The New York herald., 1877-12-26


eeHatn curry, stal"art man with Murphy, but lie was
In c.uzen's clothes and not an officer OF police.
AHd moreover, The Snpennt endent asked, II Murphy
expected 10 rsceyc the $4,000 la bills he must have
been aware that the rrescace OF officer might
the money. Ccaia Murphy then get rid OF hitn wilh
out aousng his suspicious upess he proceeded 10 de-
post !, with some institution Of trust with Guy
Chamberlain
TREASURER OF WHAT?
Perhaps the inost numerous comments ou the case
maze yesterday were Oh the wonderful facilities which
the Excise Boar'i gave their treasurer embczzilng
lheir funds u he we're 50 disposcd. 10 sisned all
checks ''Owen NuraLy, Treasurer .Ireasure of
wLatY' superintendent Wallng ana many other
oiic'as pertnently quercd IL might treasurer
vi Murphys church, position which n. uclualy
occuped-or as Cashier Buck,oi the Pacific BaLA
pointed out, OF some benevolent society or otncr.
And thereby hangs tale. Il has been generally
stated that Murphy, when he to the German
Exchange Bank 10 draw sj0,vu0 ON Saturday was un-
usually excited lie was not excited. however 10
omit signing tho vague word .'trcasurorp after his
Lame lic handed the check TO the cashcr. whom tho
latter rcmatkoa, '.Why Mr. Murphy THIS is notcol.
rnis is signed Treasurer MI Murphy, ,us the
usher snilihgy remarked 'oh, yes,' Murphy M M
nnnsy ,s resur"ed, and no appended that mystcfous
woiu whica though u might have reference to any
church nrncyolcnt society was We, potent en- ougn
70 araw orh that precias iiy thousand dyilas check
sCsrEaDED AFFAIRS
Yesterday being Christmas the Comm issoners OF
Accounts suspended Their examination OF tho Excso
books. aIr. Howe sara that he was glad Alderman
Morris had made tho proposition 10 ascertain tne
amounts ol receipts from The saloon keepers through
The ponce, aud seemed disappointed xncu n formed
that tae resolution was laid over BY the Board d.
Aldermen. Mr Howe VIII 20 earnestly TO work to.Iay
when hc hopes 10 receive the balanced accounts
various banks. Comptroller Green, who preferred
certain charges against tho Excise Commissioners
some Two years ago, expressed himself quite freely
II was very loose way OF doing kus,nc.s Tor
tho EXCISE COMMISSIONERS TO allow thelr tcasu
10 draw their fcnds upon his solo sigma
ure. Ho saId that when the Excise Board
desired more money two years ago ana lie iough
them he, I" course, dii not anticipate that one Of
thcm vouh run awny. bu. he knew that thcy were
not mon who woad hesitate spend ne city money
Freely ~ wii DO JUS. The same 10 the future" SIR.
Green remarked. no whom do you suppose Murphy's
position will DO gvcn' Why, TO somc professional pol
tician Of the came stripc.n
The Excise oilice was closed all day, although an
olIiccr slumbered III IL calmly Tho two Excisc Com
nlssloners met in the Office Tor private consul
taton and to arrange their papers for inc
examination by the Commissioners ot Accounts.
WILL THE OFFICE Bs ABofIsuEDy
II IS generally understood by persons familiar with
the workings vi tho Excise Board that the disorder
among their BOOKS Is something rightiul ana literally
amounts 10 perfect chaos, That /. Will be utterly
impossible To cstaDlish from them the amourt re-
ccved by the Board appears to bo already conceded.
''ihe only Commissioner who knows that" proml-
twincth-- Tho others eft II all 10 him. Mayor Ey
was quoted as having gwen his opinion to an Alder
man on saturday tnat the olice OF Excise Commis-
sioncr would probably DO abolished within sixty days
by the Legislature.
Murpny's residence on Second avenue was watched
by the polco yesterday, but no communication be-
tween the fugitive and his wilc was discovered. Mrs.
Murphy SAID ihut she Was greatly disappointed her
hush mas failure to come back this festive day to
distribute tho gins sll,tcrng upon their CHRIS mas
,rec; but no particular gloom seemed to hover over
the household
INTERVIEW Mr. NORTON
Mr. George W. Morton President OF the Excise
Board IN the c0drse OF lengthy interview with tho
HERALD reporter yesterday stated, IN regard 10 the
transfer 81 property madc by himself and wife Ben.
jamn II. McClan, as reported in Tuesdays paper,
that tho entire matter was pure family aiiar .'Mr.
McClain is my son.in-law and certainyI nave the
right 10 make prcsont to my daughter at this season
OF the year. sad the Commissioner, 'tho same as
have transferred heretofore property 10 other
ried daughter"
When The reporter alluded to lac possible liability
that might attach to the other Excise Com ssoncrs
Tor Mr. Murphy's Irregularities, Mr.. Morton stated
that this question OF liability had never entered his
head. II might possibly have been a subject OF cor
sideraton TO him II ho was man possessed OF much
property, though even then he du think he would
attach much Importance TO tho theory IL assure
you,n lie continued ~ Is bdRd fds transfer Of prop
erty long contemplate by US, aud which appene TO
DO recorded just on the day before Christmas though
III time peculiar 10 mo nn Excise Com issioneT. -
IN reply 70 u request oi The reporter Mr. Morton
then related In ful 'the story oil Murphy as no
called y, giving many particulars, showing tnat ac-
last evening. the Comm ssioncr was positive that
Murpnys rst ,rreguiariy dated IRON August .. last,
..Whon we came into othce in 1876 iound the same
practice In vogue that exists In act, Tor seven
years o giving receipts has been the rule
the Excise Board We then paid over the oncy INTO
| the city treasury cvorv thirty days and sometimes
more iequoaty But IN SO far as II was not money be-
eDg tho city unil tug licenses the Sal were
granted 1t renamed in fact always III the inter IN as Il
fund with tho treasurer Of Excise Beard At tho
close oil each days business the CHIEF clerk Of the
Board deposited the money received to the credit oi
tho treasurer, and these sums remained In the bank
subject To the conditions the receipt gwen ior tho
same. which conditious stated quite plainly said
money was received pending the action the Board
III determining whether the license applied ior should
or should not Ue granted.
rHE EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES
"Whca In March last the decision of tue Court OF
Appeals caused the irst obstruction to the nary
routine ot the Board II at once became evident that
large number OF dealers Lad neglected to comply
with the EXCISE law, and while no .ccuses could 10
granted TIL their bonds nled ana our Inspectors
/ Ou dan ly
began TO accumulate. But wo had unboundcd cou-
4 Gdcn,c In Commissioner Murphy IL was a man
repucd 10 20 worth $lJ0U00 TO 500 COO, and
besides, Commissioner Patterson had known him
since cnildhood almost. stii when the police made
their first raid In August and the funds our hands
became still larger began to consider how tins
money could be cot rid Oh aud became rather urgent
about IT, then spoke 10 murphy about il ana hc
thought that TOO much money shoud not be kopt In
one bank. Subsequent events snow that my con.
! ton must have modc some impression On him.
Tor when some time after, look the bank book
possession Of the chief clerk and noticed tha IN
stead o. $4,000 there was only $4,000 In tho German
Exchange Bank, Comms ssioner Patterson stated that
Murphy had taken $40, 600 out and deposited 1t la
another bunk. This accorded. as thought then
with my ideas Of prudcn-c
MuRrHy's FIRST IRREGULARITY.
"Bu II now appears by The coincidence Of dates that
on tho very next day IN August after bc hnd ma ic
OF s2u.ooo ahd on that very same dare tho German
Exchange Bank, 10 consideration that amount as
signed NOR gage to Bridget Murphy
Mr. Morton shen explained his theory that In Au-
gust last owen Murphy must have suacecccd IN obtain
ing temporary loan from the Ger Exclaug 20 Bank
his mortgagofs probably pressed him hard that he
bank, not dcsrous OF holding the mortgage tor any
length Of time, INSISTED upon having the money re-
turned wllhn lew da2s and that order to satisfy
the bank $4,000 OF the Excise money then taken
paid over and the mortgage released, Mr.. Murphy
probably thinking at the time that Lc could replace
that amount AFTER n short lapse OF limc
1T IS on this first misuse OF the Excise money that
everything hinges continued Mr Morton. s.You re-
member II was on Tuesday OF last week that Alder.
man Morris offered resolution Ia tho Board oil Alder
men demanding an Investigation OF our books
by the Commissioners OF Accounts. / had no
objection whatever TO the Investigation, was
rather pleased WIN the idca OWING the rush OF
bus mess and small clerical iorcc our command
rather preferred 10 SEQ nattors strengthened Out
somewhat. l 50 expressed myself TO my colleagues,
and Murphy did not object. but II you now look at
the transfer Of his propcrtyson Third avenue, dated
Thursday, December 10 you VIII notice mat no must
have iuIiy realized the embarrassment he was placcd
IN. Tho 100000 borrowed by HIM IN August ana
unknown TO u.s. had not been returned aud lie must
have seen at once that the Commissioners Of Ac-
counts would readily detect H. That very Thursday,
whom hc mad been secretly making preparations 10
leave, no held a meeting with US at "A late hour Of
the night We were IN the habit OF meeting ut night
| TO Uaut as many licenses as We could
| MURPHY sckSEsa
't0h Fridly Commissioner Patterson maze q remark
49,. NAt.l