The sun., 1918-10-03
SPELLED COCKS AS
COX ON TAX MEMO
Chief Clerk Steinsieck Says He
Did It to Detect a News
paper Man.
TESTIFIES AT HEARING
Witness Tells of Mystery Re-
garding Large Buyer of
Nassau County Realty.
TESTIFIES AT HEARING

idea Of protecting ex-Representative. w.
w. Cocks. but to find out who was
sending a New York newspaper informa-
ton about Nassau county tax sale meth
DDS. did Charles Steinsieck. chief clerk
OF County Treasurer William i. Luy-
ster, run his pen through the name OF
Cocks on a memorandum and write
the name Cox" instead. Mr.. Steinsieck SO
testified yesterday in the John Doe In
vestigation OF tax lien customs before
Magistrate Appleton in the Municipal
Building.
Mrs. Lena steinbers OF EOS De Kalb
avenue, Brooklyn, had previously testi-
fled that when she went to Mr.. Luyster's
office in Mineola early this month. to
find out who had bought from the county
two lots in westbury which her father.
Max Knopf, had lost because Of unpaid
taxes. she learned that the buyer was
Mr.. Cocks A clerk gave her memo
randum on which he had written wv. w.
Cocks, Westbury. l.. t." she said. and
Chief Clerk Steinsieck crossed out
Cocks" and substituted Cox"
On the stand yesterday Mr.. Steinsieck
agreed that such was the fact.
Knows of Mr.. Cocks.
DO you know w. w Cocks7' asked
Assistant District Attorney Waugh.
II know OF him.
You'd know him II you saw him?'
'Oh, yes'
What did you say to Mrs. Steinberg
when you made the change with your
penn"
II said, That's the way spell it."
why did you do that?"
n
reason"
WAS 1t that you desired to cover
up the record Of the property's being
owned by w. w. Cooks?'
"Oh, no couldn't do that IL I wanted
to. In another place in the same memo
randum Mr.. Cocks's name was spelled
properly. and Mrs Steinberg had access
to all the records"
Then did you wish to put the woman
on a false scent SO she could not find
Mr.. Cocks?''
''Oh, no; clerk gave her full direc-
tons how to get to his home"
well, then, what was your reason?'
He Gives His Reason.
WELL" said Mr.. Steinsieck. "the
World had a representative at Mineola
and 1 wanted to find out who he was.
had my suspicious. The man 1 had
in mind was standing at the door, look
ing in. while Mrs. Steinberg was in my
office. 1 said to myself Here's his
chance to exploit the name of Cocks
and earn IS for sending an article to
his paper. I'll spell the name COX"
and II it appears that way in the paper
will have found out who the cor
respondent is'"
The correspondent in question repre-
sents In Nassau county most of the New
York papers, Is one of the best known
men in the county and knows the name
w. w. Cocks almost as we'll as he
does his own, It should be explained
Mr.. Steinsieck said that this correspond
ent had told him he represented the
Brooklyn Times.
Mr.. Ste!nsieck told Mr. Waugh that
several years ago, before he entered
the County Treasurer's office, he him
self had bought two lots at a county
tax sale for s12, had paid the taxes on
them and had three title searches made,
and had offered them to the original
owner for $3.50, but would take less"
Wanted to DO Square Thing.
Il bought the lots TO own them" he
explained. but after entered the en-
ploy OF the county would be only too
glad to redeem them"
You thought that this was only the
square thing. since you had become
county officer?"
THAT was It,"
at appeared from his testimony that
surrounds the identity Of one
OF the largest buyers OF property sold
for taxes in Nassau county. He is
down In the books as Charles r. Nc |
Carthy, Baldwins. L. l."
I'VE can't find out who he is" said |
Mr.. Steinsieck. Some saw he's n |
farmer, others a carpenter Then there's |
a Charles H. Fabens, who I understand
Is attorney for Mccarthy. The only ad- |
dress we have for Fabens Is a post office |
box. and the post office people won't |
reveal the street address" |
IF the whole county tax office can't
lind who Mccarthy and Fabens are and !
where they live 1t would be pretty diff !
cult for the original owner OF the prop- !
erty they had bought to find them so he |
could buy II back, wouldn't it?" sug-
sested Mr.. Waugh.
We'll. we give them the addresses |
that we have of Mccarthy and Fabens,"
Mr.. Steinsieck answered.
Letters Put in Evidence.
Several letters were put in evidence in |
which Mr.. Steinsieck told original own |
ers that II their lots were occupied or |
they could be redeemed at |
The County Treasurers office. Otherwise
you will have to redeem from the tax
sale purchaser and at his terms the
letters said.
Magistrate Appleton told II. Stewart
Mcknight, attorney for Nassau county. |
that the name and address Of every real
estate buyer should be written on the
deed and that the assessors should be |
to send notice to each owner
L his taxes were not paid This. said
the Magistrate, would prevent trouble.
which in many cases Is distressing 10
The owner.
That has been suggested, but the
property owners object to it," said Mr..
Mcknight
Michael Petite of Jamaica, who had
bought at Nassau county tax sale 500
OTIS for as little as 81 apiece. had offered
% sell them to the original owner Mrs
=. Bloomer of Yonkers, for $50 apiece
But he testified that he would be wIllIng
o sell the whole 800 lots, or any part OF
hem, at any price the Mayors Com
nittee on Taxation would suggest. and
give the proceeds to the Red Cross
The hearing will be continued this
afternoon. MIR, Steinsieck will TESTIFY
again at IL A. NJ next Wednasd,,,