The New York herald., 1922-10-18
COHALAN TELLS HOW
MURPHY SPLIT THAT
COST SUPPORT CAME
Surrogate Says That Boss
Objected to Reappraisal
of Pulitzer Estate.
CANT CONTROL ME-
JuriSt Asserts He Declared.
I'm Not One of Your
BartenderS.'
'RAWEST DEAL'-JEROME
Lawyer Compares Nominees
Rejection to Time Croker
Defied People.
'RAWEST DEAL'-JEROME

the story OF his break With Charles
T. Murphy, Tammany leader.
Quoting the words of their last in
terview, the Surrogate declared the
split came because he insisted upon
reappraisal of the estate of Joseph
Pulitzer. which added 10000 to its
value and which resulted in the New
York World getting on Murphys
neck" 1t was for that he was re-
fused nomination. he said.
Again turning loose on Murphy, Sam
Koenig and the "highbrows' who al
ways are shouting for free judiciary
and now refuse to stand up and be
counted. William Travers Jerome de-
scribed the rejection of Cohalan as
"the rawest deal since the day Croker
demanded what the people were going
to do about it, He denounced in
Jeromesque fashion the "grafters who
lay their foul hands on the judiciary"
for reasons Of personal spite and fam
lily preference.
The Town Hall was not filed. but
there was much enthusiasm. John w.
Goff. formerly Supreme Court Justice.
presided and said that when party lead
ers dictate nominations as in this case
the freedom of the bench was destroyed.
He criticized the party leaders for turn
ing down Cohalan, and urged the audi
ence tc work to arouse the public to the
danger involved.
History Of Case
81 took Office asJsurrogate on January
I, 1909, Mr.. Cohalan said. For four
years / was practically uumolested by
the Boss. In 1919 Murphy asked me TO
help him get the World or his neck, as
he put it.
"The World case to which Murphy re-
ferred was the matter of inheritance tax
on the estate Of Joseph Pulitzer. Shortly
before this talk with Murphy / rejected
the report of the appraiser as an under
valuation of the estate and sent 1t back
to the appraiser for further testimony.
The reappraisal which 1 ordered added
nearly 100000 the value of the
estate.
About ten days prior to this occa-
sion I called on Murphy at the sugges-
ton of James J. Frawley. then a men,
Der OF the Senate. to inform Murphy
that he had a mlsconception regarding
the provisions of a bill which had passed
the 1911 Legislature and which passed
the Senate the following year
THE bill in question provided that
the transfer tax appraisers should be
competent persons appointed by the Sur
rogates and not b. the State Comptrol-
Ter. The purpose was to prevent large
estates from lodging ma inheritance tax
through incompetents or worse and thus
depriving the State OF its just share
of the estates.
"I saw Murphy and after we dis
cussed the merits of the bill he said
that his advisers had told him that II
gave everything to the lawyers. L
pointed out to him that such was not
the case. that the bill provided In this
regard that competent persons. regard
less Of their calling. should be appointed
to appraise estates,
Go Easy with Them.
Murphy then asked me 10 write him
a letter, addressed 20 his home. in which
was 10 explain the provisions of the
bill as he and his advisers intended TO
take UP the question the next day. This
was on Friday. late in January, or carly
in February of 1918.
About ten days afterward 7 again
saw Murphy in Tammany Hall. He
began the conversation by telling me
that he admired courage. but was sorry
TO see me antagonizing a powerful
newspaper. Then said Murphy:
Don't think I'm trying to influence
your decision. I want you TO help ME
with the World matter. Go easy with
them IL you can
"I don't follow you. replied
What's that got TO do with the bill?'
"You Can Go 20 HE'LL"
we'll. said Murphy the World has
been on my neck for long time. and
think II you don't push them too hard
II wouldn't hurt any Of US
81 said 4 understand you thoroughly
But wrfiie I'm Surrogate I'll make the
decisions
Then Murphy turned his back on M
and mumbled.
"I said: Turn around here. I'm not
one OF your bartenders. You can't treat
Continued ON Psge Seven.