New-York tribune., 1922-10-18
Declares Boss Asked Hin,
to Go Easy in Pulitzer
Estate Appraisal to Win
Favor Of I'm. Y. World
Pending Salary Bill Il
Was Used as a Club
Told Him to Go TO Hell, :
Judge Asserts; Tamrnany
Chief Denies Charges

Surrogate John p CohaIan at last
nights rally at the Town Hall charged
that Charles F. Murphy, the Tammany
leader, denied him a denomination be-
cause Murphy could not control his
judicial acts.
The Independent candidate FOR Sur
rogate specified one instance where he
alleged Murphy attempted to interfere
with his decisions as judge Of the
widows and orphans court.
This was in the matter of the estate
Of the late Joseph Pulitzer, owner Of
"The New York World" and "The st.
Louis Post-pispatch," according to Co
halan. Thiss he said, occurred in the
early part of 1913. Murphy's talk with
him, Cohalan said, took place at Tam
many Hall.
The conversation between the Tam
many leader and the Surrogate, as;re-
lated by the latter last night, follows
murphy began the conversation by
telling me that he admired courage,
but was sorry to see me antagonize a
powerful newspaper. Then said Mur-
ply:
( Don't think I'm trying to influence
your decision. want you to help me
with "The World'' matter. Co. easy
with them If you can
"'I don't follow you,' replied.
What's that got TO do with the bill 2
"'Well,' said Murphy, "The world
has been on my neck for long time,
and think If, you don't push them too
hard it,wouldn't hurt any Of U.s.
Defancc Follows
"I said: 4 understand you thorough
ly. But while I'm Surrogate I'll make
the decisions III.
"Then Murphy turned his back on
me and -mumbled.
II said: turn around here. I'm
not one of your bnrtenders. You cant
treat me that way. What have you got
1Then said Murphy: What have
you got to say about it?'
9os II replied: I'm the Surrogate and
I'll spend the next ten years showing
you what Pve got to say about IL,
I" Hold on said Murphy I'm going
III anaWered: 4 don't give damn
about the salary bill. Yon can go to
,helli'"
After the applause which greeted
this recital died out, Cohalan con-
tinued:
referred, was in the matter of@the in-
heritance tax on the estate of Joseph
Pulitzer. Shortly before this talk
with Murphy i rejected the report OF
the appraiser as An underyaluation Of
the estate. and sent it back to the ap-
praiscr for further testimony. The
which I ordered added
nearly $4,000, 900 to the value Of said
estate"
s1 Disobeyed as Legislator
y Cohalan also charged that Murphy
sent him orders when he was mem
ber Of the Legislature in 1906 to vote
against the. recount bill which Gov
ernor Charles =. Hughes espoused and
finally had passed, in order that the
frauds In tke preceding MayoTalty
campaign might be, brought to light.
These orders Cohalan spurned, and
pointed to his record, which showed
that he was one Of three Democrats
who voted for the bill when 1t first
came UP, and that he made the motion
to discharge the Senate judiciary bill
the following year, where Tammany
was trying. to bottle it up. a special
message from Governor Hughes, CO.
halan recalled, finally forced the Legls-
lafure to enact the measure.
Answering the Aalibi being offered by
Murphy's friends that Murphy made
Cohalan, and therefore had a right to
unmake, him, Cohalan told his hearers
that he served two terms in the Legis-
lature as q representative from Bronx
districts without Murphy,s support or
and that it was the people
az the Bronx who had him nominated
for Surrogate in spite of Murphy's op-
position.
Murphy Denies Charge
Mr.. Murphy sent to the newspapers
a. few minutes after the meeting was
over statement. which read:
"The only interviewsI ever had with
Judge Cohalan since he has been on
the bench was one of his own seeking,
when he called at sTannany Hall to
ask my aid In the passage OF bill to
take away from the State Comptroller
the power to appoint transfer tax ap-
praisers and give 1t 70 the Surrbgates.
~ told him that was a matter SOLE
" for the Legislature. His assertion
s(cautInusd en- paas fcur)