Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-20
A CURIOUS EPISODE.
Arrest OF n WelI-Kn0wn Lawyer ON
--r-H Suspicion. fII

Arrest OF n Well-Known Lawyer on
-r-NIF Suspicion. tfIl
From the New YesS World. August Ill z /
An incident which came to light yes
terday shows how general is the sus-
picion and keenness of citizens and otfi-
GERS in search of the murderer of Mr..
Nathan. 1t seems that Mr. Thomas
Dunphy, a well-known lawyer of this
city. having an Office at No. 4 Warren
street. and who was DIT one time the part
ner of Edwin, James, the English barris-
ter, is in the habit of visiting house in
Brooklyn where there are several ladies,
On Tuesday night he happened to be in
this company, and the conversation
naturally ran upon the recent murder.
Mr.. Dunphy, who is noted for his bril-
liant conversational powers, his line
descriptive talent, and his dramatic
fluency, entered into this subject with
the keen zest Of a lawyer. He had VS.
tied the scene Of the outrage and had q
clear comprehensive theory of his own OF
the whole affair las indeed who has not,
and he proceeded to describe the dreadful
scene as it appeared to him it must have
occurred. In this he was wonderfully
minute, as is the legal mind generally,
and little dramatic, as the legal mind
seldom is, and in the hight of his descrlp-
ton he put himself in the murderer
place, the better to make his theory con-
yincine. nio hHn 'HA" Nee
81 then turned suddenly said he,
hearing a slight noise, and there stood
Mr.. Nathan in the dim light, not two
feet from me. A moment of irresolutlon,
during which we both glared at each
other, and he seemed TO be feeling for a
weapon; it was aquestion OF life or death,
YOU see for me, and in that moment l
clenched my weapon and struck him a
crushing blow; he reeled, he groaned,
etc. This fine narrative delighted the
listeners; they grew pale, aud their eyes
sparkled with intense delight and hor-
ror. But there happened to be young
woman listening at the key-hole, who had
been drawn there by the loud sounds of
Mr.. Dunphy's eloguence, and her blood
froze at the confession, Here then at
last was the murderer in Propria per
sone trapped in this room. She shook
in her slippers with fright and with des-
perate resolve. She clenched her teeth
and listened heroically to the last, and
then SHE'D away nervously in search of
an officer. 1t so happened that officer
Murphy, of the Fourth lBrooklynl Pre-
cinct, was the first man to receive the
intelligence, and his eyes
stuck out with some portion of the re-
ward Immediately.
Officer Murphy is a valiant and dis
Greet man. He saw at once that here
was something better than clue. he
found Mr.. Dunphy, and the girl pointed
him out as the murderer of Mr.. Nathan.
Officer Murphy noticed that the man
was covered with confusion in a mo-
ment at being thus betrayed, and officer
Murphy hung to him ike q galloping
Protestations were of
little avail with that keen cool guardian.
He was dragged to the station and
thence to the Office of Mr. Campbell,
Chief of Police, where the statements
of both parties were imperturably lis
tened to and taken down. About mid
night it was determined TO send the
prisoner to Superintendent Jourdan In
this city, and in furious storm he was
driven to headquarters and then to Su-
.Jourdan's house. So ex-
cited was thu attendant officer, partly |
with fear that bis captive would sudden
ly hit him over the left ear with a dog,
and make his escape, that he pulled the
door-bell off the wire and kicked in one
of Superintendent Jourdan's panels, and
in arousing the entire neigh
borhood. But as the Superintendent was
on his tour through the city, officer Muir
ply had to bring his prisoner back to
headquarters and keep him over till
eight o clock the next morning, when
Jourdan and Captain
Kelso arrived. Mr. Dunphy was not in
presentable condition; he was sore be-
draggled, somewhat indignant, and very
much crestfallen. But Superintendent
Jourdan recognized him instantly. Some
thing like an explanation took place,
and then officer Murphy getting new
glimmer of facts, desired the Superin-
tendent to release him. This, however,
could not be done. Red tape ties up
even friendships In headquarters, and
Mr.. Dunphy had to be sent back to
Kings county TO be properly discharged. |
The whole affair was one Of the most |
absurd mistakes that the excitement in
cident to the Nathan murder has given
rise to-