The New York herald., 1877-12-26

statement 10 the superintendent The latter Official
having received no sucn communication IRON any
member oi tbs iorcc, thinks tnai the bank attach6
muat have been mistaken that point There was a
certain bury, stalwart man win Murphy, but lie
III c.uzcn's clothes and officer police.
And moreover. the superintendent ASKED u Murphy
expected 10 receive the $4,000 ia hiis he have
been aware that the presence OF oflser mi snt
greatly inconvenience hm. Tnc officer saw I'M draw
the money. CcaId Murphy then get rid o, hun w,tn-
aIousing his suspicious uness he 10 de-
post Il win some institution OF trust wilh tue Guy
Chamberlain
TREASURER or WHAT?
Perhaps the Iuost numerous comments gu the case
made yesterday the wonderful facilities h,ch
the Excise Boarl gave their treasurer or embczzing
Their funds n he were disposed. lilo signed all
checks "owen Murphy, Treasurer .Ircasurcr of
whatr' Superiutcndent Walins ana many other
ohcas pertineniiy quericd II might mean treasurer
vi Anrphy's church--a position which he actually
| occupied-or, as Cashier Buck,oi the Pacific BarX
pointed out, OF some benevolent society or olncr.
Aud thereby hangs tale. IL has been generally
stated that Murphy, when he went the German
usually cxcited lie was not too excited, however,
omit signing tho vague word 'ircasurort alter his
lame. lilo handed The shecS g the casiicr. whom the
latter rcmakca, 'Why, Mr Murphy, this is not cor
rec.' The latter burlcd our griIiiy 'Hox's thsty'
'rnis Is ROT signed Treasurer Nj. Murphy ~ tho
usher smingiy remarked "Oh, yes, Murphy mum
nhngy returned, and hc appended that niystcfious
woia whicn, though u nigh. have reference TO any
church unnovoicnt society," was vet potent enough
u draw forth that prccAus y dviias check
| scsrEsDED AFFAIRS.
| Yesterday being Christmas the comrn ssioners os
Accounts suspended Their exan nation OF tho Exciso
books alr Howe saiu that he was glad Alderman
Morris had made tho propusltlon 10 a.ccrtn,n Ino
amounts OF receipts from the saloon keepers through
the police, aud seemed disappointed wnen Informed
that the resolution was lau over by the Board 0.
Aldermen. Mr. Howe VIII 20 earnestly to work lo-day,
when he hopes 10 receive the balanced is OF he
various banks. Comptroller Green, who preferred
| certain charges against The EXCISE Commissioners
some tWo years ago, expressed himself quite freely
on the subject oi Murphy's ilgn Mr. Green tho urhl
tho E.cso TO allow inr sas urer rer
10 draw thc'r lrhds upon his colo sigma
.ure Ho sad that when the Excise Board
desired more money two years ago ana ne fought
them, he, ~ course, dbl not anticipate that OF
them would run away. bu. he knew that they
not ncn VINO wodid hesitate 10 spend the ctys money
freely III VIII beJ Just the same IN iuiugc,n SIR.
Green remarks 40 whom do you suppose Murphys
position viii go givcn7 Why TO somo professional pol
ILican OF the game sirpe'
The Excso office was closed all day, although an
officer siumbered IN II calmly Tho two Excise Com
missioncrs met in the office bret private cousu!-
taion, ana 10 arrange their papers for The I'm ding
examination by the Commissioners ot Accounts.
WILL THE OFFICE Bs ABuLIsukDy
II Is generally understood by persons familiar with
the workings OF tho Excise Board that the disorder
among their BOOKS Is something irightiu and literally
amounts 10 perfect chaos That IL VIII be utterly
impossible to cg,ablish from them tho amount re-
ccived ny the Board appears 10 be already conceded
"Ihe only Commissioner who knows that" prom.
nent Official SAID, rs gone where the woodbne
twIneth~ Tho others left II all to him. Mayor Ely
wus quoted as having givcnhls opinion TO Alder
man on Saturday tnat the oiice OF Excise Comins-
sloncr would probably DO abolished within sixty days
by the Legislature.
| Murphy's residence on Second avenue was watched
by the police yesterday, but no communication be-
tween the fugitive and his wic was discovered Mrs.
Murphy said thut she greatly disappointed at her
husb.nus failure 10 como back on this festive day
distribute the gins sIttcrng upon their Christmas
,rec; but no particular gloom seemed 10 hover
the household.
INTERVIEW WITH Mr.. NORTON
| Mr.. George W. Morton, President OF the Excise
Board, n the course OF lengthy interview with tho
HERALD reporter yesterday stated, regard 10 tho
transfer oi property made by himself and Ben.
jamin H. McCiain as reported in Tuesdays paper,
that tho entire matter was pure family affair .Mr.
| McCiain Is my sonn-law, and certainyl nave the
right TO make present To daughter this season
OF the year, - said the Commissioner, "tho same as
have transferred heretofore property 10 my other
| red daughter"
When the reporter alluded to tac possible liability
that might attach TO the other Excise Com nssioners
Tor Mr Murphy's Irregularities MIR. Morton stated
that this question OF liability had entered his
head II might possibly have been a subject Of
sideration 10 him II ho was man possessed Of much
property, though even then he did think he would
attach much Importance TO tho theory II can
erty long contemplated by u.s. aud which cd TO
bo recorded just the day before Christmas though
III time peculiar TO mo rs M Excise Com
ln reply TO request OF the reporter Mr.. Morton
| then related In full 'thc story oil Murphy" as ho
called It, giving many particulars, showing that
cordEg 10 Investigations us they mad proccoded up
last evening. the Commissioner was positive that
Murpnys nrst irreguiari,y dated IRON August .. last
.'Whcn we came into oitcc In lSI6 found the
practice in vogue that exists In tuc Tor seven
years the practice oil giving receipts has been the rule
the city treasury cvorv thirty days and sometimes
more rcqGontly But IN so far as II was not money be-
| ga m ere
granted II renamed in fact always the inter IN as
rus, fund with the Of Excise Board At tho
close oi each days business tue CHIEF clerk Of the
Board deposited the money received TO the credit OF
tho treasurer and these sums remained in the bank
subject to the conditions the receipt gwen
sanc which CONDITIONS stated quite plainly that sa ID
money was received pending the action OF the Board
III determining whether the license applied ior should
| or should not oc granted.
rnE EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES
"Whca In March last the decision OF tue Court Of
Appeals caused the rst obstruction to the nary
ehn Haas
u large number Of dealers had neglected to comply
with the Excise law, and while lccuses could 10
granted TIL their bonds filed ana Inspectors
reported iavoraby, tho money OH our hands suddenly
! began TO accumulate. But wo had unbounded cou-
idcn;o In Commissioner Murphy. lie was man
| rcputed 10 10 worth $4,000 10 $20O,C00, and
bcsides, Commissioner Paucrsou had known hm
since childhood almost. stlll, when the police
their first rad In August and the funds on hands
became still larger ! began TO consider how this
money could be GOT rid Oh aud became rather urgent
about II. then spoke to Murphy ABOUT il ana hc
| thought that much money should not be Kcpt in
one bunk. Subsequent events saow that my con.
! vcrs tion must have inadc some impression ON him
for when, some time after, ookl al the bank book
in possession OF the chief clerk and noticed that IN
stead $4,000 there was only $40 200 In Tho German
Exchange Bank, Commissioner Patterson stated that
Murphy had taken 10000 out and deposited 1t la
another b,nk. This accorded, rs l thought then
| with my ideas ol prLdcn
xunrnY's FIRST IRRgcuLARrY.
"But now appears by the coincidence OF dates that
on tho very next day IL August after he had ma 10 a
deposit IN the Bowery National Bank no drew check
oil $4,000, and on tnat very same dare the German
Exchange Bank, In consideration OF that amount
signed u mortgage TO Bridget Murphy"
Mr. morton then explained, his theory, that In Au
gust last Owen Murphy must have in obtain
ing TEN porary loan from he German Exchan 20 Bank
as his morgagors probably pressed him hard that
bank, not dcsirous OF holding the gage tor any
length Of time, INSISTED upon having the money re-
turned wibn lew days and that III order to satisfy
the bank $4,000 OF the Excise money hen taken
PAID over aud the mortgage released, Mr.. Murphy
probably thinking at the time that he could replace
that amount after snort lapse oi time.
''lt Is on this lrst misuse OF the Excise money that
everything hingcs" continued Ar Morton. .You re-
member II was on Tuesday OF last week that Aldcr-
man Morris offered resolution Ia tho Board OF Alder
men demanding an invcstigatIon of our books
i by the Comm oncrs vi Accounts. 4 had no
objection whatever TO The Investigation, was
rather pleased with the idea, az owing the rush OF
bus mess ana small clerical iorce at our command
rather preferred TO SEQ matters struightcncd cut
somewhat. 50 expressed myself 10 my colleagues,
and Murphy dld not object. but II you now look at
the transfer oi his propcrtyson Third avenue, dated
Thursday December ~ you VIII notice tnat hc must
have iuy realized the embarrassment he was ploced
IN. Tho $4,000 borrowed 10y him IN August and
unknown TO us. had not been returned, aud lie must
havr aecn Ut unco that tho commissioners OF Ac-