The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-09-23
SPORT" MURPHY.
The Man who Sits in Richard Cookers
Seat.

The Man who Sits in Richard Croksr'S
Seat.
There is no doubt that Murphy is in
complete control of Tammany to-day.
Il he wins the coming municipal cleo
ton he will be intrenched in power more
completely than Richard Croker was.
In his brief term of leadership he has
played better. game for perpetuating
his rule than Croker ever played. The
first thing that Murphy did that Rich
ard Croker never did, and probably
never darded to do, was to destroy, or
make it possible for him to destroy,
democratic representation in the coun-
ellis of the organization by throwing
every one out Of the executive commit
tee Murphy had resolutions passed
which makes the executive committee
self-perpetuating, or, rather, Leader
Murphy -perpetuating. Next, MUIR
ply abolished the celebrated finance
committee, whose chairman, through
his control of the money, was the leader
of Tammany. Crocker was chairman of
that committee. Murphy, however, is
the real treasurer and the man who
holds the money-bag of Tammany--aI1d,
according to the Tammany code, what
possibilities lie right there!No books are
kept; no reports are made.
Charles Francis Murphy is forty-four
years old, tall of athletic frame, with
steel-gray eyes. and mouth that shows
on his clean-shaven face intense de-
termination. He is rated, probably cor
rectly, as a millionaire. He was born
in the "gas-house'' district, in the
neighborhood of Avenue A and Twen-
tieth street, on the East Side, and has
had only common-school education.
Probably he is not as iliiterate as Cro-
ker, but he has not yet revealed those
remarkable mental qualities that made
Croker born leader Of men. Murphy
lis graduated saloon-keeper. He had
four saloons, got rich, gave up the bust
ness took the only municipal office he
ever habitat of dock commissioner,
under Van Wyck-and was not long in
getting richer. His friends say it was
a legitimate increase Of wealth, and his
enemies have not yet dared to assert
otherwise openly.
He wears a dress suit comfortably
and, in his later days, has made his way
repeatedly into corner of Delmonico's
with Tammany politicians and leading
sporting men. He cares little for social
life, nor has he put on airs by buying
an expensive residence uptown. He
prefers to stand on a corner in his dis
trict at night, and to receive the poll
finiaaS of h cfr nba
have been many, and the Reverend
Doctor Rainford has praised him
openly from his pulpit. Murphy has
played politics almost from the very
day he became saloon-keeper He Is
temperate, unobtrusive, silent, He
knows every trick Of the politicians art.
He has even dared to bolt Tammany,
and has brought it to terms. He never
shirks responsibility in fight and his
friends say he never lacks courage. He
is steadfast to his friends, he was a
dutiful son to his parents, and he
cared for them and his brothers
children when protector was needed.
At this request, Congressman Nc
Clellan appointed one of his nephews to
West Point and another to Annapolis
Murphy has always put his bethers and
relatives in office and has secured con-
tracts for his friends. A select coterle
has grown rich with him.
Youthful and energetic, Murphy is
fearless where Croker was timid. Tam
many with Murphy has changed to the
extent that it is necessary for the lead
er to out-Croker Croker in retaining
control of Tammany. Croker ruled by
force of his genius; Murphy must rule
by craft and cunning. He has found it
necessary to destroy democratic ideals
in order to secure his place. The COM
ing election will determine whether he
is to keep it and whether Tammany is
to have a car more autocratic than any
by which it has ever before in it's long
and eventful history been ruled
Franklin Matthews in Worlds Work.