The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-18
All !! WICKED MICE
State House Fuel Bills and
Receipt Books Cob
bled Up.
ASSEMBLY PLANS MISSING
Murphy Makes a Confession to
the Voorhees, Investigating
Committee.
Congressman Dunn's Costly But
Useless Radiators-Ford's
Salary.
r,-s.e. 3 tac .5T.s::,ssee,y Cst., .Ncacc.


bin made a long statement, accom-
panied by some intricate figuring, by
which he claimed to show that checks
went to Ford in payment of his commits
sion on the amounts paid by the State
to Mullins on furniture.
Eugene Murphy, Mullins former book
Keeper resumed the stand. He said he
was born In Jersey City twenty-four
years ago. His father was born in Ire
land. and came to this country when
he was seven years old. He was edu-
Gated in France, and was professor of
mathematics at West Point until 1851.
when he came to Jersey City and be-
came Principal of School No. s. which
position he occupied at his death in
1875.
To questions by Mr.. DAILY, Murphy said
he had testified in retaliation upon Null
Inns for discharging him. He also ad-
mitted that part of his testimony was
the story he tried to sell to a New York
paper for $500.
Mr. Voorhees, asked Mr.. DAILY if a MEM
Der of the committee was trying to dis
credit the committees purposes.
Mr.. Daily replied that he was only try
witness. Continuing, Murphy said that
checks in question had been charged to
nobody. The money mas simply disap-
peared from the cash account
GAMBLED AT GUTENBERG.
.You were discharged for playing the
races. I believe said Senator Daily.
"Yes. so they said.' was the reply.
rr,x wit hof al ri
ty, the junior partner of Mullins & Co.,
frequently drove him (the witness) to
the Gutenberg race track Both mem
bers of the firm were race track gam
blers. and he frequently placed money
with the boolmakers for them. He was
Bitten allowed to leave the store fer that
purpose.
WHAT THE COAL COST
Mr.. Corbin then drew the committees
attention to the matter of supplying
the State House with fuel. He showed
from bills taken from The Comptroller's
office that from 1885 to 1891 coal cost
the State on an average per year, 81
S65.47. while during the years 1892. October
1. 1894. the average cost per year was
s7.l22. William Let's. for fourteen years
foreman of the State House engineer
Ford took possession of the State House.
Major Michael Hurley delivered the coal.
It was very bad. and witness complained
to Ford and Ford told him if the coal
was bad not to take 1t as there was no
commission in it, Q1aughter.)
Coal from Hurley stopped then for two
or three days. but soon afterward it
became as bad as ever. and witness. see
a. 10 ,loi lxc,r,
his mouth shut he said. Between ten
hundred and eleven hundred tons of coal
a year were used in the State House
furnaces.
Thomas Boyd Chief Engineer of the
State House engines during Ford's time.
contradicted Let's. and thought the
State House furnaces conNlmed twice
that amount
William Dorsey. Hurley's boolzkeeper.
was next sworn. Mr. Corbin asked him
to produce the receipts for coal delivered
to the State House.
WHERE'S THE STATE CAT?
Dorsey. who is sred-faced. curious
looking country boy, .nnocently replied
1--WE haven't got them. The mice got
at some of them and we burned them
all up." The crowds in the galleries and
Hobbies laughed heartily.
Dorsey continuing said that the last
coal was delivered to the State House
last May and the mice got at the stubs
and receipts in August. All the coal
which went out of the yard was weighed
by the witness.
where is your weight book?" asked
Mr. Corbin.
.Gone," replied the Witness
.sWhat?" exclaimed Mr. Corbin. you
don't mean to say the mice ate that
too?.
"Yes s.r.' innocently replied the wit
ness. looking above as If he wondered
what everybody saw to laugh at SO Inn
moderately
THAT OTHER WAY.
Questioned by Senator Skirm, Dorsey
said that Hurley's Office was very small.
and the missing receipts were destroyed
to make room.
Mr. Corbin then produced vouchers for
b1,s2s, which were paid to Ford as Super
lntendent and Inspector on the new AS
sembly chamber. They were paid on
certificates of James Moylan, architect.
to the Governor.
Mr.. Corbin said as far as he could
ascertain there was no law for those
payments.
Mr.. Daily said that In 1892 a bill was
passed increasing Ford's salary. The
bill was vetoed by the Governor. but 1t
was understood that 1t was to be made
up some other way.
.sThis seems to be that other way.
hryly remarked Mr.. corbin.
Ex-Assemblyman James Moylan. OF
Jersey CITY, architect of the new Assem-
NV chamber, testified that Ford was ap-
pointed Inspector on the work
WHERE ARE THE PLANS
The Governor with witness and Ford
had a consultatSon as 10 his salary. and
he witness signed the certificate at the
governors direction. who stated the
amount to be inserted + took grea'
deal OF questioning to get from the Wit
nesa The fact that no copy Of the plans
! for, for the Assembly Chamber had been hled
with state Official and that ne dtd
s.s,t know where 4 copy could be found
1S1w. witness had been = c1qil enstneez