Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-24
. The Allegheny Chief Of the Depart
ment of Public Safety Answers
the Auditors.
A HOST OF WITNESSES HEARD.
Murphy States Under Oath That He Never
Received Money as Tribute
From Amblers.
HONEST DAvY MACFERRoN TEsTIFIEs.
He States That Murphy and He Agreed on Plan
of Issuing Short Licenses.


force to hear the defense of Chief Murphy
before the Auditing Committee. There
| were over 80 witnesses summoned and at
least half of them responded. The others,
Attorney Marshall explained, were kept
away by the bad weather and the fact that
| they could not be compelled to appear
The Chiefs defense was as outlined by his
attorney a week before. The hearing was
confined almost exclusively to the
| portion of the Auditors report
which made the claim that 1859
vehicle license plates issued to Chief Muir
| ply by the City Treasurer during the years
ending May l, 1886, 1887 and 1891 had not
been accounted for On examination by
Attorney Marshall, Mr.. Murphy said that
vehicle licenses were first collected by the
CitvTreasurer and afterward the delinquents
by himself as Chief of Police. He stated
that he turned in every dollar of licenses
| collected, as we'll the 50-cent fee. To per-
sons who presented toll receipts
he stated that he had given
plates free of charge. He also stated that
to persons who made affidavit that their
plates had been lost new plates were given.
He said there was no ordinance providing
for this, but after consultation with City
Treasurer Macferron, form of affidavit was
agreed upon, and it was decided to give
plates where they had been lost.
Over One Hundred Plates Lost.
He thought the number so disposed of
would amount to about 100 each year. He
also remembered giving 90 to the City
I-ol
the stub as 'lost." Another explanation
given for the missing plates was that after
each year from 200 to go were left
over They were placed in the cellar,
where they were open to all the
officers. Ninety of these, he stated, had
since been found. 1t was also stated that
persons getting plates during the year or
after the month of June from, which
time licenses became delinquent, were
charged only for the portion of the year the
licenses were to run. When he had con-
cluded his testimony with regard to vehicle
licenses, Mr.. Marshall suddenly wheeled in
his chair and asked:
''Mr. Murphy, did you ever receive money
from houses of ill fame?".
s.No, SIR" replied the big chief with
emphasis that could be heard throughout
City Hall.
Ibid you ever receive money from
gambling houses?"
''No, sir
''Did you receive money to allow a wheel
of fortune. to be run at any time in Expo
sition Park?''
81 received no money for allowing q
rhaa 81 20 ho t. 4ol
for few days and when I got orders from
my superior officer to close it did,"
Murphy Tells How Books Were Lost.
Just as the Chief was about to leave the
stand, Chairman Clifford, with tone of
suspicion in his voice, asked how many
plates had been found.
'tNinety," responded Chief Murphy, at
the same time producing big bundle, which
upon being opened was found to contain
Just 80 bright colored metal pieces that were
as so many medals for the Chiefs veracity
Continuing Mr.. Murphy said the stub book
was lost when the Police Department was
moved to the third floor of City Hall. He
said he had also kept small memorandum,
but that also had been lost.
Following Mr. Murphy, the CITY Treas
urer, David Macferron was called. He has
! held his present Office for "a years and
| is known by everyone in the Northside as
''Honest Davy. Although not charged with
| any shortage, his long years of service has
| welded him so scompletly to the city that
| he watches the present investigation with
as close attention as any of those involved.
When sworn he was offered a chair and was
seated, but few mements afterward when
warmed, up by the subject he Jumped
to his feet with all the vigor his great age
would allow, and with the tremor of many
years in his voice, affirmed what Chief
Murphy had testified. He said there was
no ordinance comforting the right to issue
| plates when they had been lost, but out of
| fairness it mad been done. Previous to
| Murphy's term. he said il was customary to
! give an order on the manufacturer to per-
sons who had lost their plates, but that the
plan was unsatisfactory, and the new one
was adopted at Chief Murphv's suggestion.
They were given, he claimed, to persons
only whose oath could be believed
He said no account had been kept with the
Mayor in regard to the number of plates
| that had been left over every year, but he
| supposed there were always few. At the
conclusion of his examination the testimony
was read by the stenographer
Short Licenses Were Issued.
| Mr.. Marshall then offered in testimony
| several ordinances referring to the case
| among which was one of April IL, 1874, pro-
viding for the issuing of short licenses to
persons who commenced business during
the year.
J. o. Hood, toll collector on the Brighton
road, testified that he knew of about 40 per-
sons who each year secure toll receipts in
order to get vehicle license plates. Each of
to five plates, making an average of about
100 annually from his gate. Besides that
he referred to the gate farther
out the road, where he supposed
about half as many were issued
Richard c. Funora. toll collector at Charles
street, on the Brighton road, testified that
10 or II people got from 20 to 30 plates on
account of receipts issued by him. A large
number of others testified to having re-
ceived plates for nothing because of toll re-
ceipts Among them were Robert Morrow,
]. M. FRYER, John Duncan, William Nc.
Fadden, Patrick McGraw, James Dodds,
John Becker and David Winters. The lat.
/ ter also said he had received three plates
for nothing in place of others that had been
| lost.
| kirschler Also Pleads Short Licenses.
Taking up another branch of the case.
Samuel Kirschler, Chief of Police under
Mayor Pearson, was called. He is charged
with the same offense as Chief Murphy. bnt
did not appear in his own defense. He
estimated that six or seven out of every ten
of the delinquent licenses issued during his
term were short licenses He said there
were always number of plates left over
that we're thrown in the cellar.
Samuel Long, Chief of Police
under Mayor Peterson, and Richard Wilson.
Chief of Police under Mayor McGraw, made
similar statements.
Frederick Lemon, formerly janitor of the