Prosecutor's Informant Fund' Is Cut Off Prosecutor Procedure Changes
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Prosecutor's Informant Fund' Is Cut Off SEE STORY BELOW Chance of Snow THEDAEY FINAL Clearing, cold, chance of light snow today. Clearing, milder tonight. Fair, milder tomor- EDITION row. Monmouth County's Home Newspaper for 92 Years VOL. 93, NO. 155 RED BANK, N. J., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1970 31 PAGES 10 CENTS im.iiit.^iihiiUiJ^ii^iiiiJii.iLmjir^LiiiiWi^.y.iiJiii^riiiiJiJjii^^iJUiiL^ijiiiiiiuLiiiJij/^^iuij j .;.'u:::ji:.:u,.;,j.n.i!i ijiT-nK-ir-iinffin^riini^iL'j-nniiiiiiuuriiiiiiiiin^iiiniiiMiu.iiiiKiK;: Prosecutor Procedure Changes Sought By JAMES If. RUBIN Mathesius said Gawler took his own life before he could be TRENTON (AP) - The State Investigation Commission confronted with this evidence. has recommended sweeping changes in county prosecutors' The SIC wound up two days of public hearings that offices to upgrade the fight against organized crime and focused on abuses and shortcomings in the Monmouth create a watchdog procedure to guard against the misuse County prosecutor's office. of funds. As a result of the investigation, the commission's staff One aim of the proposed reforms would be to prevent recommended major changes for prosecutor's offices In all a recurrence such as the alleged misuse of $58,000 in the 21 counties of New Jersey. Monmouth County prosecutor's office. The proposed reforms, designed to modernize prosecu- The SIC revealed yesterday that police chiefs in Mon- tors' of/ices as weapons in combating organized crime, in- mouth County denied ever receiving the money which cluded recommendations for fulltime prosecutors through- was supposedly paid them by the late chief of county out New Jersey and creation of a special executive agency detectives. with power to audit the prosecutors' financial records. NO ACCUSATIONS A bill requiring full-time prosecutors in the state's However, the commission refused to make any accusa- nine largest counties has been approved by the legisla- tions against John M. Gawler, the former chief of detectives ture and is awaiting Gov. William T. Cahill's signature. who committed suicide last year less than 24 hours after • Although the commission's hearings stemmed from a he was subpoenaed to testify before the SIC. - probe of organized crime and official corruption in Long "We were less concerned with Gawler, the. embezzler Branch and the nearby shore area, at no point did com- or whatever, than with the functioning of the prosecutor's' mission officials suggest that the missing $58,000 iri the office," said Wilbur Mathesius, an attorney for the commis- Monmouth prosecutor's office was tied in anyway to the sion. ' • : • Cosa Nostra. ' : ' . But Mathesius said he was not alleging that Gawler RULED UNCHECKED embezzled the $58,000. Instead, witnesses during the two days portrayed'Gaw- However, a special agent for the commission shed ler as a dominant figure who ruled the office virtually un- some light on the mystery surrounding the money when he checked by Prosecutor Vincent P. Keuper. testified that Gawler told Him three days before his death The missing money was drawn by Gawler over 10 that the money was paid to police chiefs to be turned over years from an emergency fund for informers. It was re- to confidential informers. plenished by the county freeholder board, according to Julius Cayson, the agent, testified that the police chiefs witnesses, without questioning where the cash was going. were interviewed and "each denied receiving any money." (See Major, Pg. 2, Col. 4) SIC Disclosures Shut Off 4Conf identiallnf ormer' Gash WHATTA ODOR! — Piles of unsightly clams present cleanup problems for the maintenance crews on Brigantirie Beaches. High tides washed the thousands of clams ashore, the smell wafted several blocks inland in the Atlantic By BEN VAN VLIET emergency fund through The SIC also hinted that the County resort community. IAP V/irsphoto) FREEHOLD — The Mon- which informers were paid. Board of Freeholders may mouth County Prosecutor's of- He said the fund was ad- have been negligent in not fice isn't going to get any ministered by the late John requiring a full accounting of more money for paying "con- W. Gawler, chief of county the confidential funds. fidential informers" until- the detectives, who committed • However, Mr. Irwin said Board of Freeholders is pro- suicide less than 24 hours af- the freeholders had no right, New Jersey Educational Need vided a complete accounting ter he was subpoenaed to ap- to make such inquiry, and of the payments. ' : pear before the SIC. that the county had acted In a prepared statement The prosecutor said he did- properly in accordance witfi Freeholder Director Joseph n't know what had happened procedures established with C. Irwin said he was "ap-to the $58,000,-bur;added that the knowledge of the prosecu- Study Set to Establish Goals palled" at statements attrib- he had complete trust in Mr. tor and the county courts. uted to Monmouth County Gawler's competence and in- All Certified . tegrity. "Every voucher that was By CAROLE MARTIN knowledge of and interest in tative plans call for a state- public involved and informed Prosecutor Vincent P. Keup- er concerning payments made Mr. Keuper said he1 had paid by the Board of Chosen TRENTON (AP) - A ma- to a five-year term as com- wide seminar early next fall throughout the study. He said Freeholders," Mr. Irwin said, missioner in 1967 by former to consider adoption of an ob- the department plans to to "informants" during the signed his name to blank pay jor study to assess New Jer- past 10 years. The payments vouchers for informants "was certified for payment sey's educational needs will Gov. Richard J. Hughes, a jectives statement. launch an intensive public in- by Vincent P. Keuper as Democrat, and is a holdover Marburger told the board formation campaign, starting amounted to $58,000. which were filled in later by be undertaken by the State During testimony before the Mr, Gawler. He added that prosecutor•and approved for Education Department with in the new administration. that there are no clearly in about a month, to inform payments by a county or Su- enunciated goals and objec- the public quickly about the State Investigation Commis- he had no knowledge who the an eye toward establishing a Seek'70 Completion. sion Mr. Keuper denied hav- informants were and whether perior Court judge and, there- priority-ordered set of goals. The assessment project will tives for education in New project through the use of after, delivered to the Free- .Jersey at present, and sev- television and radio an- ing any responsibility for ad- they were paid by Mr. The State Board of Educa- be carried out by the depart- ministering the so-called Gawler. (See Informer, Fg. 2, Col. 6) Joseph C. Irwin tion authorized the proj- ment guidance from a special eral: federal education pro- nouncements, news releases, ect Wednesday. advisory council, and hopeful- grams are Bow requiring the reports, brochures and films. establishment of goals and At the same time, State ly will be completed before The project was proposed the end of the year. objectives as prerequisites Education Commissioner for approval. by the Title III State Advis- Ca?l L. Marburger predicted Some 50 representatives of ory Council for New Jersey a "favorable climate" for ed- : Dr. Bernard Kaplan, direc- Propriety of Electing Fire the education community, tor of the department's Of- educational innovations pro- ucation under foe new Repub- business, labor and civic or- grams funded through the lican state administration. fice of Planning, will serve ganizations will be invited'to as project director. Kaplan federal Elementary and Sec- He noted that Gov. William participate in an exploratory said the project is not de- ondary Act. T. Cahill devoted consider- meeting in mid-March to dis- signed to' provide a final George F. Smith, president able attention to education in cuss a preliminary statement statement of New Jersey's of the state board, named Co. Members Is at Issue his inaugural address last of goals. educational mission but rath- Calvin Hurd and Mrs. Ruth month. The commissioner al- By DORIS KULMAN her recommendation for those are areas she wants permanent'membership, each Following development, of a er as a first in a continuing Mancuso to represent the FREEHOLD - Can dis- James A. Blair,-director of them to consider in preparing time by a majority voice roll- so'fold the'board that in his consensus on goals, regional discussions wjth Cahill, the series of studies to periodi- board on the,,, assessment crimination in a volunteer the state Division on Civil their briefs. qall vqte. "citizens' seminars" will be cally reexamine educational project advisory group which fire department be eliminat- Rights, who will make the At issue is the amended fire The Civil Rights. Division governor ' has exhibited hejd in June for the purpose the state's educational prob- goals and the priorities also will have two represent- ed as long as it elects its final determination. code, which provides for elec- contends the requirement for lems. • of transforming the goal among needs. atives of the Title III council members? And why should Mrs. Pressler told at- tion of fire company majority vote perpetuates dis- statements into specific edu- Kaplan emphasized that and four public' representa- the volunteers be permitted torneys for the division, the members, first to probation- crimination. Marburger was appointed . cational objectives, and ten- plans call for keeping the tives. a right denied paid fire and borough and the firemen that ary membership and then to (See Fire, Pg. 2, Col. 5) police departments — the right to vote on who the members will be? On the other hand, since Soviet-American Discussion volunteer departments pro- vide municipal fire protec- tion at minimal cost, isn't it .