THE NEW YORK CITY FRAUDS

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 403, 31 January 1872, Page 3

THE NEW YORK CITY FRAUDS

The Joint Committee of aldermen, supervisors, and citizens appointed to investigate the doings of "the Ring" in New York, have finished their reports.

These reports are voluminous, and they will be found on examination to be comprehensive and conclusive. They establish beyond .any reasonable doubt of any impartial mind several most damning facts. They show — 1. That the city debt is practically 120,000,000d01. 2. Thai; not merely extravagance but " fraud and speculations of the grossest character have been practised in several departments '' with the knowledge of their heads. 3. That the debt has been doubled every two years since ISGO. 4. That the mayor is responsible for the continuation of the wholesale robbeiy of the city. 5. That it costs nearly as much (30,000,000 clols.) a year to run the Government of this city as to administer that of the whole nation. 6. That while 3,221, 5G.x101. 62c. were paid for Armory repairs, &c, tho actual expenditure was not more than 202,4G3d01. In other words, the Ring stole on Armory accounts alone 3,0?9,402d01. 62c. 7. That immense sums have been paid for services unperformed to men unknown in the offices from which they drew their salaries. 8. That the Schuyler frauds, by which the bills of one contractor were raised from 48.000d01. to 4(>3.000dol. were commitred thro'igli the connivance of William M. Tweed. The ' Tribune ' says :— " More damning facts relating to the great thefts of Tammany ai-e coming out. An examination of practical workmen discloses more fully the shameful frauds which everybody knew had been perpetrated is furnishing the New Court House. The famous carpets, which were reputed to have cost uver 360,000d01., are found to be worth, when new, only 12,000d01. There is only 100,000 dol. worth of furniture where the insatiate Ingerscll claims to have put in about one million and a half dollars worth ; and a beggarly 140,000d01. would liberally pay for the cabinet and carpenter work which Miller, Tngei'soll-, and the rest got Over a million fo^ doing. This is swindling on the largest scale.

Where the millions on millions of city funds have gone to, we may never clearly ascertain.. The cash has been divided among many men, but it was raked out of the Treasury by the connivance of Mr A.. Oalcey Hall, Richard B. Cpnolly, Wm. M. Tweed, James Watson, and Peter B. Sweeny. In some forth or another, one or all of these men certified to the genuineness of the socalled claims against the city on which the stupendous frauds were committed. On their responsibility the money was "disbursed ; who: had shares in the stolen cash we can only giiess«"