New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-21
c. F. MURPHY'S HOTEL
NEIGHBORS OBJECT TO 1T.
Agree Nth DeUery's Estimate-NOt
No1C in MurphYs Name.

Owners and occupants Of many private houses
near the Borough Hotel. a Rafnes law place
on the southwest corner Of LexingtOn-ave. and
Twenty-seventh-st., were not surprised when
they read in The Tribune yesterday that Will
lam s. Devery had spoken OF it as house that
had been built and owned by Charles F. Murphy
and had been so much OF a red light place
as TO suggest the payment Of hush money"
Inquiry yesterday showed that the people in
that neighborhOod have regarded the hotel"
as a standing menace TO the good name OF the
neighborhood. that IL was erected as ''tene-
ment' 70 evade the requirements Of the build
ing laws for hotels, and that there had been
fagrant disregard Il the law which forbids the
opening OF liquor place within two hundred
feet OF a church and without the consents Of
two-thirds OF the neighboring property owners.
The fact is that the people Of quiet and
respectable resident district of the city fought
against the establishment of nuisance there
by Murphy for several years before Murphy
was able to evade or override the law and in
fict upon them a Raines law hotel Of the
most offensive kind. The fight against the
nuisance began late in 1898. when * became
known that Mrs Julia Sherman had sold her
private house on the corner TO Murphy and
that Murphy intended 20 start saloon there
Residents and property owners went before the
Excise Commissioners and protested, calling the
attention of the commissioners to the fact that
the Swedish Church. now the Greek Holy Trinity
Church. at No. 13S East Twenty -seventh-st-.
was within two hundred feet Of the corner
house julius Hamburger, although Tammany
man. refused as an excise commissioner 70
grant an application for the opening OF saloon
in Murphy's corner house. and for few years
Murphy let plans for the conversion OF the
house 60
FILED IN 1897.
The Rafnes law which caused many corner
saloons TO be converted into hotels" gave an
opportunity not overlooked by Murphy on
November n. 1887. plans for the present BOr-
ough Hotel were filed at the Bureau Of Build
ings. They are signed by Charles F. Murphy as
the owner of the building. and by John B.
Franklin. the architect who drew the plans III
was discovered Immediately that an amendment
to the law would prevent the erection OF a hotel
building without freproof construction and two
DAYS later Mr. Franklin made a formal applca-
ton to Stevenson Coustab bic. Mayor Strong's su-
perintendent of Buildings TO withdraw plans
for hotel and substitute plans for new apart
rneut 0enemenU building instead
AsIruhv wanted 20 erect building al an estt-
mated cost Of $1,000. with a saloon occupying
the entire ground floor. in the gulse OF a tene-
rnent house. and then convert II into hotel
He was unable 10 get the plans approved IN MI
Constabie's time It was not until IalnrIany
was again in power and Cookers man. Brady
was al the head Of the Buildings department
that The Mans Of Murphys cheap hotel build
ing were passed. Even then II became necessary
to substitute other architects for Mr. Franklin
cd there is now on record with the plans an
.1idavit bv Catherine A Murphy, sworn TO on
February 10 1898 that she was the owner OF
the building and authorized Schneider & Herter.
- architects 10 make further alterations IN the
plans
Catherine A. Murphy was Charles A Muir
pbv's sister and died soon after the building
u-as completed The record shows that she
was the owner OF the building for part OF
one day. November II. 1888 On that day
Julia Sherman conveyed the house 10 Catherine
Murphy. and on the same day Catherine
Murphy conveyed the property TO Charles
I F Murphy. the consideration in each case be-
ing 81 according to the record The hotel
| was completed according 20 Mr.. Franklin's
mans hut the architects fees were paid 70
Schneider & Herter. and after making fruitless
demands for his fees Mr.. Franklin has just
| authorized a suit against Murphy. which Is to
I be begun by Frank Moss
JuIius simon who had been an excise IN
spector ia Tammany times and IN politics IN
I the Red Light district east Of the Bowery.
/ became the ostensible proprietor OF Murphy
Hotel He has held the license for the place
After his corner saloon was opened. respecta-
| bIe people OF the neighborhood made vain pro-
| tests at the office OF George billiard the Com
I missioner Of Excise calling attention 10 the fact
/ that the saloon was within two hundred feet
/ of a church. in violation OF the law. and that
| there had been another violation OF the law
/ in opening the saloon without the consents OF
Gaa1ased On second 0aGS