New-York tribune., 1872-09-16
MURPHYJN THE WEST.
A SEARCHING REVIEW OF THE CUsToM-HoUsE
FRAUDS BY AN ILLINOIS ORATOR.
From The CHICAGO Tribune,

From TAe chicago ITiJune
The Hon. William M. Springer, in his speech
practices IN the SewYork CusfomhOuse and the Efforts
which were made conceal them, in concise and
public speech and invested this muchdiscussed subject
with peculiar interest from the fact that he brought to
Congress Investigating Committee which have
not before been made generally public. Mr..
santiSted in every detail by the official testimony and
will give the public the clearest idea OF the scandalou
business that has yet been presented. 1t Is substantially
as follows: Fifteen days after Grant was inaugurated
he sent Col Ieet Of his staff TO Moses H. Grinne Of
had determined TO appoint him Collector and with
letter Leess business d
manded the General Order business GrlnnelI hesated
%nSPoS and de1f the Wboe Of he no Would have
Collector appointed who would give 70
ner entered into written contract with him to the
effect that BixDy was to pay him s5625 per annum and
ipgton where he remained year. serving the Pres
dents staff and drawing his Customhouse perquises at
however, which Grinnel had not given Leet and, at
the expiration OF the year. at which time BxOy retired
Grinnell refused, whereupon his head went i'm
mediately into the basket and Thomas murphy,
pointed in his place The field clear for Leet
and he had no difficulty In getting the whole OF the
Stocking, and in September 1870 the new firm com
menced the business OF extortion and backmai upon
scale never before KNOWN even In New-York Packages
of goods broken open and the contents stolen.
Illegal seizures made for purposes Of backmail
Charges for storage were advanced three
high formerly. Brides accepted by every In-
specor IA the Custom house but one for the discharge
OF steamers. AT last the evil grew gigantic that
the merchants OF Hew-York could not endure
IL longer. They had protested against this swindng for
months, now they demanded Murphy's removal and,
when Murphy sent In his resignation, the President
accepted ii with official expression OF regret, and
gave the dsgraced favOrite certificate OF good moral
and business character. He commenced this OF
precedented official corruption with indOrsement Of
one Of the principals and closed it with
OF the other, after keeping In operation this huge
monopoly OF swindng between two and three years. In
defiance Of the constant protests Of all the leading
merchants of NewYOrk
The testimony OF william E. Dodge who has q national
commercial reputation, and Is merchant whose in
tegrty has yet been questioned sweeping In its
Condemnation OF Murphys management OF the CuAtom-
house, and, he Is Grant Republican, his evidence
becomes all the more important Mr.. Dodge says:
a the Custom house take average Of employees
confederation or trust them with bushes
ALL mean moral character and business qualifications 10th
And again Mr. Dodge testihes:
fail the Of NevYork is
talking about III that Is just what E
tbeehundreds Of would not allow
anything do With goods They bTokeDdowa poll
uesns, sslec only 10 political maupalatons
This Is the judgment OF merchant OF wealth and the
highest commercial standing, and, taken connection
with the universal testimony similar character from
the leading merchants OF NeWYOrk, submit Is the
strongest possible condemnation Of the MANAGEMENT
Custohouse In all its details OF Murphy Leet and
Stocking, aud all their subOrdiDates, and OF the Pres
dent himself, who. personally cognzaDt OF these
gave TO Murphy "a certificate OF unblenished
character, because Murphy had given him the cot
tage by the sea-" and had 80 applied the patronage
OF his Office manipulate the politics Of the State
the Presidents interests III there had been other
case of corruption proven against the Grant Adminsir
uOn this single Instance would have been SUFFICIENT to
condemn II Tor usurpatOn OF power perversiOn Official
patronage aud eucOuragccut OF corrupt practices Tne
Aew-YOrk Custom-bouse of tLseh furnishes almost all