The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-14


MurphYism as 1t Is.
While commenting, at vario times,
upon the assassination of Robert Ross
by the Murphy municipal machine of
Troy, N. Y, acting temporarily
through the pistol Of one of its staff of
subsidized murderers, Bartholomew
Shea, this journal has been led to use
language concerning Senator f lward
Murphy, jr., that has not made pleas
ant reading for him. Fortunately we
have been actuated by no desire to
please this gentleman. Against him'
personally we have nothing to say.
He has many individual merits, He is
charitable, companonable, jovial and
loyal. He gives great sums to the
poor, is a fine patron of local industry.
has a delightful home wherein he i'm
parts uustinted good cheer to accept
able guests; and il these things were
divorced from any suggestion of polit-
ical rapine, piracy or pluuder; If
they bore no hint of blood money
and impaired, to the discerning oh
server, no thought of a systematic
prostitution of positions Of public
trust, we should be the first to do Sena.
tor Murphy honor and the last to speak
him i'll. But in order TO acquit our
selves Of any suspicion of having done
Mr.. Murphy injustice, we propose now
to present q summary Of the testimony
taken this week before the special SEN
ate committee appointed to investigate
the last Troy charter election in other
words, we intend to let the unfamiliar
reader view this man as he really is,
perceive the majesty that encirces his
uncrowned head, mark the absoutism
of his rule and incidentally gather q
faint idea of the perfdy that forms the
cornerstone of his edifics OF power.
Before US lies the s!enographic tram
script of this committee hearing. II
printed entire, it would fill this page ;
but few of the salient features may
be abbreviated as follows:
John c. Ross, brother of Robert Ross,
swore that he and his two brothers be-
louCed to the BuSsey Steamer company.
This company the machine controls. It's
fireman, Edward Spain, a Murphy agent,
old Ross on the Saturday prior to the
spring election, that owing to the activity
AIKEN by the Ross brothers in Republican
OolitiCs the steamer company might be dis
Oanded ana re.organlzad with the Roses
iropped from its membership. Ross tes-
imony continued: Spain told me that
If | would vote for Molloy, Murphy's man,
the gang in the Thirteenth ward would be
ralled off. He suggested that | should go
to Captain Brand or Superintendent VIII
lard, and they could call the gang down
on condition that and my brothers would
vote for Moloy. | told him that he had
better see the people lie spoke Of but
thought that the only person who could
really call the gang off was Senator Ed
ward Murphy. Then Spain went down
street. and saw him take car that goes
past Murphy's brewery Then he came
back and said that he had fixed it for US to
go down and see the senator. William and
| went down in the afternoon to the
brewery with Spain. There we saw Molloy
in the outside Cflice and after brief wait
we were admitted to the private office,
where we found Senator Murphy.
! told the senator what had occurred last
fall at the election and expressed wish to
put n stop TO repeating, told him the
efforts we had made to prosecute these re-
peaters, and how they had failed and
Ieclted the events of the caucus. | told
him how when man named Burke was
arrested and sent to the grand jury one
of the jurors was Burke's bondsman. The
~ a nc flint tbAra tvnulI ~ IA,
a repeater in the city the next day. but he
did not say what authority he had over the
repeaters. Nevertheless, the repeaters
came to the polls the next day. The senator
remarked that we would be perfectly
satisfied with the police protection which
would be gvon us. We told Mr.. Murphy
that all the good citizens in the ward
had pledged themselves to go to the polls
and see that no illegal practices We're car
ried on. To this lie sharply Inquired. Have
you seen the superiHtendenJ's orderY We
told him that we had not, and then he
said that it would be in the afternoon
papers. At the time Of the interview the
papers had not been published, but Muir
pay knew about the order. We did not
promise 10 vote for MOlloy and shortly
after we left the brewery. We had gone
to the brewery for tue purpose of obtain
ing protection, as it had been commonly
reported that the Ross family would be the
object OF an attack by members Of the
gang on election day.
The police order thus alluded to
required citizens to go to the polls un-
armed. Meanwhile "Bat" Shea and
his gang Of repeaters went there armed
TO the teeth. and when the time came
for them to shoot the Republican
watchers down, they had every advan-
tage. It will be perceived from the
foregoing testimony that Senator Ed.
ward Murphy. seated on his throne of
state inside his colossal brewery al
though paid salary for work SUP.
posed to be done at Washington for
the state Of New York, had only tc
touch button to have minion ap-
pear and act as messenger to bring tC
him whomsoever he might wish to
see. Mr.. Murphy, it will be noted
took upon himself entire responsibility
for the condition of affairs on election
day; made no coucealment of his prior
knowledge of official proclamations
spoke Of various city officials as a South.
ern slave owner might once have spoken
of his sarfs. and in fine acted with
out subterfuge the part that is really
his in politics-tne part of au un
crowned king, kept on his unofficial
throne bv aid of tools clothed with the
sembance Of public authority, repeat
ers organized and instructed to preven
the return of Republican majorities