The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-05-16


p Edward Kelly, employed at the
works Of the Dithridge Glass Compa-
Inv, at the faot Of Sixteenth street,
South Side, was acquainted with
Francis Murphy, in Portland. when
the latter kept saloon there and be-
fore he got into the trouble which re-
formed him and pot him in the ranks
of the temperance workers.
II first knew Murphy said Mr..
Kelly, .'in 1868 He kept saloon
on the corner of Commercial and In
dia streets. | used to 60 there quite
often o. nights There'd be always a
crowd there-sailors, glsss-blowers
and others. He'd q bar keeper cali
ed Tom Shay. Murpby was popular
among the boys; he could drink
whisky with any Of them--in fact, be
never was long sober. He used to
have games 10 his house--seven-up
and such-and Murphy bad to go II
shady to keep the police from break
ing in on MIN. IL was against the
law to sell liquor in Portland then,
but saloon keepers sold it on the sly.
One night in 1869, ship-carpenter
from Nova Scotia was in Nurphy's
saloon drunk. He insisted that his
wife was up stairs, and wanted to see
her. Murphy told him to behave
and the bsr-keeper threatened TO put
him out. But be wouldn't be quiet
ed, and swore he was going to have
his wife, and started up stairs. Mur-
ply was about sober enough to know
his business and he started up after
him. On the top of the stairs they
got to scuffling, and after a tough
struggle between them, Murphy
threw the man down, or be fell down
accidentally, l don't know which,
and was killed. Murphy was ar
rested on a charge of murder, aud
laid in jail for months before his case
came on for trial The killing of the
man seemed to shock him awfully
after. be found what bed done he
wasn't like the same man any more;
after he'd been in Jail while, be
commenced to preach temperance to
the prisoners and TO talk TO them
against the kind of life he'd been
leading. When the case came TO iri-
al be was acquitted, il being made
cut that bed right to stop the ship
carpenter from going up stairs, and
protect bis guests. saw him not
long after his discharge from jail. 1t
was al Cumberland, town about
ten miles from Portland. / was
working on the Maine Central rail-
way extension among a lot Of hard
cases, when one day it was given out
that Murphy was to make temper
aHce speech in the town on Sunday.
There were Others there besides me
that kaew him when be kept a sa-
loon, and when Sunday came the
LOWE hall was c:owded--sll the rail-
readers being there. 1t hadn't been
q year since I'D seen Murphy at his
saloon, but be was awfuIly changed.
His face was thin, and bis bair was
becoming grayish like. After be
made his speccb9be ges seu.e of them
TO sign the pledge"
WAS Murphy's place hotel aud
o saloon together 7"
Yes, IT was tavern the New
England house was the name of il.
The sailors used TO stop with him.
His place was close to the beach
Commercial street runs right along
the beach Many time I've played
seven-up in Murphy's tavern. His
little boys that I've heard him speak
ing OF in bis meetings here, | remem-
Der two of them well-little bits of
lads that used to run about the tav-
|ern. His wife | saw, too. L
don't remember when she died. She
was living | know when be went to
jail"
What did the boys think when
Murphy signed the pledge-his old
friends and customers, Imesn?n
"None of them thought he'd
keep il: l never thought bed keer
it,
What became of his tavern after
he went to Jail :"
1T stopped altogether. His bar
keeper lef and | don't know what be-
came of the things. IL has never
been used as a saloon since | was
back there last August, and the place
was vacant. murphy wasn't very
far from Portland at thai time either;
be was carrying on temperance
meeting at Orchard-beach. His
children. | hear, are 10 Sterling, Hi
nois. y Pittsburgh Leader.