New-York tribune., 1922-10-08
Tammany Chief Refuses
to Discuss Alleged Pay
ments to Facilitate Get
ting Warrants Indorsed
koenig Also a Sphinx
Assertion He Betrayed Co.
halan to Help Brother
Disregarded by Leader

Charles F. Murphy refused to talk
yesterday when reporter called at
his home to get his comment on the
torney William Travers jerome that
$4,000 in cash had been handed by an
unnamed person to another person, like
WISE unnamed, in Murphy's room at
Delmonico's to facilitate the payment
of moneys due on a city contract.
Jerome made the charge at the Hotel
Astor Friday night when he and mum
Der OF other prominent lawyers, re-
gardless of party, opened the campaign
tor the reelection of Surrogate John
r. Cohalan and denounced the deal be-
tween Murphy and Samuel s. Koenig,
which aims at the removal of Cohalan
from the bench.
KOenig Also Reticent
Koenis also maintained silence re-
fgarding the charges made against him
by Jerome, Henry A. Wise, United
States Attorney under Presidents Taft
and Roosevelt, and other leading men,
bers OF the bar, that he had entered
into the deal solely to get his brothe
MOTIFS the Tammany nomination for
which pays $17,5O0 year, for term
Of fourteen years.
Jerome's charge was made in ex-
planning why Cohalan finally broke
with Murphy after telling the Tam
many boss to "go to hell" This was
during the legislative session of 1918.
Cohalan, he explained, went to Murphy
when told that the Tammany Hall
leader was holding up the passage of a
bill in Albany which was supported by
the surrogates Of the state, and which
aimed at giving the surrogates the
naming OF transfer tax appraisers.
Th stenographic report of Jerome's 9
speech then continues:
Senator James A. Frawley told CO.
halan that Murphy was opposed to the
bill. Of course, no Tammany Hall man
would dare introduce bill affecting
patronage without asking what he
thought of it. So Jim Frawley, then a
leader Of the Senate, says to Cohalan,
You had better 60 up and see Charlie. J
Well, John Cohalan does not quite like
the notion Of Surrogate of the County
OF New York going up to see Mr.. Muir
ply. Bat he thinks it is an important
measure and for the public welfare.
Snappy Interview Recounted
"Well, John does not quite like the
idea of that line. I would not myself, if
was Surrogate of the County of New
York. So he goes around and gets hold
of one of the henchmen and tells him
he wants to speak to Murphy. So he
led him right up to the desk, and Muir
ply looks over his shoulder and says,
What is it?' 1t was little too much
for John, and he said, why, turn
around here and talk to me. / am not
accustomed to being met that way
Well said Murphy, What is it.?
"Cohalan said, 1t is about this bill
WELL Murphy said, Il am against it; it
gives everything to the lawyers No,
says Cohalan, it does not; the bill says
"competeft people" WELL says MUIR
ply, am against it.; that is enough
Cohalan says you can't talk to me
that way. l am not one of your bar
tenders. You go to hell
"As said, the little contractors were
contractor in those days went to Del
monico's to move their bills in the
Comptroller's Office. will give you my
word Of honor know Of case in Mr..
Murphy's rooms where--well I won't
mention any names-where $4,000 on
two occasions, in the long green, actu-
ally were handed over to facilitate in
the Comptroller,S office the o. king
of vouchers th&t he could not get
moved there, although the city engi-
neers had approved the work done on
the contract and the city had accepted
it.
Invites Suit for Libel
~ know that Of my personal knowl-
edge. l was not in the room, but the
man that passed it, in great distress,
fearing that he was going to be asked
about it before certain grand jury,
told it to me. And when man comes
to you to consult you professionally
and he 10 afraid of being asked some
thing before grand jury he does not
make up story that will put him in
Jail. say that here where it is quoted.
I say it for the purpose of having the
press publish it. So if anybody says
1t is not SO am not going to take their
denial. Let. them sue me for libel.
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