Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-15
Members Of the Allegheny Auditing
Committee Censure Hendricks
and Clifford.
TOO MUCH SMOKE FOR THE FLAME,
E1.Detective Braun Claims he Was Very
Summarily Dismissed by Chair
man Henricks.
PREPARING CURATIVE ORDINANCES
A Provision That All City Moneys Must Be Turned
In Once q Week

There were five indignant members of the
Hall last night. They were Messrs. Arm
strong, Lewis, Henderson, Lang and Fraun-
stein, members of the subcommittee on
curative legislation, and while considering
ordinances that are to be introduced
they took occasion at intervals to express
Indignation at the charges which have been
made that the Auditing Committee intends
to let Chief Murphy down easy, and that all
the members of the committee are taking
their regular turn in applying the white
wash brush. The sentiments of the five
gentlemen were expressed by Mr.. Lewis
after the meeting when he said: "The only
charge against Mr.. Murphy that has been
brought to our attention is that he had re-
tained money received from the sale of
vehicle license plates and since that has
been exploded We have nothing to warrant
proceedings. If there are any other evil
dences of fraud they have not been made
known TO the majority of the com
mittee. There is no documentary evil
dence as in the case of Mayor Wyman,
or if there is, the auditors have not yet re-
ported it. All this talk about startling dis
coveries and what is going to be done has
been made by Mr. Henricks and Mr.. Gill;
ford. They have lead the people to believe
that Chief Murphy is a criminal of the
worst kind, and now the cry is raised to
have him arrested This talk has not come
from the Auditing Committee, but from
two members of it. If they have any
secret information, it is certainly their duty
to inform their colleagues and have pro-
ceedings commenced at once.
Object to Being whitewashers.
'If they haven't any information they
ought to keep quiet and not throw us all
open 10 censure by representing that there
is something in store, which will be sprung
at the proper time. 1 would be
the last man to favor shielding
Chief Murphy or any other official
The majority of the committee have
expressed similar sentiment to me, and if
there is any whitewashing being done you
can rest assured it is not by them. As an
indication of where it might be, it may be
of interest to state something that William
L. Braun told me the other day. He is the
charging Wyman and Murphy with
receiving money from the managers of
Exposition Park. A few days ago he had
an engagement to meet Mr.. Henricks and
afterward he saw me and stated that Hen
ricks had told him he had no further use for
him. Braun vas considered one of the city's
most important witnesses, and it seems
little peculiar that he would be dropped
now by The Chairman of the sub-Auditing
Committee"
Mr. Henderson confirmed the statement
that the charges so often referred to againss
Mr.. Murphy had not been made known to
the Auditing Committee. The vehicle Ii
cense plate matter, he thought, had been
explained very unsatisfactory, but still he
did not believe there was enough ground to
warrant proceedings in court. "We may
have our own opinions with regard to Mr..
Murphy" he said, ''but without proof it is
folly to 60 to court There is no more dispo-
sition to whitewash Mr.. Murphy than Mr..
Wyman, and this talk that we are shielding
him is absolutely groundless"
1t was learned yesterday that the auditors
have discovered that some of the men who
made affidavit that they received plates free
of charge from Chief Murphy on account of
toll road receipts, are marked on the stubs
as having paid for their plates. This will
be sprung in Council meeting Thursday
night
How to Cure the Present Abuses.
There we're three ordinances considered
by the subcommittee last night. They had
reference to regulating the receipts and ac-
counting for moneys of the city, the
licensing OF vehicles, and the licensing of
shows, exhibitions, etc. The first provides
that noue of the Bureaus of Engineering and
SURVEYS, Highways and Sewers, Water,
Water Assessments, or Health shall be
allowed to collect money for the city.
All such money shall be paid into
the City Treasurer. The other officials
are TO be allowed to make collec-
tion:, but must turn all money over to
the Treasurer once week, except the wit
ness fees, which are to be held bv the
Mayor until the end of the year, and those
that are uncalled for to be given the city.
A system of giving receipts and accounting
for moneys is provided, and the Controller
authorized to audit the books at least once
every quarter. The question was raised
that the city did net have the authority to
compel the Mayor to turn over witness fees.
Attorney Henderson was authorized to look
up the subject.
The ordinance regulating the licensing of
vehicles was changed to require persons
living on toll roads to pay for their plates
the same as others. The plates are to be of
different sizes, according to whether they
are for one or two horse vehicles, and it is
provided that they shall not be issued for
less time than one year.
The ordinances will be pushed as rapidly
as possible in order to have them 60 into
effect next March.