The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-07

The testimony before the committee which
has been investigating the conspiracy TO de-
fame Mr. WHrrrHORNE, and thus TO destroy
OF impair the effect Of the exposures OF cor
ruption in the Navy Department, connects
SkCoR robson directly with MURTAGH,
President of the Police Commissioners and
proprietor Of the A lministration organ at
Washington MUAIAGH was the recipient of
large patronage from robson. lie was
employed by jobbers and contractors TO
carry their schemes through, on account OF
his intimate and exceptional relations with
this venal Secretary, who exerted all his
official and personal influence to procure the
favor Of the President and the departments
Tor his willing confederate
In 1872, when the Navy Department was
irst investigated, and OF course whitewashcd,
by Republican House Of Representatives,
MUgrAGH employed the police and the de-
tcctives under his control to shadow" wit
ncss"s and TO pursue them with RoBEsON's
vengeance for exposing his corrupt prac-
tices. Public officials and public money
were freely used in that infamous work,
which furnished the precedent for the Ring
conspiracy in ls7i, when the secret service
force Of the Treasury was joined with MUIR
TAGH 5 police in the effort to strike down Il
ctilcn who had the courage TO confront Boss
SHEPHEED and his crew.
Three distinct conspiraclcs were thus set
on foot by the supposed guardians of the
lives and property of the community, sworn
10 execute the laws and paid out OF the
Treasury TO crush and destroy whoever
undertook TO bring 10 light the plumber Of
the Navy Department. or Of the Washington
Ring, whether as "a witness, prosecutor or
an Investigator. robson had the chief in
tcrcst ia ls14 and in 1876, when his Official con
duct was under review, and he well knew IL
could not stand the test Of honest scrutiny
III tho hope of protecting himself rs the
real principal in MURrAGus yillainy, ROBE
son rcsorted to II trick which has done as
much as anything else TO establish his guilt
The cOnspirators sought TO cntrap Mr..
WHTTHoRNEi into Il house Of bad reputc, with
the intention of arrcstng him and the in
mates, and By holding exposure over his
head TO dictate terms in regard TO his report
on the naval frauds. Alternatvcly, a dis
reputable woman was to be employed TO ac-
complish the same object in another way.
when robson was examined he claimed
20 have sent II warning to Mr.. WHITnIoRNE
through his factotum, Mr. HALE Of Maine,
that he was watched and therefore should
be ON his guard where he went. The scoun-
drcls who had tracked his mornings and
his outgongs by day and by night, had ut
terly failed IN their dabol,cal plot, and there
was n possibility that 1t might be discovered
sooner or later. robson then adopted this
device of pretended warning TO the man
whom he was pursuing with spies and de-
tectiyrs through MugrAGH, hoping TO escape
his share Of the inlamy in the event Of its
detection.
This shabby contrlvance tells It's own
story tpo plainly to be mistaken The man
who could swear az robson did, that he
had no intimacy with CArrELL, who sold all
the rich patronage Of the navy in presence
OF his own kilograms showing the closest