Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-07-16
s. ?. c. A. AGENT
HAS RECEIVED
HALF OF FINES
Assembly Investigation Shows
That Lewis G. Teed Was
Beneficiary.

It developed I'm the course of the
investigation of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty TO Animals,
made by the committee of the As
sembly appointed for that purpose
and held today i'm Chancery Cham
bers. that at least one of the agents
of the society received one half Of
all of the fines collected by him prior
to May l.
This agent is Lewis c. Teed who
has been special agent of the So
ciety for about eighteen years. Col,
onel Edward s. Edwards, president
of the society. who until the begin
ming of this year. has also been its
superintendent, was the only witness
examined. After he had made this
statement, and an effort was made
to find out how much Mr.. Teed made
each year, further admissions were
prevented by the lawyers foI the
society.
The hearing was adjourned until
August 6, when II will proceed in the
offices Of the tax commissioners on
the tenth floor of the Kinney build
ing In the meantime, Colonel Ed
wards and his assistants will be re-
quired to make a complete and eX-
plicit analysis of the books of rhe
society.
Charles S. Piugrim conducted
the examination for the committee,
while Judge Thomas A. Davis, of Or
ange and Jerome r. Congleton ap-
peared as attorneys for the State So
ciety
Replying to Mr. Pilgrims ques-
tions, Colonel Edwards said that there
were now about eighteen societies
in various localities throughout the
State. Although these district So
cieties derived their charters from
the State body, no jurisdiction was
exercised over them. The State so
ciety only operates in localities where
county or district body has not
been organized
Agents Not Bonded.
Colonel Edwards said that the sew
eral agents of the society collected
the fines imposed and turned them
into the office. The amounts so
turned in were entered in a book,
with the names of the agent, the
justice who imposed the fine, the de-
fendants name and the amount
paid.
Has it been your custom to audit
the docket in the offices of the JUS
tees and see whether they conform
to the report of your agent?" asked
Mr.. Pilgrim.
No" responded Colonel Edwards;
but | have examined the dockets
once In a while You understand
that the amount paid by the agent
must agree with the sum shown on
the docket"
ra tyo1r ananfc honIa1
mo, sir"
The colonel told the committee that
Lewis C. Teed has been a special
agent for the society for a number
of years, and that until last May he
received one-half of all the fines col
lected by him. Mr.. Pilgrim was
going further in this line, when Mr.
Congleton shut off the questions by
offering to furnish an explanation of
the whole system.
Mr.. Pilgrim named several justices
of the peace, and tried to get Ed
wards to say how many times de-
PENDANTS had been brought before
each of them, but was not successful
in this direction. 1t was then agreed
that an analysis of the books of the
society would be made for the COM
mittee and brought at the next meet
ing. This would show the number of
cases brought before each justice.
the amount of his fees, the number
of arrests made by each agent and
the amount of fines collected
The society has, under the law, col
lected fines imposed for cruelty to
animals since 1868 The statute has
been amended several times. At one
time the complainant in any proceed
ing would receive one-half of the
penalty imposed but since 1908 the
statute has given the society the
whole fine.