The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-23
TAMMANY'S NEW LEADER.
Some Facts About the Man Who
Sits In Cookers Chair.

Condensed from New York World.
Charles Francis Murphy, the new
leader of Tammany Hail. is one of a
family of eight. His father was Den
mis- Murphy. an Irishman of sturdy
puild and stern determination who died
the other day at the age of eighty
eight, proud of the fact that he had
not been idle a day in his long life.
Charley" Murphy went to work in
Roach's shipyard, at Ninth street and
the East river. He was a powerful
boy physically, and it was his ambi-
ton to become a first-class ship caulk-
school in those days for many a boy
who became famous later on in East
Side politics.
The work in the shipyard was hard,
but young Murphy thrived upon 1t. He
acquired muscles of steel and lungs
like bellows and became quick as
cat on his feet. He worked with rough
boys and had to fight his way In two
years he was the acknowledged boss of
the boys in the shipyard.
He got to the boy leadership of the
shipyard as he got to the top of
Tammany Hall--by fighting. One by
one he whipped the boys who worked
with him, and when there were no more
to whip he beat them swimming and
rowing and running foot-races. In
fact, he excelled in all athletic sports,
and his devotion to athletics is appar-
ent in his erect carriage and powerful
figure to this day.
When he was II years old he organ
lied the Sylvan Social Club. the nu-
| cleus of the Tammany Hall organiza-
ton of the district as 1t stands to-day.
| The members of the Sylvan Club were
boys from Is to 20 years of age, and as
organizer Charles F. Murphy was made
the leader.
Out of the Sylvan Club membership
Murphy organized a baseball club call
ed the Senators. He was catcher and
captain, the best player on the team.
Another member of the team was Ed
ward Hagan, afterward Tammany
leader of the Eighteenth district, who
passed the leadership to Murphy on
his deathbed.
The street car lines Of the city were
parts of the Tammany machines in
those days. There were no bell punches,
no fare registers. The conductors took
what they wanted, handed the driver
half and gave the rest to the company.
District leaders bestirred themselves to
get their constituents places as drivers
and conductors, and 1t came to pass
litical influence, got a job on the front
platform of a Blue Line car, running
from Twenty-third street ferry, down
Avenue A, across Eighteenth street,
down Broadway and across Fourteenth
street to the Hoboken ferry. 1t was a
summer job, but there was money in
it, far more than was in the place in
the shipyards.
In two years on the street car MUIR
49, lat ~ WIT
money frugally boarded. a little at a
time for he was the main bread winner
of the family. The heavy end of his
money went to his mother. What he
saved came from extras. While accuin-
ulating money he accumulated friends,
and some of these friends suggested to
him that running a saloon was more
profitable and pleasant occupation than
driving a street car from the Twenty
third street ferry, on the east side, to
the Fourteenth street ferry, on the
west side.
In 1879 Charley" Murphy rented a
little two-story building on the north
side of Nineteenth street, few doors
east of Avenue A. 1t had one window
and narrow door. The bar and fix
lures were bought at secondhand. Up
stairs were installed the headquarters
of the Sylvan Club and the Senators
Baseball Club. For five cents the hust-
ling young proprietor served glass OF
fresh beer and large bowl of soup.
In 1880 the realization came to the
young saloon-keeper that his Sylvan
Club had grown to be a powerful or
ganization, that he had hundreds of
friends, and that life in politics was
open to him.
Tammany Hall in 1886 In the Eigh-
teenth district the laboring vote APP
peared to have topped to Henry
George. 1t was situation for a re-
sourceful politician to face and con-
quer and silent Charley" Murphy
faced it with his cold gray eyes and |
figured out a way to conquer 1t.
The fight centered in the Eighteenth |
and contiguous districts around the |
nomination for Congress. Spinola got |
the Tammany nomination. His oppon-
ent was Alien Thorndike Rice, from |
the silk stocking Fifth avenue neigh |
borhood. Mr.. Rice had the Republic |
can nomination. and being himself a
politician of no mean ability. on the |
eve of the election he secured the in
dorsement OF the Henry George party. |
Hagan skipped around the district |
spending money like prince. Murphy |
sat alone and conferred with himself. |
Not a move had been made apparently |
to stem the tide of votes that appeared |
to be rolling toward Rice on the MORN |
ing Of election day.
But something had been done. The |
Republicans learned In the afternoon |
that ballots headed by the name Of |
spinola. but carrying the rest Of the |
Republican candidates. were being yot- |
ed In the Eighteenth district The tide |
was turned BY these ballets. and Spin |
ola won By IA votes.
II was the political coup that made |
Charley" Murphy. The Republican
County Committee met and read Mike |
qreRan. the Republican Leader u the
Eighteenth district. out of the party
on course the voting Of fraudulent
ballots was GOT honest, but nobody
could ever tel just exactly wbege thoss
fraudulent ballots cams from There