New-York tribune., 1903-07-13
A BOOMERANG HITS MURPHY.
HE BRINGS TO LIGHT ADMIRABLE ACTION By LOU,
AND HAWKES..
Tammany Leaders Lay Write Statement That Carefully A5ois
Garng Irregularities of old Dock Board

Charles F. Murphy. leader of Tammany Hall
and treasurer of the Dock Board under the Van
Wyck administration, whose queer ways of
transacting public business now undergoing
a searching investigation by District Attorney
Jerome, last night gave out statement which
the Tammany Hall lawyers who wrote 1t think
will distract attention from Mr.. Murphy and
his friends and centre It upon the Low admins
tratlon.
Mr.. Murphy says that the old treasurer's or
ders system is still in vogue, although 1t IS
fact that 1t abolished by the amended
charter The old Dock Board. by unanimous
consent could and did give out contracts for
hundreds of thousands OF dollars without ad-
vertising The Dock Commissioner under the
new charter. cannot give out without advertis-
ing a contract for anything above $1,000
Mr. Murphy's lawyers try to becloud the issue
by misrepresenting a transaction that renecIs
the highest credit on Commissioner Hawkes. ana
Mayor Low Mr. Murphy's lawyers have him
say that Commissioner Hawkes. bought without
advertising from George R. Manchester secre-
tary of the Republican County Committee, five
hundred barrels of cement at a larger price
than the old Dock Board bought the same or a
better grade of cement for. The facts put MI
Murphy in such a peculiar light that all his
other statements will be regarded with sus-
picon. Commissioner Hawkes. would not be In
terviewed last night but Tribune reporter was
placed in possession of the facts in the case.
They are as follows:
THE FACTS IN THE CASE
Commissioner Hawkes., on the requisition of
+he Chief Engineer asked for bids for 500 bar
rels of cement Four bids were turned IN all
worded the same and all at the same price
Apparently they were from the asphalt com
bination Of which the J3hT. P Kane Company
a concern which got about S1OO0OO worth OF
cement orders from Mir. Murphy while treasurer
OF the Dock Board. the leading member.
These uniform bids looked so suspicious that
Commissioner Hawkes. after consultation with
Mayor Low. decided to buy asphalt somewhere
else Then it was that he asked the Eureka
Company. of which George r. Manchester, sec
retary of the Republican County Committee.
was agent to supply the cement. When the
cement was delivered IL was found that the
shipment was 20ONO pounds short. Commts-
sioner Hawkes. consulted Mayor Low and the
entire shipment was rejected Not only that,
but the Eureka company compelled 10 re
imburse the city for all its expense in handling
the cement up to the time that it was decided
to reject it, The entire correspondence was laid
before Mayor Low, who stood by the Commls-
siOner in his handling of the matter
Mr. Manchester was not at home last night
when reporter called. 1t was said he was in
the Adirondacks
As stated in The Tribune yesterday, Mr- Mur-
ply and mis- Tammany associates had his state
ment telegraphed 10 about eighty daily papers
throughout the State. It would be important If
the facts backed it up.
Mr.. Murphy's statement reyives the disproved
charges in connection with the lease OF the Cen
trail Hudson Steamboat Company. The city
lost nothing by leasing Pier u 70 the Cen
trail Hudson company. The lease was discussed
at public hearing of the Sinking Fund Com
mission Controller Grout at first was opposed
to granting it, but after he went over the fig
ures he and all the other members OF the COM
mission voted in favor of il. The pier is not
two hundred feet longer than other piers ad-
joining. and furthermore. it is less valuable
than some of the others near by. as it has no
bulkheads. The records show that instead Of
receiving less. the city actually receives four
cents more square foot for this pier than it
does for any other pier in the neighborhood
with which this one can be compared.
The main things in the investigation now be
ing pressed by Assistant District Attorney
Clarke not the old treasurer's orders. There
other things that entirely overshadow these
MessTs. Murphy. Cram and Meyer granted two