davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

--A-
 At the head of this group in fact,
 as well as in name, has stood T.
 Frank Hayes, mayor of the city of
 Waterbury and lieutenant gover-
 nor of the state of Connecticut -" vancement. At the head of this group in fact, as well as in name, for eight years has stood T. Frank Hayes, Mayor of the City of Water bury and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Connecticut. As early in his administration as 1881, he made himself the responsible party in all matters of city administration through the enactment of the so- called Strong Mayor" charter, as- suming at that time absolute con- trol of all departments and branches of the municipal govern ment and exercising that control with unusual wilfulness ever since. This strong centralization of power gave rise to the corrupt transac- tions herein related, and made pos- sible in large part the concealment of these transactions from the citi- zens and taxpayers of the city. The responsibility, therefore, for the rampant corruption which has ex- isted throughout his administration and which will be hereafter de- tailed is primarily his.
 Leary Closely Allied
 An inseparable ally throughout these eight years has been Daniel J. Leary, who held the office of Comptroller. His ready access to the funds of the city by virtue of his office made him a valuable and Indispensable member of the group. Largely through his dishonest con- euct of the duties of his office has ahe corruption hereinafter detailed slourished, and ironically enough, Eaa this corruption ultimately
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

The complete report is as follows:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20
Scathng Indictment Written by Extraordinary Jury

Comptroller's once. For the years 1886 and 1897 some vouchers and cancelled checks are available. The warrants payable and encumbrance registers for the years, 1930, 1881, 1892, 1893, and 1884 are available, but many of the sheets have been abstracted therefrom and are now missing. For the year 1885 the war rants payable register is available and is partially complete, but the encumbrance register is missing. All warrants payable register sheets for 1936 and for the first eleven months of 1897 are missing.
 Missing Sheets
 Since the warrants payable register sheets are the most important single record in revealing the evidence of corrupt management of the city's affairs, the following may be of in- terest:
 For the year 1880, Al sneets have been abstracted from the warrants payable register book and are now missing.
 For the year 1881, 30 sheets have been removed from the warrants payable register book and are now missing.
 For the year 1892, 28 sheets have been removed from the warrants payable register book and are now missing.
 For the year 1883, 76 sheets have been removed from the warrants payable register book and are now missing.
 For the year 1884, 32 sheets have been removed from the warrants payable register book and are now missing.
 For the year 1895, 27 sheets have been removed from the warrants payable register book and are now missing.
 For the years 1896 and 1897 the entire book of warrants payable register sheets is missing, except for a few of the December 1887 sheets.
 The total number of missing sheets from 1930-1935, not including those in the missing books for 1886 and 1897, is 234.
 In addition, many sheets were re- moved from the appropriation ledger.
 The Grand Jury has concluded that the various warrants payable register sheets and ledger sheets which are missing were deliberately abstracted from the loose-leaf bind- CTS in which they were filed for the purpose of concealing or destroying the evidence of corrupt transactions which they bore.
 Checks, Invoices Gone
 Most of the cancelled checks, in- voices, vouchers, purchase orders and other records which are miss ing for the years 1930-1936 were stored in cardboard transfer cases in the Comptroller's storeroom in the basement of the Municipal Building. The contents of ninety
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

To the Honorable Superior Court for New Haven County at Water jury.
 The Extraordinary Grand Jury impanelled on March 8, 1888 and in- structed by the Hon. Ernest A. Inglis, a Judge of the Superior Court, to conduct an investigation into the affairs of the City of Waterbury and such other matters as might, in the course of such investigation, come to its attention, respectfully reports:
 Pursuant to the courts instruc- tions, the Grand Jury immediately organized, elected Carl 4. Lundgren, foreman, and George H. Cowdell, clerk, and thereupon notified Hugh M. Alcorn, Special Attorney for the State, that it was prepared to pro- ceed with the examination of wit nesSeS. Since that date, approxi- mately one hundred and forty witt nesses have been examined under oath and their testimony recorded in some siXty-five hundred pages of transcript. The examination of witnesses and the deliberations of the Grand Jury covering forty-siX sessions, several of which continued into the night, have proceeded with all possible dispatch. This Grand Jury has now reached 8 stage at which it seems expedient to report with certain findings and recom- mendations before embarking upon @tt of 1,A iuo tiNv,
 Covers Wide Range
 An inquiry of such magnitude as this must necessarily embrace many and apparently unrelated subjects. Matters which at first and on super ficial examination, appeared to the Grand Jury as not germane to this investigation, have since required its attention. The findings and recom- mendations contained in this report must, therefore, cover wide range of subjects. .''
 The evidence presented has req sonably and logically led the Grand Jury to believe that a state of facts exists which requires action by the prosecuting authorities. Those facts and the Grand Jury's sug- gestions as to actions thereon are hereinafter set forth. In making this report specific transactions which are condemned are cited. It should not be understood, however, that the illustrations given neces- sarily represent all of the informa- ton upon which this report is based. The Grand Jury has, therefore, reasonable ground to find each fact and conclusion hereinafter set forth.
 Ruthless and Corrupt
 Since the election of T. Frank Hayes as Mayor of the City of Wa terbury and Daniel J. Leary as Comptroller in the fall of 1929 and their assumption of the duties of their respective offices in January, 1880, the City of Waterbury has been under the domination of a small but powerful, ruthelss and corrupt group of men who have managed the affairs of the city for personal financial gain and political ad-
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20
Waterbury's City
 Officials, Lobbyists
 Bear Brunt Of Blame
Corruption Charged Throughout in Lengthy Report Submitted to Judge Ernest Inglis Last Night;
 Prominent Citizens Cited as Deserving Censure

Graft corruption conspiracy and charges of malfea- sance office together with the recommendation that 27 be arrested incorporated in the report of the Waterbury Extraordinary Grand Jury, which filed in Superior Court with Judge Ernest A. Ings last night at 630 o'clock
 The report, "A pages long, enbodyng 21000 words, was read aloud in the court by Carl Lundgren of Ansonia foreman of the jury.
 The complete report is as follows:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

lock was placed on the door of this
 storer00m under the orders of
 Martin J. Dunn, purchasing agent
 in the comptroller's office ."
 nine of these cardboard transfer cases have been removed and, so far as is known, burned or otherwise destroyed. 5rf.
 In the fall of 1887, a special pad lock was placed on the door of this storeroom upon the orders of Martin J. Dunn, Purchasing Agent in the Comptroller's office. One key of the. paddock was delivered to Comp troller Leary and the other two remained in the custody of Dunn. Thenceforth no one, including the personnel of the Comptroller's office itself, was permitted to enter the Comptroller's storeroom without the permission or personal escort of Martin J. Dunn. The purpose of this extra lock was to make un- available for inspection by the pub lie or by the incoming Comptroller records of an extremely incrimin- ating nature to the Hayes-Leary administration and to sequester them until such time as their re- moval and destruction could be ac- complished. There is convincing evidence that the removal and des- truction of these and other records of the Comptroller'S office were upon the specific orders of Daniel J. Leary, Comptroller. The Grand Jury has concluded that the removal and destruction of these records of the city were motivated by a desire to destroy all documentary evidence of the rampant corruption of the Hayes-Leary administration. In the apparent haste of the Comptroller and his group to destroy all such evidence, certain cancelled checks, vouchers, invoices and warrants pay able register sheets were overlooked, and these documents are now in the possession of the Grand Jury.
 Corruption Is Charged
 The Grand Jury cannot express strongly enough its views respecting tIlC COllduCt VI VAiC CAVy AuldllCldl affairs by Daniel J. Leary with the cooperation particularly. it seems, of Mayor Hayes and his secretary, Thomas P. Kelly. Corruption and mismanagement were apparently the rule rather than the exception. Provisions of the city charter were wilfully ignored. The appropriations made in the regular course were treated as meaningless fo:malities. The taxpayers money was appar- ently considered an inexhaustible reservoir to be drawn upon at will for the personal gain and political advancement of a few. Daniel J. Leary and the office of Comptroller as operated by him throughout the eight years of the Hayes-Leary ad- ministration were the focal point around which the rest of the admin istration,s corrupt activities re- volved. .
 From such records as are avail able to the Grand Jury. 1t appears that the practice of adding items to the warrants payable register sheets after the sheets had been before the Board of Finance was first adopted during the month oi May, 1880, but was not used veey extensively until 1881. Thenceforth
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

e.. from that time until his i'm
 voluntary retirement from the
 office of comptroller he has i'm dulged in ... one of the most cor rupt and despicable practices con-
 ceivable .'
 for concealing corrupt and illegal payments by the addition of these items to sheets already approved, the Comptroller began in 1881 a practice which he continued through out the rest of his term of office of adding large illegal items to the warrants payable register sheets which had already been approved and which would not again be placed before the board for approval. This he obviously did with full knowledge of Section 85 of the city charter which provides:
 "The Board of Finance shall ex-
 anime claims and accounts against
 the city submitted for it's approval
 and approve, by the signature of
 a ma jority of its members, such
 claims or accounts as 1t shall find
 to be justly due, and no bill shall
 be paid until approved by a ma
 jority of the Board of Finance
 in writing"
 Items Easily Separated
 The items added are easily dis coverable since each bears the date of its posting on, the warrants pay able register sheets and by compar- ing these dates with the date of ap- proval as indorsed upon the back of the sheets, the number of items ad- ded to the warrants payable regis ter sheets becomes apparent even upon a superficial examination. AL though many of the warrants pay able register sheets bore such added items which even laynaan could
The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-20

For eleven g a
 
 
  f GeoseC S. A KebesJo H. Fhasan nd Fr New of e1bmy
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
Chamber Displays
Warning Applicable
To Pension Plan

A new sign in the window at the
El Centre Chamber of Commerce
Is declared to be a strong argument
against the $50 per week pension
plan for California.
The sign was printed in Canada.
It reads: To all retail merchants:
In fairness to the retail trade, and
for its protection, the wholesalers
and manufacturers of the under
signed trade organizations are an
xiuos that you should understand
their position with respect to the
proposed Alberta Prosperity Certi-
ficates to which they have given
serious consideration.
They have therefore requested
lis TO advise you that they will be
unable to accept the prosperity GER
tificates if issued" The sign is sign
ed by the Edmondton Chamber of
Commerce, Calgary Board of Trade,
Lethbridge Board of Trade, Red
2eer Board of Trade, Medicine Hat
Chamber of Commerce, and the AL
berta branch OF the Canadian Man
u.acturers association.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
John Knapp Files
Suit on Rental

Charging that his brother and
sister-in Law did not pay him his
share of the profits for sale and
rental of property he alleged they
held jointly, John H. Knapp Tues
day filed suit against Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles w. Knapp of Ell Centro.
He described property he alleged
they acquired in Cucamonga in
1911 and said Mr.. and Mrs. Knapp
took title to it and held one half
of it in trust for him. He later
left California, he said, and did
not learn the facts concerning his
relatives handling of the property
until this year.
He asked for an accounting of
all rents, profits, and income from
the Cucamonga property and the
same details concerning some in
Pasadena and Ell Centro he alleged
his brother and his wife acquired
as part of the consideration from
sale of portions of the Cucamonga
land. He also asked the court to
determine his half of the property
and its earnings and demanded as
damages one half of the income
from it.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
He eDuped Me. IL
Gave Him Money!
Saws Unionist

Continued From Page u
liam Bioff, Hollywood agent for
the union, and represented that
Mayer had called for the investi-
cation, Mayer said during lengthy
testimony.
Mayer said he convinced Bioft
that he had nothing to do with
the inquiry, after which the union
agent assertedly told the producer
over the telephone that "Neblett
told me that I've been duped
I gave that man money"
The grand jury reopened the
public inquiry today after recess
from August.
Clayton Adams, one of the two
investigators hired by the COM
mittee, appeared briefly. District
Attorney Otis Babcock said in view
of the appeal made by the men to
the state supreme court to prevent
them from testifying. he would
await decision before continuing
their case Adams and William
Silliman were convicted of con-
tempt of court for refusing to tes-
tify.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
CaIipatria Amer.
Legion Group Meets

The American Legion and the
Auxiliary held their regular meet
ing Monday night.
The men discussed plans for the
Armistice Day celebration which
will be held at the fair grounds in
Imperial instead of Calipatria as
first planned
The SATURDAY night dances spon-
sored by the Legion each year will
be started as soon as an orchestra
sn be obtained
The Auxiliary heard a report of
the County Council by Miss Julia
Riley and of the state convention
by Mrs. C. A. Sperry
It was decided that the Auxiliary
would serve luncheons for parties
for any one wishing to have them
at the Ic3icn hall. Mrs. M. L.
Mckendry and Mrs. w. j. Young
were asked to place set of menus
to be approved at the next meet
ing. Any one interested in giving
a party can consult either member
of the commi@e.
1t was decided to hold a potluck
dinner at the next meeting to
which the men We're invited and
they accepted without protest. Mrs.
j. G. Writ and Mrs. M. l.. McKen-
CRY will plan the dinner.
Mrs. Elsie Mead, a member. who
is quite i'll was remembered at the
meeting.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
Fawcett Names
Committee TO War
On Proposition

Members of a committee organiz-
ed this week to campaign against
proposition 20, the single tax
measure which will appear on the
November ballot. were announced
Thursday by H. w. Fawcett, chair
man.
They are: from BraWley, Paul
Palmer, Ralph Stilgenbaur, Leslie
E. Adams, w. F.. Peterson, Charles
Morrow, S. D. Carey, Harvey Arch
las; from Calexico, c. w. Brock
man, Mrs. r. L. Glasby, l.. G. Hawk,
Earl Roberts; from Calipatria,
Frank Grubel, Mrs. Roy l.. Kuns,
c. o. Hoober; from Ell Centro, H.
r. Anderson, w. d. Carey, Leo Het-
eel, Mrs. F. D. Jacobs, Mrs. H. T.
Miller, w. II. Tyler, jr., Dan West,
Leslie Mcconnell, Norman Deaton,
Eddie Moore, Ben Hulse; from
Holtville, Ned Holmes, F. Roy
Thompson; from Westmorland,
Clarence Walker; from Imperial,
W. S. Dunn, d. " Stewart, L. G.
Niles, j. o. Murphy, D. T. Carter
and G.. II. Harris.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
Gala Bargain Day
To Make History,
Merchants Say
Continued from Page u

I
patrol the streets Friday. Banners
will go up Friday afternoon.
Merchants this year are featur-
ing not only new merchandise of
up to the minute styles at lowered
prices, but also regular stocks at
bargain figures" johnson pointed
out. As an indication of the mag
nitude of the sale, he estimated
more than sl,000,000 in merchan-
disc of every conceivable descrip-
ton would be displayed before the
public. More than 100 extra clerks
in addition to regular staffs will
be on hand to serve customers in
Main street stores.
Virtually every line of business
in the city benefits from such a
community demonstration, he de-
clared. Gasoline stations, restaur-
ants, automobile agencies, barber
shops, groceries, jewelry stores, even
professional men, benefit from the
new faces that will be drawn to
town"
Stores will open between $3.50
and 9 am. and close at 9 pm. al
lowing full II hours for the busi-
ness day, Johnson announced.
Merchants have cooperated al
most 100 per cent" he asserted,
'and worked closely with the
Chamber of commerce committee in
charge. Members of the committee
are Warren Currier, Gordon Scriv-
en-, M o. King and M. O. King, jr.,
E. E. Clements, Massie Horton, and
j. z. Burns.
Extra large stocks of merchan-
disc on the shelves for this time
of year is one factor which should
help to make the sale more sue
cessful than ever before Johnson
pointed out.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
3Liquor Cases
Will be Heard
Here Saturday

Judge Franklin Cole, referee TO-
the state board Of equalization
will be at board headquarters in
Ell Centro at 10 a. m. Saturday to
hear testimony in three liquor
cases
Giro Yam, asali Brawley dealer,
is charged with buying alcoholic
beverages from a person who does
not have a wholesalers license. E.
K. Iwata and K. Shimoda, Brawiey
grocers, are charged with selling it
to him.
Adclph Jiminez, Brawley, is
charged with permitting beer to be
consumed at his grocery store when
he does not have a license per-
hitting liquor to be consumed at
his place of business. He also is
charged by police with permitting
disorderly conduct at this store.
Judge Cole will make his recon-
mendations to the board and they
will make decisions in the cases.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13

fiolns sooner or later Under
sheriff George Brereton said. land
wen eet him then.
Granville. armed with a high
powered rifle given him by his
mother. twice emded police who at
tempted to trap him.
Ee escaped deputies at his moth
ers isome Monday night by diving
th1ouRh "a window. and slipped
through . police dragnet Tuesday
after he was seen in the same
district
Granville escaped from a prison
rosd camp July 25. near Escondido
where he was serving a 7l5 year
senteace for completely in cracking
. safe.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13

Pensacola, Fla.
Northeast storm warnings be-
tween Morgan City, La, and Port
Arthur, Tex, were ordered down
but small craft from Morgan City
to Tarpon Springs, Fla, were ad-
vised to remain in port.
The advisory said: THE tropical
disturbance has moved very little
during the last six hours and was
centered at midnight, est, 275 to
29O miles south of New Orleans, at
tended by strong shifting winds
and squalls up to 48 miles per hour.
The slow movement indicates
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13

the disturbance probably will curve
to north northeast or northeast
and begin to move more rapidly
within the next few hours. From
present indications the center of
the disturbance will pass a short
distance east of Port Eads, La,
this afternoon and move inland over
The Pensacola Mobile area tonight"
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
Fox Lures Hounds
From Screen Test

HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 13. tUP)--
Director w. S. Van Dyke today
locked for the prankster who
thought it would be funny to set a
fox free while 30 fox hounds were
being given screen tests,
Van Dyke had everything set to
go and was ready to order the test
when suddenly M. Reynard a movie
fox, came bounding along in full
view of the dogs. That ended the
test.
The last time Van Dyke saw the
dogs they were going out the studio
gate after the fox. The fox, van
Dyke later learned, found refuge
beneath a funeral home four blocks
aWay
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13

Dali, international organizer, and
the other defendants waited in the
courtroom for a verdict.
The jury returned to the court
room yesterday to hear the reading
of portions of the testimony, which
was believed TO have been an indi-
cation that verdict was near, but
the jurors still were balloting when
they were ordered locked up at 10
o'clock last night.
The case went to the jury Tues
day after l3 weeks trial in which
the teamsters officials were charg-
ed with having extorted s50.16 from
R. w. Lacey, truck operator, under
threat of calling strike of his
employees.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
Czechs Refuse
Hungarian Terms
Continued. from Page II


mia which Hungary demanded
along with vital railroad lines.
Hungarian delegates accused the
Czechs of "dilatory tactics.
The Czech delegation was COM
posed entirely of Slovak minority
leaders headed by Josef Tiso, Slo-
yak premier, presumably because
the disputed area lies mostly in
Slovak. 1t was announced that
Tiso had not attended this morn
ing's session, that he had sent word
that urgent matters required his
presence at Bratislava. Among the
Czech delegation however, was Fer
dinand Durcsansky, just back from
a hurried trip to Berlin, the pur-
pose of which, Hungarians suspect
ed, was to bid for German support.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
Imperial Valley Press

Esfnbusb.d April 10. 1901.
Published every afternoon except
ssfurd8y and sunday saturday
afternoon issue now succeeded by
The Posf-Press sunday establish
ed 1885, by the imperial Valley
Publishing Company, 625 State
street, E1 Cenfro. Calf
Entered mt VI CeLsro, California
pnsf office ms second Class matter.
Paul Jenkins. publishers A. G..
Johnston, yjes-presideBf and gem
sreIe ynsps1eyt y. a. Fffzb6eh,
secretary sod managing editor.
wssf-BoIIfdsy co., Inc, National
Advertising Representative.
Members Califorsis Newspaper
Publishers Assoe1afiDo.
snbserfpfIOD Usfss5 Sc per copy.
In e0alur sfl0B with the Post
Press fsoBdaysDs per sonfb, GOei
pnfd .. ~dvareef vqffUfbs ~ ".
Q montbs sS.zSf oas rear sd.Ve.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
Farm Worker Dies
Under Automobile

BAKERSFIELD, Oct 13. tUP)-
Walking to his home on the White
ranch at Mcfarland late last night,
Henry East, 55, was struck and
killed instantly by an automobile
driven, highway patrol officers
said, by James M. Andrews, 43, of
Mcfarland.
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
TOO BIG FOR PHONE BOOTH

CLEVELAND. Oct. 13. UP)-
When 250-pound Henry Wolkers-
dorfer. 81, suffered a heart attack
while in a phone booth talking to
his wife, two police ambulance op-
orators found it necessary to tear
down the door to extricate him. He
recovered
Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-13
New Deal Develops
Defenses Against
Pension Schemes
0C0n tinued from Pare -

tedlInueQ from rage ID
to $50 month, reducing the maxi
mum but giving more persons more
money by increasing the base pen
sion figure.
4. Raise the percentage Of maxi
mum federal grants for dependents
children from one third to one half
OF the total cost Of the project.
S. Simplify unemployment bsne-
Fit procedure.
economy; develop simpler methods
8. Achieve greater administrative
OF calculating and paying berie-
tits; and reduce detailed work re-
CURED Of employers il complying
with unemployment compensation
provisions of the act.