The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-09-28
THEMURPHY FRAUDS.
uov Detcctiyes are Bribed.


Mr. ROBERT MURRAY, President LIN.
coLS's United States Marshal for the
District of New York, comes to
the point" in the columns Of the Til
5uns, and tells what he knows of the
MURPHY frauds, as follows. MURPHY,
be it remembered, is now President
GRANTS right hand man" in New
York, his guide, counsellor and friend,
holding the most lucrative Office in the
country, and exercising complete in
fiuence over the President. Marshal
MURRAY says: t E .
In the latter part of May or the early
part of June, 1865, Mr.. Murphy called
at my office, and before uttering single
word, completely broke down, and be-
gan to cry and sob like child. The
spectacle was, indeed, a sad one to wit
ness, and l looked at him in amaze
| ment.
After he had sufficiently recovered
from his apparent grief, he informed me
that he was in trouble that all he had
in this wide world was at stake; that
the War Department held about $780,
600 that was due him on his contracts,
which would not be paid pending the
charges of fraud made against him, and
that the Secretary of War had already
issued, or was about to issue, an order
to try him by court martial for defraud-
ing the Government, and that his per.
sonal liberty was in danger. He said
that 1 had procured Colonel Olcott his
appointment, and that the Government
detectives who had worked up the case
against him for Olcott had formerly
been Deputy Marshals under me-"
You can help me if you will,
continued the heart-broken Murphy,
land if you get me out Of this
scrape will pay you $4,000" MUIR
phy," l answered, anything that l can
do for you, | will do with pleasure, and,
as far as | am concerned, it will not
cost you ten cents" l then asked,
What is the condition of the case, and
what is the character of the testimony
they have worked up against you Z"
Murphy then proceeded to recite the
particulars Of the case-the nature of
the testimony, and the manner in which
the detectives had obtained it. l in
quired of him how he knew these facts.
How did you get this information 2 |
asked. Men that work up cases
against persons charged with fraud are
not in the habit of furnishing the in
formation they possess to the parties
implicated" He replied that Olcott
made regular reports to the War De-
partment, and he had an arrangement
whereby he obtained copies of these
reports soon after they reached the
Department. He concluded by saying
that if he was tried by court-martial he
was a ruined man.
| told him that it was useless to
attempt to approach Olcott. | had
recommended his appointment myself,
and solely on the ground of his integ'
rity. The investigations that was
instructed to make into fraudulent con-
tracts had accumulated to such an
extent that it was physically impossible
for me to attend to them and discharge
my other duties as Marshal, and so
reported to the War Department, sug-
costing that some one be appointed to
that branch Of the service exclusively,
and absolutely independent Of my con-
troll. was directed by the Department
to select a proper man, and when
reported his name the appointment
would be confirmed 1t was thus that
Olcott was appointed.
said to Murphy that from the state
ments he had made to me he was in a
very bad predicament, and | hardly
knew how to advise him as to what
course he should pursue. But. after
reflection, the only way | could see was
to get at the detectives who had worked
up the case. Murphy expressed HIM
self eager to make terms with the de-
tectives and said he would pay them
literally if they aided him in thwarting
the prosecution and escaping the punish
ment The same day | sent for the
principal detective who had been en-
gagged in the case against Murphy and
inquired what was the difficulty be-
tween him and Murphy. said that
Murphy was clever fellow had many
| influential friends in high positions, both
in New York and Washington. He
said he knew it, and was sorry Colonel
Olcott had placed this matter in his
hands, especially because he had learn
ed that Murphy was friend Of mine,
and he hated to be engaged in working
up case that was to strike down my
friends. inquired about the condition
OF the case. In reply to which he cited
what hal been done and the testimony
they had, substantially as Mr.. Murphy
himself had stated it.
| then asked him if he had any OBJ
jections to having an interview with
Mr.. Murphy? He replied mot the
least" The interview was arranged,
and an hour fixed for the meeting at
my office next day. They both ap-
peared there at the hour appointed, and
introduced this detective to Mr. Muir
ply. They had private conversation
at the extreme end of the room, the
nature of which | do not know, except
from conjecture. A few days after
this introduction this detective left the
employment of Colonel Olcott, and was
EN- ployed by Mr.. Murphy. Some
DAYS subsequent another detective left
the employ OF Colonel Olcott, and was
also employed by Mr.. Murphy. | un-
derstood at the time that third detec-
tive who remained with Olcott was in
the interest OF Mr.. Murphy. A police
man who was detailed at my Office was