The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-10

VINO was 6lOpeu WITH Suu0onAy ooe
turns and tonfronts the Destroyer OF
his Happiness and Gets Badly Boat
en-A Mixed up Anair-Testimony.
The incidents connected with the late elope-
ment and return Of Richard Murphy ara too
fresh in the minds OF our readers to need even
q mere mention, andwe will only state by way Of
explanation to what follows, that the young
woman with whom he eloped was the wife Of
William Kerr, sailor, who not long since vent
on q cruise.
RETURN OF THE INJURED HUSBAND.
Late Sunday afternoon Wm. Kerr arrived on
the vessel he had shipped on. and. to his in
tense horror, heard Of the conduct Of the wo-
man whom be had vowed to love, cherish and
protect, and had faithfully kept his vow. Ear
ly yesterday morning be went to the house Of
Harry May, on Q1een-street, where he lean ned
Murphy was. Accostne Murphy, he demand
ed his wife. Words and q fight ensued, dur.
ing which Kerr was badly beaten.
ARREST OF MURPHY.
Shortly after the afflir at Mays house, Kerr
went to Justice Mackey and had warrant is-
sued for the arrest OF Ma AID Murphy, ch1rg-
ing them with having committed an eggra-
waited assault and battery upon him. His face
certainly bore evidences Of having suffered
severely. Officers Coates and Quinn notified the
accused to come around to the Detective
Office, which they did in very short time
after receiving the notice. Justice Mackey here
held coult.
TESTIMONY.
The testimony was very conflicting, and we
give below, substantially, that OF each Witness:
Harry Mays testified that Kerr came into his
house wtee Murphy was and demanded his
wife. He then challenged Murphy to fight
"Hst fight" which be refused to do. as he also
refused to fight with knives and pistols, as
afterwards requested to do by Kerr, Kerr all
of the time having hls hands in his pocket.
Suddenly. during the conversation which en-
sued, Kerr drew his pistol and fred at Murphy,
who had struck him, the ball, as witness testi-
fed. going through bis hat, "a hole in which he
showed, but it was very much unlike hole
made by pistol ball. Witness, then took
Kerr's pistol away and threw it into the back
yard.
Mrs. May testified tha. Kerr had come in
as her husband stated and challenged Murphy
to fight, but he refused. gerr then called her
names and Nurphy stru;k him, and general
row ensued. She knew . pistol was fred of
by Kerr, but how many times she Was not able
to say.
VIM. Kerr testified that he had gone to Mays
house to Zee Murphy about bis wife, and had
challenged hum to fght, but he would not.
Mrs. Kerr then called his wife o bad name aud
he retorted, whersupon he was set upon by
Murphy, who beat him while May held his
arms. He had pistol in his pocket, but was
unable to draw it because May he'd him too
tight.
During this testimony Murphy treated the
court with great contempt by muttering threats
against Mr. John A. Moroso, who had volun-
teered as counsel for Kerr, and others in the
courtroom, and the Ju slice ordered him to jail
for contempt os c;nrt. But fading that Muir
ply could net then furnish proper security for
his appearance for trial, and would therefore
have to go to jail anyhow, he withdrew the
commitment for contempt, and sent him to jail
in charge OF officers Quinn and Levy, IN de-
fault OF said security. May was discharged.
After remaining confined an hour or two,
Murphy furnished security and was released.
During these proceedings Murphy sued out
a warrant against Kerr, charging him with
having assaulted him with a deadly weapon.
Justice Minot, who issued the warrant, heard
the evidence. and required him to give $500
security to appear for trial.