New-York tribune., 1871-12-01
MORE STARTLING DISCLOSURES
HOW THE GOVERNMENT WAS swINDLED-MUR'
PLY AN ACTUAL DEFAULrER TO TIE GOV
ERNMENr IN OVER HALE A MILLION.

manner prescribed by tho Quartermaster
NEw.YoRK, May %, 1884:
lv'r to the United States at the Department Of Army
Clothing and EGupase in MeWY@rE GsseesGsy by !" 1hS
Supplies, dated New-York, May H. 1884, the following
Two hundred thousand (2ooOo0 Domestic Blankets
to sample now in your Office "a at i"T G"ars rs
SHy SH S anS alto e e % s March, 1865
with hhd hp pfnis ed States with good and approved
rites. Within the space Of ten days after being notified
that bid has been accepted Yo9T ooedienE
To Lieut. Col D. H. vnton, Dept Quartermaster|Gen.
u. D. Army, New-Y0rk City.
Murphy at tho time Of making the bid, was the head
and front of what then known the Contract Ring
"a combination Of mercenary and as unscrupu'
lous a. tho Tammany Ring (of which Murphy was 60
conspicuous business membcr) and whose influence and
deeds perncious to the army Of the Union as the
Tamnany Ring to the welfare Of this great city and
State. Whenever these men forming the Contract KING
cast their influence in any direction, the Government In.
spcctorsor best known to themselves and the
Ring-always succumbed and acceded to their wishes
Against this Ring controlled by Murphy the honest ana
reasonable bidder had chance Of competing success
fully. When Contractor Murphy made his bid however,
ho generally pretty certain that 1t would DO ac-
cepted The price which he named In his bid was
regarded as fair price for the Government to pay and
presumable that the contractor would make fair
profit. Murphy's bid accepted, and the following
contract was made:
Articles OF Agreement made and entered into on the
hundred and sky four between Lieut. Col. D. H. Vim:
tom Deput. u 3 Army OF s,ote ste
D that the sIS said Lieut. D. H. vnOn Deputy
Es of and the s
ply for himself hi. heirs his executors and
mutually covenant and agree to and with each other
FTst: That the said Thomas Murphy party yy Of the
s un'' m sss P'eGs ETY. Of BY c
March next the following named articles to W.T. Two Two
,%HdsU bounds each and Of domestic Manufacture.
Second Is agreed that sll the above named articles
posted @ d in M the % Office Of Army Clothing and Eqapage.
the paTSS Sss Of S
articles shall and w be made % S as on3S fS3Ss 81 twenty twenty
next and the remainder at Of per month";
In failure % on the at Of tine q, tne and the
specified IL this the party OF the first
IN s "ps to %ar & The 's @
party Of the second part ~. ..,.,,, , ,,,,. a.
vers% n2" .hail j be Examined and Inspected wh1at
delay BY SOM or persoas spPohte pP SS te
eS na at t Sa alt 1s respects eonTScted and
Julv equal 10 the samples aforesaid. they shall be re.
snS ali such Be
by said INSPECTORS shall be removed from the Depart
been notified Of said rejection.
gssd If nat % for "a IN III all Of ta ae
parts the party Of The first part agrees that the party OF
ors s'ef% Army cUthns i and Eaapase CITY,
folcws For each and every blanket four dollars and
should Congress have made an appropriation for that
purpose, thereafter as funds may have been
received Withholding 10 cent from each payment
until The whole quantity shall have been delivered and
the and In the event M Of Ella tn
@ Of tine rsry of ys soa to f c Saa cent
SiIih. Ia
that no member Congress is, shall be, admitted
amy amy to Sar arise 81 IS
able without the consent OF the proper auhority that
any sale, transfer assignment OF 1t without such con-
sent having been obtained Except under process OF
law shall and will be consdereb an abandonment OF
ties he responsible for all loss. delay, damage to
the United States which may arise from such abandon
In witness whereof the parties have hereunto set their
hands and seals III quintupcate this twentysixth day
:; il: vISroS. 1t. Col; and D. Q NJ. Gen. seal)
Sealed and delivered n the presence Of Hammond VIM
ton, Z. b. Marchant.
Accompanying this was the usual ahdavit Of the Gov
ernmental contracting officer, ss follows'
LIDO solemny swear that the copy Of contract hereto
sanas fso With IN TSUmss % made
apyns sapy amy SUCH or ecrfupy
said Murphy 2, ana % e se
contract required by the statute In such case made
and provided. u: d. vINION,,
Sworn to and prescribed before me, this slst day OF
May, 1854, at New.YOrk City.
(Seal) A. II. NoNEs, Notary Public, New'York.
Murphy felicitated himself upon his large contract
and proceeded make the deliveries at the times spec
fed but by no furnishing all wool" blankets a.
advertised for by the Government After he had delv.
cred 10000 blankets the market began to 50 against him.
and he found that he could not make as much money as
he expected He then utterly refused to fu his con-
tract to the great loss Of the Government No attempt
has ever been made to fulfill that contract since
any addi tiona deliveries made beyond the 10000 Why
Lieut. vinton did not oblige Contractor Murphy to
fu his contract has yet to be learned. 1t probable
however, that tho same influence which procured |
Murphy the contract also relieved him from any liability
when he could not Hn bis contract ct |
handsome pront. While Murphy remained nm I
assured that he would not be obliged TO save |
the Government from loss he was In great distress |
mind. but when he convinced that hs would not
held his wonted returned and he set
devsng schemes for procuring moro contrssts He had
been told, however that while contract In hn name 70
mained untitled he could not get another one. But |
this obstacle easily overcome, Tor about |
Aug. / he made (without consulting the persons In.
terese two bids one In the name Of George Spencer
for 10000 army blsnkes at n per blanket and another
In the name of william L. Hinds for $1,000 army blankets
at n 81 per blanket. BOA Of sse men we're saesss~ IN
Mxrphys store. II will be seen BY this that Murphy |
made the difference between u 50 and tho average rate
of n 3s4 ON each Of $1,000 blankets making total
Of ta29 0oo Inasmuch ~ the Government wss obliged
TO procure tho full 10000 blankets which Murphy failed
10 deliver On the contract for 10000 and taking the
price O1 SD which Murphy, ct the time be had deliv.
ercd mart The blankets received on the larger eOn
rscts obtained ON his salesmens names, Il viii be
that there wa loss the Government Of the difference
between ~ and n 81 per blanket on 100000 bsnkets
making loss to the Government on each blanket Of
q sl or total loss Of 100000 for wAicA "Honsss TR"
Murphy u 10 Mis day defaaitsr
Appended s the bid In tho nsme Of George A. Spencer
NEw-YORK, Aug. II. issA.
l. the bseriber hereby prnpose to furnish and Do.