The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-08
ACCOUNTS OF
VIM. Y. CLEARY
UNDER FIRE
State Department Finds
Discrepancies in Financial
Affairs of Haverstraw.
CRIMINAL ACTION Is
LIKELY TO FOLLOW

NsANr. April Eugene NJ. Travis,
State Comptroller, has unearthed
Caring discrepancies in the financial
accounts of the town OF Haverstraw.
Rockland county. which may result In
criminal proceedings being brought
again against william v. Cleary. for
merry town clerk and Democratic boss
O. fiaverstraw. Cleary was acquitted
hv a jury which tried him for the muir
de- Of Eugene Newman.
In addition 10 Cleary other former
officials of Haver.traw may be involved
in the investigation by Comptroller
Travis The whereabouts OF Cleary
since he was set free are not known.
Comptroller Travis sent Deputy Comp
tfoler Warren l. Lee and four OF his
municipal accounts examiners TO Haver-
s,iaW TO examine the financial accounts
Of the town. They discovered at the
outset that all of the records for many
years pas, we're missing. Inquiry made
among the members OF the town board
elected the information that they were
given to Cleary for deposit in the ar
chves OF the Town Hail.
Ia questioning Warren Basley. who
was the Overseer OF the Poor during
1910 10 1918. about the accounts, Seputy
Comptroller Lee learned that Basley
without asking any questions signed his
name to blank checks and turned them
over to Cleary. IL was further ascer-
tanned that the amount withdrawn from
the bank ON these checks was more than
double the sum given in the report by
the Overseer of tho Poor TO the Superin-
,endent Of the Poor. Basley admitted
under oath that he had never been in
the bank. was ignorant about what the
reports contained and that he relied on
Cleary 10 make out the reports.
CIeary HAD his Bank Deposits.
Al the National Bank Of Haverstraw.
where Cleary deposited his money. the
examiners found that the Town Clerk.
whose salary obtained in fees was esti-
mated at 81 900 year, had deposited
In 1919 more than $4,000. A surpris-
Ing feature OF his accounts was that
each time he overdrew his accounts the
checks from Basley, the overseer Of the
poor, arrived.
Deputy Comptroller Lee conducted the
private examination of the witnesses. In
The room in the Town Hall where
Cleary killed young Newman after A
Josiah Felter. the Supervisor, and Bas-
lev. the Overseer of the Poor signed
waivers OF immunity before they gave
their testimony.
Felier. who has been the Supervisor
for sbou, thirty years, was examined
fs' by Deputy Comptroller Lee. He
was present in the room when Newman
vas shot. Feiter said that Cleary kept
the min utes at all meetings of the town
hoard and that during the years 1916
% 1913 he fled with the Town Clerk
an The records. This included the sums
o. money expended.
The Supervisor asked Felter what hs
lad done with the stubs from the check
book. He stated that his wife had found
t.s stubs and had burned Them.
Felter testified that Cleary rendered
bills. OF which he never kept any 40
count, and that they were paid. Ole
claims kept on coming in and they were
Promptly met by payment, Felter testi
ned.
IN 1913 1t was shown tina; Felter drew
checks amounting to s5.o30.s3 to CleaTv
Didn't you think that it was queel
mat these old claims continued to ccm'
ln?' he was asked.