and asked him what he was 10 say
IN ANYBODY asked him what became OF
tia 90 per cent. profit which was with
held from the searchers. He said that
Fowler told him that everybody knew
that so per cent was withheld by him and
that Il was nobody's business what was
Ha denied that Fowler told him hrst
that the arm kept half OF the proht for
i,self Chief Magistrate McAdoo said ne
couldn't understand why Fowler shouiu
have confined the province OF NOBODY
business to only 20 per cent of his prohts'
s.x. Fowler Admitted Proat.
Mckenzie testified that his first bill
Sor searches was 3+06.06 and that he
although
h.A been said to him about compensa-
,ion- What he got was S2o2.60. He pro-
d,,oed memoranda showing that under
Fowlers direction he put In dis totaliing
S..2l72o. He said he was paid &s3s,s7
He and other witnesses testified that they
were paid with the checks OF Fowler and
Van Buren,, Mckenzie said he demanded
fuii payment from Fowler, but couldn't
ST It ,
xie. "and told him I had been subpenaed
and he wanted TO know what or II. said.
Won know l got only 80 per cent OF what
vas paid for my work. and he said that
everybody knew that and it wasn't any
body's business what he did with 20 per
cent. of what he kept back
.sDidn't he say, We got so per cent. !.
We kent rs per cent OF that and It's no.
body's business whas became OF the other
26 per cent :?
"He said tho last part of that. He said
that II he wanted to give rs per cent of
his so per cent to some one II was no.
body's business
Mckenzie said he would have been
satisfied II he had got 10 per cent lie
was formerly Nth the Title GUARANTEES
and Trust Company and as an expert
would say that the legal rate for title
searching Is too nigh. He said he would
have taken Fowlers ,,b for 25 per cent.
of what the city pad and would have
made 500 day BESIDES paying all his
expenses.
Tells of Trick In Charging.
Judge Roscoe Irwin. former Mayor of
,<,ngston, said Fowler paid him so per
cent OF what was collected from New
York for sea ruhing titles. Then his COM
pensaton dropped to % per cent. then
10 per cent. and finally TO nothing. He
said he had made no demand for payment
for the last searches lie made because he
thought he had been paio enough already.
He testified that he got $4,000 for doing
the work that New York paid Fowler and
Van Buren, $4,000 for doing. One Of his
bills was Si.+8+.sJ. He got 3l76 from
Fowler.
Judge Irwin said that In one instance he
made n search on a parcel OF land and