The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-12
TIE MURTAGH CONSPIRACY
DESIGNED TO SUPPRESS Evidence
AGAINST SECOR ROBESOY

| Trying 10 use the Police Force TO Enfrap the
Chairman of the Naval COMMUNICATED e-
| sons Anxiety ms Described bv Murtagh.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-the committee
OF the House appointed to inquire into tho Of
fetal acts OF the late Board of Police Commits
sioners, met this morning and began taking ties.
timony. The first witness called was Major
Richards, Superintendent OF Police, whose tes-
timony fully corroborates everything that has
hereto fore been published about tho conspiracy
to destroy the character Of Mr.. whitthorne,
| Chairman OF the House Naval Com m ttee. The
cross-examina,ion OF NJ jor Richards will take
place tomorrow, Judge Wilson appearing on
| behalf Of Mr.. Murtagh.
| Major Richards testified to-day as to the
powers OF the Police Commissioners, saving
| that they had full control Of all appointments
on the force. Ne then said that on or about
the 1st OF July last Murtaeh came to his ofice
and said that the naval Investigation. which was
then In progress, was being pressed in a severe
and uncalled for manner, that matters were be-
ing inquired into that he thought did not come
| within the scope OF tho powers Of the commit
| toe, and that he wished wbitthorne watched.
lie said that he had Information that whit
| thornc, while In PHILADELPHIA. had visited
houses OF III repute. and that he might
do the same thing here. For this reason
| he wanted whltthorne watched, and N he WIS
| found to visit such houses here he wanted the
| officers to bs prepared to raid tho house and
| arrest hiin, with oil the Inmates. Mr.. Whit
thorne was to be taken 70 the police station, the
| reporters Of the Republican were to be notified,
| and wide publicity given of the fact unless MIR.
Mhi,thorne would agree to greatly modify or
| wholly suppress the report against the Sscre-
| tary OF the Navy. This was the plan In brief,
| proposed by Mr. Muitaeh to bring Mr.. Whit
tnoIne into disgrace. or cause him to suppress or
| modify the report against Secretary Robeson.
Major Richards says that after Mr.. Murt oh
left his ofice he concluded that he would not
mention the object of the visit to the dc ectives
and no DID not do so for ton days. When Muir
been done. Mejor Ricnards told him that
| nothing shad been done, but that II would
that someihinr should be done at once '"a az
| there was great anxiety al the Navy De-
pa,.me rent, ABOUT ,he %'i;er Major Ree.
had been looking aropod; and that they
| called upon him on purpose to see what had
been accomplished. and said TINT the Committee
| rort, and IN I something must be done be ,ore
It was made. Major Richards then SAID that he
| iug anything. and intimated that outside parties
| were accomplishing more than the detectives
saw Murtaeh. who INQUIRED what had been ac-
| complishei, but OF course nothing had been
done. as It turned QUIT that the Naval Committee
| had POSTPONED Its report for time.
| Meanwhile several Interviews took place be-
tween jor Richards aud Murtagh. the later
| appearing quite anxious TO know what had been
| done. Al one OF these conferences MIR. NJ
Dewitt. who was present. suggested IN It 1t would
| require some money. Iuefeupon Nurt, gh
| authorized Major Kichs rds aud McDevitt 10 use
| Whatever money was necessary to defray the
| expenses Incurred. At this interview Murt .gh
| complained of the detectives. ami said that he
| wanted them TO make dly reports OF what they
| were doing Muttagh suggested that IL WHIT.
| thorne could not b. found at a house II III re-
| pute. some woman should be employed to entice
min INTO one. and then the raid could be made
upon IL as before Indicated At another later
| view Murtngh sid that Med wasn't doing
| ANYTHING. whcreupon Major Richards put him In
| communication with Detective Miller.
| In RESPONSE TO question haj)r Richards sai
| that he was not required to perform any o6lcial
| act except upon tus order II the Board Of Com
| missiuncr-. tie VS. a-ked whether he had di-
| rected MiiIerto carry out the instructions given
that he j npIy asked Tin what be thoIehi -
| T., e. which Miller realei, IN be damned u
stated the case hypothetically to Mr.. COOK, the
| attorney OF the board. VINO said. III We nothing
| The Major tesin-d that the facts had never
been pade public by any act OF his until within
| been Published. Then he had been called uDon
10y certain new psper men anu Interviewed by
NJ was asked whether he W g on good terms
| with Mr.. Munagh, and replied that no was 81
| lar az he knew. aud nti always bee He said
| that be h d known Nurt gh for twenty years.
| and that the Republ.c ~, Of which Murtigh II
| the proprietor "ni editor, had made charles
| affecting his character, in connection With an
| attack on the gamblers; but that Murtagh had
| told him repc itedly that he did not me u that
| either he or TIE puolic SHOULD con,ffuo
a pearinc In the Republican rea'ed to eam6ling
VI ces IN the cltS anu accused cert IN p lice
| VS. mentioned. of receiving money from the
| mbiers. The RspWhcln. now yer, hal stated
| several times that D. didn't charge Richards
| vi having received any money. The law was
| that, upon cpmul lot Of any feputitl- person,
the house com.lihed 81 was riiied and the
| implements u the business taken lie bad
never, upon the compliant % CT zen or police
OH 'er IN form OF law. failed 20 enforce the law
| lie mad not now an unSind feeling toward Mr.
| MurtAgh. Murta-hs ATTACKS upon nim tai evi-
know Of any continuation entered into 10y any
| persons to assail Nr. Murtagh on account OF the
stand hs had taken to suppress eambun. In The
| Major Richards also testified that he WAS not
aware OF any effort - employ n woman 10 sid In
| euticing MIR. Mniilnorne into a house OF IA
| rcpute. hut on one nigut he remembers that de-
tectiye NcDfyltt came g. HIM and I'D that he
| going out on tue NhitthOTne matter, and
needed money. Tie wsness sni he let Me
Dewitt nave go, but that the money didn't come
ihomsat orginated the attack upon the < inp.
Ing places. and he replied that 80 far As he
knew It origin ted witn Mr. Ml'IAen alone.
"a b. SSsr,., AM re,ia: esr.s.sy IN TIE mia,ri
40 sir ilihe not lie 80 net u, secretary -
Wmt6orue Wa, e5,ns o. nj hr., visit ny once {
e eS nS q ach Mi wa s vas a ,n a
VA rl', ns mo at anur; OF tHe se, rotary OF tne
an sxt.nt MAJ U.s. not Jl-tin,o ina he was going
wolf Ji-in'b'c 10 ciltrfac. these Cd ~. Ito
aaee Mr. Nuritoras ,nodli, H. rspcr ilati seill
r.-',n hm. neciu.e ~ afre.l f. pice % ~ char.
actor c'ull De hrld over hun IN t.frlrcm Mr Mur-
Tax tAc cretary II tue Navy va, very
ilu- boa tact. lrtferring TO htIOrne- visit
ing ~ h b n orl, aud wanted 20 SNOW what was beng
dJue IN u. ~ay OF nad.ns hiA N oAe OF them
| In reuly TO a question, Major Richards said
| that he had giNdys understood thct Mr.. Muir
tarh had an Influence with President, and
controlled the police appoiltment,, Tho Wit
mes sail he nd always Inflated with tue Re-
puhllrin party.
Mr. Murtagh's counsel then asked for further
time in when TO tx tinine the stimony b. fora
proceeding ~iih tue cross cNhulpn'Ion. which
was granted, aud tao committee Adjourned.