The New York herald., 1878-02-27
How the Old BoardG.Kept
Its Accounts.
CHARGES OF CORRUPTION
Report of the Commissioners of ACCOUNTS
to the Mayor.

tion OF owen Murphy, removal OF George W. Morton
by Governor Robinson, resignation Of Jacob NJ. Pat
terson, Jr. and alleged loose manner in which the al
fairs the commission have been recently conducted
ronder this report OF considerable importance at tho
presen. time. Murphy abscondcd December 20, 1877
The three ommissioners entered upon their duties
May l. 1876.
ARRAGStxa TIE LATE COMMISSIONERS.
The report opens with statement OF facts to the
organization OF the late Board, with Murphy as
treasurer, tho peculiar In which licenses wore
issued deposits received and 'receipts given to ap
plicants The public is already familiar with these
points. On such facts Mcssra Howe and Mooney
conclude that
s an the for s
M v % s.a hg og ns. s
was made, ana a. fully ons.hnif OF the applications made
% s s hss nis s. the upSn &
application either granting or rejecting the same the
No portion q the deposit money as deposit. belonged TO
css ns s ses o o. the
70 Sy the lizard Of mass ,s ssarsa BY law
af qs CORRUPTION ExPosED.
After arudng to the great difficulty experienced in
procuring iuIi details to the work OF the depart
ment the report goes on TO say
Our investigation has satisfied that the books of the
the money Of ths Board May
ls77 All tae sums deposited with the Board when the aD
books Moneys were in some deposited BY app
ow s mRo sod
them the as S % % no ss 81 s
posits are to bo found In the records OF the Ex
the the chief clerk wss
% the n Of to
she books q the Board. Deposit. with .ae
receipt bears different name from that entered In the
the premises for which tie iicepse application made.
l1 sin other entries to be found n the books
posit apply for amy license On the rejection Of an APP
check drawn the dsposi. bank snsd by Owen Marhy
Many OF them. though pulporting 20 bear Mr. Murphy's
practise appears extensively provasd
Is In TIM the OF ns SSs Of
deposits that hs cheek went the bank debit
instances the whose appear ,ndorsed
that such
.hs Is not theirs or by them They
psres delivered up their receipts aud ndosed hs
credit taken Tor .le full amount paid. such dedac
sa s. % 50 in each hs one Of the
ing Of drS from and Of which he sssSs
varied 10 smouns from $40 to 500 amounted
o tie u 10 sg y to 81 s ss
having been handed TO the Board. or that
sum, lssiss :s
Hss
personally NOT this osrE to receive
S. S % o wh
GATED has not been sxpsnee Almost all the employees e
Whenever they Thought they osad sssesea in
tanedo oy U.s. ws opinion At least 900
Of the Board durinstne year 1877.
MURPHY's PECULIAR OPERATIONS.
After giving exact figures from the books OF the
Board the transaction OF business from May to
December %, 1877, Tho report furnishes statement
as to the manipulatons OF Mir. owen Murphy by say.
Ing
Ninety thousand dollars drawn from the German
Esshsas Bank sy Mr. Murphy with the eydsn. intent
G s mass ss out s s s
correctly the stubs contain the entries
The hrst OF the cheeks by Mr.. Murphy the fol-
81 Is. NEW York, August 81 1877.
German Exchsnrs Bank; 245 Howery: corner stanton
,no@s and dollars : OWEN MURfmY. Treasurer. '"s'
This check deposited by Mr. Murphy, August 81
s % Y . sowsis Ns01 ma snd
lore crsdng Mr. MURPHY with hs amount m the Bowcry
shsnss Bans. % On the following day. August 70. Mr.
Murphy ssw from @ the s0ro Of
he eis on deposit until DoceSer 81 on winch day
ne SfsT day s
check drawn by Mr. Murphy on the German Exchange
a. 2B' NEw YORK. December %, 1877.
Fay to order OF owen Murphy Treasurer hfty thousand
$4,000 OWEN MURPHY. Treasurer.
AND by Mr. Murphy in an account opened by him
This Sy hm he hs spSn se
soan. e The ex.sn Of which paid
asifs Bank to the credit Of the account Owen Murphy
" RECEIPTS AND DEFICIENCY.
The following Statistics are gwen IN explanation OF
the management oil the department the period
In which these corruptions been been traced =:
Entire deposits made with the Board by. ap-
Ss ~ ss . ls9sss s'% on IS ,Ss
books Of the Board ws: ~ above. s274el7 Al
Returned tS depositors on appiica CO., ,,o ,e
License lees on licenses 9ranisd.
payable these deposits,
above................. ........... l2o.Ooo %
Balance OF deposits made with Board by spp-
cants for hoeuses and which ought to be re-
ne only sysiisSis SsS' S Il r. SSIsl these "
change Bank. December %,
l Balance to the credit Of & - "
Murphy. Treasurer, in the Pa
csi Bsianee IN hands Of cham wv
berian. being excess paid to
him from deposits for licsuse
ices amounts due Ii
''' ''' @-- sa,c7a os
Deficiency ............. $40 800 30
paid to ML Chtds a5o Of the $4,000
collected by the employees Of the Boaru OF the de-
books Of tue sums entered repaid deposors when
when the amount actually paid amount
OF the check cashed In the Office OF the Board
The difficulties IN the of obtaining the facts
zach OF these special to be an bar
so our prosecuting tho inquiry In that direction.
TRACING THIS REsPoSsIBLirIEs.
The report concludes with statement that
The Commissioners Of Excise received the deposits from
s tor licenses entirely their responsi
blty and without the sanction or authority vf law.
the deposits in such circumstances were mere voluntary
by the applicants for licenses with the Com
nssion9rs Excise. and aud held by the
the exclusive benefit parties sking
the deposits Al have been msssed into fund.
for apple this fund purpose OF which AZ
was the Comm ssoners and
10 tho respective depositos all the are
equally responsible
The moneys deposited With the Commls and
with particular OF their number
relieved Of their responsibility until they have ppiied
thc entire which they
poses when deposit nude which pay
OF the cense fee on the grpnins OF the license
the return deposit the rejection OF the
The books OF the Board show deficiency Of
tho moneys deposited with the Commissioners or this
there Is traced directly to Commissioner Murphy
k5UuUU OF this amount Mr Murphy seems TO have
pfopriated $tO.UUO tar Dack M August ~, 1877
Apparently there concealment ny him to tho
al..- lAA aha fs.V