Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-03
An Attorney of Johnstown Says the
Reports About the Charity
Novel Are Exaggerated.
NO COLLUsION BETWEEN CLERKS.
Sensitive People Feel Hurt Over 1t, and
b.. Denounce the Publication Of the
Book as an outrage.
HOTEL vISIToRs CAUGHT ON THE FLY,
The Host.es ovsrrun With the Rush of Strangers Into
Town Last Night

There are two sides to every question, and
there is naturally another side to the re-
ports sent out from Johnstown in regard to
the book published and sold in the Cone
maugh Valley, containing the names and
amounts given each food sufferer by the
Board of Inquiry. Robert Murphy, the
well-known Johnstown attorney, says "the
other side" has not been given, and while
he has no personal interest in the matter, he
made a statement yesterday for the benefit
of those whose feelings have been hurt by
the publication Of the book. He says the
reports OF its sale have been greatly over
drawn, and instead of 5000 copies being
sold on "the CO." les than half that number
was disposed of. -. .-...-.
Mr.. Murphy was at the Monongahela
House Yesterday, accompanied by his wife,
and was found in company with his brother
Edward, who is in the coal business in this
city. In speaking of the publication of the
book, Mr.. Murphy said: ''The stories sent
out by a certain correspondent in Johns
town have been greatly exaggerated, and
instead of doing any good, they have caused
the outside world, who gave freely to the
relief fund, to think that the gentlemen
composing the Board of Inquiry and those
who received greater amount than others,
are robbers and thieves. ....-.-
MANY WHO FEEL HURT.
SIT would have been better if the names
had not been published, for the reason that
there were a great many sensitive people
left pennlless by the flood, and they do not
care to have a monument in the shape of a
book, bear witness to the fact and keep it
constantly before tine eyes of the world, that
they accepted the peoples charity. There
was not such great demand for the
book, either. I do not think that
9, 500 copies were disposed of. The people
OF Johnstown haven't great amount of
money to dispose of for books, and you
know that one copy will travel great way
if the people want to read it.
ST know one man who didn't get cent
from the Board of Inquiry or any person,
who offered to buy up the whole edition OF
the book before it was scattered broadcastt to
the world. This is an indication of the
feeling of repugnsnce the thinking class had
against the publication. No one for an in
slant would entertain thought of there
being no mistakes m ade by the board. At
such time and such place it was physi-
cal impossibility to prevent some people from
getting more money than they were entitled to
under the schedule. and 1t was only natural for
the board to err.
THE PRECAUTIONS TAKEN.
"The gentleman used every possible means at
their command to ascertain how much money
each applicant should get, and if somebody
got more than another person. it was not the
fault of the board. 1 am satisfied they did
their duty. and those who would not apply for
q cent thought the same thing. se.-
81 do. not think there was any collusion
between the Board Of Inquiry and the Relief
There seems to have been some
friction between the two bodies, and nobody
can find out what relation they bore each
other. Mr.. Scott says the members of the
board were agents of the commission. and
violated the trust they held by giving out the
data for the book. He says the Information in
their possession should have been treated as
and it was unjust to those who
bad been paid different amounts to publish
their names. - ...
Taking it altogether, while a number of
people got more than others, there is no feeling
of indignation, such as a certain correspondent
has tried to make the world believe"