The New York herald., 1877-12-27
Reported TO Be al the Clifton House,
Niagara Falls.
WHO SHALL 81 CCEED HIM ?
The Police Seeking the Number Of Ii
censes and Receipts Issued.

Of Police ycsterday:--
EoAnp or EXCISE. No. 200 Muberrys.,.,
To rns BoAnp or PoLrcE:-
nhSrEshsro M enable usto proceed with the investigation
wnci s "uor the Mayor acting pursuant 10 resolution OF
Common Council has directed made into the hooks
.bt"inE Tor as through the facilities oonmand
tS-A list oth licenses premises IN the city which
h Sa.s sms nsg m oosa nm since snaay sown
street AM number anu the sam shown by the license
Se-od 4 list Of those who have claimed the police to
have made deposits to the Excise Board since January
whom no license has been ran.si p.,iiy tbs
The ispos prsiss, r wnsh 1s the ,s ap
i.r mcsm'. wa mae ~ ~, amount oi deposit = nas
amount pala tor licenses deposited money
aay subordinate, thereof particulars relating
shss'v yna % noa nasr ssa Pc svar II ~, I, ~
Is procured and communicated % early convenient
Ns'D's''''''' IonS ItHpsI. =. aooSnya i; n9Mh
Commissioners Of Accounts
Tho Board of Police Immediately passed the follow.
ing resolution
thorough inquiry aud the number OF licenses
a. & sppsa M r and no. sants Win hs
ployed.
Superintendent Wallng sent to the Board OF Excise
for a complete description OF owen Murphy the m iss.
Ing extreasurer OF the Board, and subsequently, cir
culntcd the following Tor oilicial police use-
Owen Murphy Ia about iorty-nve years OF age Hvo
feet fvc inches in height. stoutly built, with fun,
rouni lace, round eyes ana chin wLskcrs mixed with
gray; lacking his right thumb, and speaking with an
accent plainly indicating his Irish nativity.
MURPHY CANADA
There was a rumor yesterday morning around Police
Headquarters that telegram had been received from
the missing Commissioner but 1t could no. Tor tlme
be traced to any reliable Tho story was that
he was not tar off, and would most likely return IN
short time OF his FREQ will. AS this
was only ono OF the many tales that
have been told concerning his disappearance no
particular importance was attached to 1t. IL VIII be
remembered that on Monday night Commissioner
Morton spoke confidently OF he prospect Of Murphy's
speedy capture, aud 1t would soem that he knew
more than he said about tho matter at that
time. IL hintcd police crclcs last
night that Murphy left this city Saturday last;
that ho went by way OF tho Erie road to Niagara
Falls, and that he Is now there stopping AT the Clifton
House on the Canadian side Of The roaring waters.
1Ie has it Is said, wrilton to friends IN this
city asking them to negotiate for u settlement with
the city. He failed to realize his danger until Tues
day last when Alderman Morris offered the rcso-
luton calling for investigation OF tho ac-
counts OF tho Excise Commissioners. He then
saw that there was no way to cover up his dongs,
ana wildly sczcd all the money ho could and mado
OIL Among Others who were said TO have heard
The above story concerning Murphys present
Ninth precinct. When asked what basis there
w.s Tor tho report, ho said he could not give the
satisfied II reliable. .sTne slory,n said Captain
Kennedy, as straight and you may rely upon it, /"
HE WILL PAY UP.
Murphy's friends and relatives bore II is said have
been Ia COMMUNICATION with him since his departure.
He will IL Is believed, dispose OF his property
their hands and puy up the amount due the city
II II will realize as much. reporter oil
HERALD called at tho house OF Commissioner Morton
M n lul q ~ luQi ptuh
but was unable to see him. Ho had retired aud cit
word that he should not be disturbed under any
circumstances. There was no to be found at III.
Murphy house on Second avenue who could give any
in .ormaion about tho matter. From tho manner in
which Captain Kennedy spoke OF IL there can be little
doubt that Murphy Is IN Canada ana VIII offer terms
OF settlement
EXAMINING THE rxcisE hooks
The Commissioners OF Accounts resumed their cx-
animation Of the excise books yesterday, aud the
various clerks Of the Board were before hem explain
ing the method OF bookkeeping In vogue ~ the Office.
There Is nrst, book In winch tho various applica-
tions are entered with the amounts paid To the 'cash
clerk.n When the receipt is ISSUED "A number Is en-.
tered on tho back OF the applications corrcspo nding
with the number OF the receipt. These receipts uro
numbered and taken from printed receipt book, with
STUBS attached, which should remain to show the
amount, name, &c. Then there is an apnabetica
lccnso register, the da,iy cash book OF tho "cash
Clerk,' giving the amount OF each payment,
and the Teasurcrs cash book with the ag.rc-
gates OF receipts Tor each day. These werc
tho principal books before Commss 0ncrs Howe
and Mooney Tho Commissioners do not feel
themselves authorized to give the results OF their OBJ
scrvaton until thcir examination Is completed, but
statement received at the Excise 0ico IN reference
tho receipt book Is oil Importance IN this connccio
As each stub should correspond with the number of
the application no amounts oil receipts could have
been suppressed. But could they not have been
changcdY II appears that instead OF using the proper
book receipts with continuous numbers, IA lew
pages from old receipt books. and thoD tho
re-entrcs IRON these receipts which had been given
out were mado III tho BOOK.
cnAsGEs MADE ny THE PREsgyr BOARD.
Mr.. Henry X kcrncr. cx.chicl clerk CT tho Board
ior some years, stated that under tue two previous
Commissions VI Excisc II was the iBvarabo custom
oi D. d. T. Marshall ana Jonn H. Voorhis, tho respec-
two reasurers, To deposit the moneys oi the EXCISE
Board with tho Chamberlain every Monday. Only
casionaly, whcn the r. ceipts were exceedingly Ight,
wcud they retain ho funds IN bank s iong az Two
at lime But under the two previous boards, as lar
could DO asccrtaincd, tho funds wero deposited In
the name oil ihe Board OF Excsc, ID. u. I. Marshall"
John Il. voorhls, treasurer" and not simpy
Tor I'D ID. 4. Marshall" or "Jonn H. Voorhis Treas
ureru Each bank then knew that II was IN account
With the Board OF Excise, while under the present
Board tho deposits were only III account with "owcn
Murphy Treasurer" no megtion whatever having
been made tue exstencu even OF such body tho
Board Of Excise Moreover, the Board, previous TO
thu ACCESSION OF Mesars. Morton, Patterson aud Muir.
ply, always had nthographic official check book,
ali cnecss Ueng drawn 10 the freasurors IA tho
name OF the "Eoaid OF Excsc," wh.e the present
Board allowed owen Murphy 10 discontinue the use Of
this Official check book to uso bis private chccSs
Tor the business OF the Board
Til. CASH CLLER's DoiSGS.
The 'cash clcrA under the present Board was Mr..
Donahuc, who was also practically CHEF clerk, and
who has recently been dsn sscd lie used To receive
The moneys MI cut the receipts STUBS Il IS
stated by ompioy6s OF the Excise- Office that ufing
the recent crush vi applicants Douahuc would some
times recolyo mucn as 81, 900 oe SsOUJ per day
HIS SALARY Was 81, bUU par anLum or about S32 per
week. Donahue had To turn over hts moneys 10 that
rigorous hnancier, Owen Murphy, who, of course
would mold aim To the strictcst account, While Sir
Chids, the present chci clerk says that whcl old
receipts were used ana tnen entered on the book uu
der different numbers the amounts appearing upon
the stubs might easily have differed from those paid
and acknowledged N the receipt actually issued TO
applicant, II Is said OF Mr. Donahue thtt he was
never guilty oi such Mistakes. WAat could
nave peeh uohe ny an! one 80 Inclined, how
ever thls:-lhc clerk who. saw
received $50 Tor application 345, might
have acknowledged that IN some
old receipt whose prntod number he would
scratch oui, changing " 10 3i5l, and thcn-by mis-
tnkc-hc might enter upon tho stub IN the rcccIpt
book s31 lie need then only oa. out the receipt at
tachti 10 tho stub ana throw II IN tho
basket aud everything would agree. But suppose
applicant came forward wtn tho pay ment oi
maindcr IN order 10 procure hts licensc2 The con.
elusive answer made 10 this at the Excgc Office was
that The pocy o the Board not 10 issuo licenses
mn fuY theru nnt