The New York herald., 1871-03-11
A POLICE MURDER,
Close of the Clubbing Cage-The Coroner's Tnvesti-
gation-stroog Testimony Against oaces
TworieJ-He is Held by the jury
Stripped Of Els Uniform and
Committed to the Tombs.

Committed to the Tombs.
The manner In which helpless ana innocent mon
are s0meumes hurried out OF existence was de-
veloped yesterday before Coroner Keenan,, during
the investigation OF the circumstances attending the
death OF John Murphy, late OF liz Henry street,
early last Sunday morning, already printed in the
HERALD. 1t was supposed that q gang OF rouglls
from the Fourth and Seventh wards would make
persistent efforts 10 swear away the liberties OF the
accused officer; but The weight Of testimony d.d not
come from That SO rec at a but was given by his
associate guardians Of The public peace, doubtless
much to the astonsament OF Twomey himself as weli
a. all who listened 70 The proceedings.
subjonod will be found the most important evi-
dence elected and The verdict of the jury
PaiilcG Broderlck, Gu officer Of the Seventh nre-
Clint deposed that al halfpas two O'Clock last sun
day morning lie saw deceased and two others goinc
up Catnarine street towards East Broadway sing.
Ing; raising their voices high ordered them to STOP
as it was
AN USSEAs0NABLE TINE
In the morning 10 make such noise ana want
you to move on; one or them replied eyes. aud de.
ceased crossed over on the Fourth ward side
ana came In contact with officer Twomey
VINO told him TO move on and go home:
deceased went up towards East Broadway and off,
Ger Iwomey followed him; soon heard one rap with
club and hastened TO the place "a soon as possble
on reaching East Broadway ana Catharne streets
heard cries OF "Murder ~ and "Wach ~ then met
two Sixth precinct officers and q crowd on the side
walk; saw deceased lying on he sidewalk In Catna.
rine street, between East Broadway and Division
street, and near him was officer Twomey OF the
Fourth precinct; he asked me and other officers 10
assst IA taking Murphy to the station house; took
hold OF his right Lee, oncer Hughes OF his left leg
officer Brown Of his left arm ana officer Twomey Of
his right arm; deceased struggled, when
TwoAEY STRUCK HIM
two or three times on the breast or belly / don't
know which; he struck HIM so hard that the man
did not kick much afterwards: after deceased was
struck he ali not kick or speak; said that he had
no right to strike deceased. as there were officers
enough to take him In; we carried him to the cor
nor of Catharinc and Madison stree Is and laid HIM
on the sidewalk; friend vi deceased came up with
deceased's hat when Twoaney struck him on the
shoulder with his CLUB once or twice; We then got
wagon. IN which was some water threw it out,
and, putting deceased in the wagon took him to
the station house;
DECEASED DID NOT KICK
or struggle after he was struck; elt OF decnaseds
puse Wnllc on the way TO tie station house aul re.
De no pulse detected.
Francis Bughes, an oflcer OF the sixth precinct
tssllea tpat az haif-past two O'Clock last sunday
morning heard cry or murder ana the ran of a
cup m CatAaIine street; ran there and saw man
lying There on the sidewalk apparently drunk and
making noise; officer Iwomey had hold
Of Of, ; him; seeing seeing TIA thai he cogld not arrest
hm al0le, we took hold Of deceased ami carried him
down Catharinc street, across East Broadway, he
screaming aud elcking all the. way; between East
Broadway aud Henry street 01lcer Iwomey struck
hlm Two VI three tIacs
WIFI hts club: he done II so quick that IL took me
by SURPRISE deceasei / soon stopped screaming ana
kicking, ald did not speak any more; u man came
up vim a hat belonging to deceased when Iwoiney
struck him or twice with his club tnea placed
deceased in wagon carefully and took him to the
Fourth ward station house: tho blows Iwomev
struck deceased Qlitt
oifcer Joml II. Brown, OF the SIKH precinct de-
East % Fan there and m oand Ist near %
the sidewalk, apparently drunk, and directly TIVE
oneers " VINO came up aooa nod OF deceased and he
sidewalk nc Was picked up, and directly afterwards
officer Twomey s,rack him While we were car.
rylnK him; deceased was struck ON his breast or
belly; tney were
rRrrrY HEAVY BLOWS;
deceased d1d not make fulther resistance after
being struck; then took deceased to tile station
house, and he was alive on reaching the station
house, as felt his pulse and found il beating
slowly
sergean, Joseph D. Kelly testified to deceased
being brought 10 the station house last Sunday nIQht
by slx oifccrs officer Twomey SAID thai deceased
had been acting dsorderiy. ana had run over on
tne Catherine street slde OF the seventh ward and
dying conditions: sent for a doctor who 500 n
camc ara pronounced the man to be dead; eX-
amled the body foT marks Of violence, but loupd
none.
MEDICAL TESTIMONY.
wooster Beach, NJ. d., testified that he had made
apost-noitcm examination on the body OF deceased,
and found no external marks of Violence: from the
testimony adduced the Doctor was or The opinion
that death was caused by shock from the blow on
the stomach; blow sufficient TO cause death might
be gwen overt the region OF the stomach abdomen
and leave no marks.
This closed the testimony, when Cor rer Keenan,
briefly charged the jury, during which lie sald that
an officer who would his cup SO freely ana
unnecessarily ~ has been shown in this case WAS
nos a lit man be on the police.
Tho jury, after brler deliberaiion, rcnuered the
following
VERDICT
That John Murphy came to his death by being
struck ON the stomach with a club In the hands uf
Patrick TwOiney police 01icer OF the Fourth pre-.
ctnct, in Catharne street, between East Broadway
and Henry street. on Sunday morning, the 9Th day
OF March, 1871.
Twomey being arraigned Tor formal examination
said he was tweniy.cigbt years OF age, born Ire
iand and lived a. 10 Market street. In relation to
the charge against him, Twomey sal6:--
t'rhe witnesses have sworn falsely In some
respects; am not guilty Of the cnlrge.n
STRIPPED OF Ills UnitOGM.
The accused was removed from the court room In
charge OF captain Allairo and sergeant Kelly, his
uniform stripped or and replaced by citizens attire,
In which Twomey was taken TO tie T0mbs 10 await
his trial. Twomey mas been member OF the Police
Department for several years. during most OF
which time he has done duty in The Fourth precinct.
Since the exposure OF this clubbing case some hard
stories have been told about TwDmey, which, II
true, goes to show how unworthy and Incompetent
men manage to receive appointments on the police
force.