The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

been found to exist in comparing the assessment lists of the various truckers and contractors with their known income from the city.
 The cases of the Thomas G. Smith Company, the Waterbury Mason Supply Company and the Thomas F. Jackson Company indicate a situa- ton concerning which there has been no satisfactory explanation. The books of the Thomas G. Smith Company reveal the receipt of pay mentS from the city for the year 1883 of $3,678.81, whereas the Grand Jury has received evidence of pay ments by the city to this company in that year totaling $11, ,440.78. For the year 1884, the books of the com- pany indicate receipt from the city of payments of $8,846.10 as against evidence before this Grand Jury in- dicating payment by the city to the Thomas c. Smith Company for that year totaling $18,714.34. For the year 1885, the company's books indicate receipt from the city of $4,634.90, whereas the Grand Jury has re- ceived evidence of payments by the city to the Thomas G. Smith Com pany for that year of $24,221.8l.
 A similar situation prevails with respect to the Waterbury Supply Company, the name under which Ralph Devino has done business. For the year 1884 the books of that company indicate receipts from the City of Waterbury totaling $39,- 29842, whereas the Grand Jury has received evidence of payments by the city to that company in that
 one year alone aggregating $78,- 294.36. In 1885 there is similar dis crepancy between the records of the company and information as to pay ments by the city to that company of approximately $27,000.
 The books of the Thomas F. Jackson Company indicate the re- ceipt of payments from the City of Waterbury in 1884 totaling $2,512.38. In contrast to this, however, the Grand Jury has received evidence of payments to the Jackson Company for the same year totaling $15.701.35, the difference amounting to $13,- 1897. This single item amounting to $13,188.97 appears to have been drawn in one payment which was paid at the bank in September, 1884 but not entered on the warrants payable register sheet until Decem- Der 31, 1884. In 1885, according to the books of the Jackson Company there were receipts from the city totaling $2,043.50. AS against this, the Grand Jury has received evil dence of payments to the company for that year totaling $9,28050.
 Discrepancies Alleged
 The reason for these discrepancies between the books of the respective companies and available information as to the payments made by the city to them has not yet been de- termined.
 There is, therefore, reasonable ground to believe that the enormous sums paid to these favored truckers and contractors during the Hayes Leary administration were unwar- ranted and that such services as may have been in fact rendered were not commensurate with the sums paid for them. There is also reason to believe that where such large payments for truck hire and similar services have been made, es- pecially where the trucker or con- tractor in question was, according to the records of the assessors office, the owner of little or no equipment, the full amount of pay ments received from the city was not retained by the contractor or trucker in question.
 All Checks Cashed
 Significant to this Grand Jury, as indicating the irregularity and probable corrupt nature of many of these large transactions, is the fact that most of the truckers and con- tractors mentioned, though they have active bank accounts, have systematically cashed all checks re- ceived from the city, a practice which they apparently do not fol- low in their ordinary business trans actions with private patrons. Large amounts of this cash have appar- ently found their way into safe de- posit boxes, in some instances out side the state. These facts are sufficient in themselves to warrant the conclusion that the relationship between city and contractor was of such nature as to invite conceal ment. Honest men do not deal in such large sums of cash.
 Between the years 1885 and 1887, the Mayor and the Comptroller had the services of the so-called Under writers Investigation Bureau oper- ated in the person of one John G. Purdie, also known as Jack Conway. Purdie was employed by the Mayor and the Comptroller as private de- tective. He apparently was engaged solely in securing information of a political nature for the city admin istration. and among his other functions was that of attending ral- lies and meetings of the opposition party and reporting thereon to the Mayor and the Comptroller. He oc- cupied the position, it seems, of off, cial snooper for the Mayor and the Comptroller. for which services he was paid, so far as existing records reveal, in excess of $10,000. Purdie has remained out of the jurisdiction and has refused to present himself to this Grand Jury for questioning. Not only was there no appropriation to cover the payments made to Pur- die by the Mayor and the Comp troller, but his employment by them was in violation of law.
 More Benefits Alleged
 Throughout the entire eight years of the Hayes-Leary administration, William J. Roach, Superintendent of Police, has been an important factor and. apparently, the recipient of benefits. In 1892 while 70