New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-01
MURPHY WAS TOO SMART
CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.
Viii Haze to Explain to Jerome
About Missing Dock Records.

Charles r Murphy leader of Tammany Hail.
in trying yesterday to trap Dock Commissioners
Hawkes. got caught himself and will have to
explain to District Attorney Jerome how ne
came TO be the receiver Of stolen documents
District Attorney Jerome last night received the
following letter from Commissioner Hawkes.;
Oct g. 1905
Dear Sir: 1t has been discovered in this depart.
omps t for t transfer Of lease held By the
Cromwell Steamship Company, said aPphG cbS;
PecoEds has been abstracted theTefroT together
with letter from Mr. T. z PIr IRON "a, aSarsessS
to Mr. jackson Wallace, deputy commissioner or
d9T bs dcuents are as stated public records and
request that you instTtf at once pT4PeT or pq
sons guilty of mafeasance in this matter '
ntca ain IS iH the possession of Mr. Charles f.
Murphy or Mr.. Thomas F. Smith. ,-....,..,
concerning the matter which have obtained in the
MpoUGALL HAWKES.. Commissioner
The letter referred to as having been written
by Senator Plat is as follows:
No. 70 Broadway. New-Yors. July 1s, 1872
The Hon. Jackson wallace. Deputy Commissioners
Ny Dear C6mp1issoner: In further reference to
the subject ouched upon IN my IeateT q SG
Company for permission to transfer the Lease OF
beg to incose the formal application of that steam
ship company for such permission. and will as /
early and. if possible. favorable action thereon
Yours very truly IfOhAS - LA
The correspondence between Senator Platt
and Deputy Commissioner Wallace was con-
Quoted while Commissioner Hawkes. was in En-
rope When Senator Plat asked about his
letter last night he said:
There is nothing in that letter or in any other
communication that I ever sent to the Dock
Department that I would care TO conceal. III
was merely a lettsr to Mr.. Wallace on a matter
of public business ! am sure that all such cor
respondelce is made part of the records Of
the department.
Mr. Murphy could have had access TO this
letter or any other record in this department.
said Commissioner Hawkes.. Nothing is done
under blanket here. Naturally l object. how
ever TO the abstraction from the department Of
valuable public records and that is why have
asked District Attorney Jerome to trace the
theft
With a singular lack of foresight Thomas F.
Smith. secretary of Tammany Hall. and another
employe of the organization let IL be known that
they obtained the record by underground
methods from the records of the Dock Depart
ment where Murphy has a lot of henchmen who
are yearning for the good old grating" times
to return. Senator Piatts letter was photo
graphed. and copies of the photograph We're
given to all the papers.
When a search was made last night in the
Dock Department offices by commissioner
Hawkes. the records were still missing. and it
was their unaccountable absence that prompted
him 20 call the attention Of the District Attor-
ney TO the matter.
The letters were In cabinet in Deputy Dock
Commissioner Jackson WalIace's office. Mr..
Wallace went away on Friday TO Canada to at
tend the funeral of his father. Apparently ad-
vantage OF his absence taken by some one
in the department 10 do q turn for the mem
bers OF the old Dock Board who still have an
accounting 10 face before the end of the year
The springing Of the supposed sensation was
planned TO catch the fusionists mapping. Mr.
Wallace away and could not be asked to
explain. Ii was Saturday afternoon. and Com
missioner Hawkes. is not always there on Sat
urday afternoon.
Mr.. Hawkes. 'on deck however The
Tanmany men counted on there being no one
20 deny or explain the supposed sensation. Lit
tie or no notice would have been taken of the
exploit II the District Attorneys attention had
not been called TO the fact that Mr.. Murphy's
agent whoever he was. had gone to the length
OF stealing public document and turning IN
over 70 the Tammany Campaign managers In