Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-08
HOosIER TRAGEDY.

| a Tipa1ecanoe County Farmer Murdered
by his So,e-Con1i icti,g Statements MADE
| by the LATTER. and HIS Confession OF
Guilt at the Preliminary E.cansi nation,
! Lafayette Special to Cincinnati Enquirer
| The neighborhood ten miles east of this
city has been startled by tragedy which
occurred last night, and which, from the
| suspicious circumstances connected with it,
caused much excitement and general COM
| ment. The victim in the case is one Patrick
Murphy, who, with his son, moved from Il
linois over a year ago and bought farm
of sixty acres in Perry township, this county.
They were the only members of the family
| and lived in miserable little shanty of
two rooms, and cultivated land and attended
to the usual duties on farm. The house is
| a quarter of a mile from the nearest neigh
bors, and about two miles north of Dayton
Village, eight miles east of this city.
Michael Murphy, the son of the deceased,
in his testimony before the coroner's jury
this afternoon, said that be had been sent to
this city yesterday for groceries,; that Mon
day night at midnight he had been awakened
by noise IN the house, and saw man going
out of the door. He and his father chased
tllo DuISl0is DuI LOU CdGCu ul1l "A WdGCQ
| and 1924 in money were taken, and that he
afterward found the watch in fence corner
When he came to this city he borrowed a
dollar, but lost it, and went home without
the groceries, where he arrived at o'clock
last night and found his father in bed, and
by light from the fire in the stove, ate his
supper. At o'clock he discovered that his
father was dead, and ran to Mr.. Ellis, near
naJOh hor and told 4hopn hit hic foil L,o
committed suicide.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ellis came to the house and
found Murphy lying undressed in bed. The
boy pulled up the shirt of his father and,
pointing to the wound in the left
side, said, 'Here is where he shot HIMSELF .
and picking up the pistol, single
barreled toy pistol, and throwing it on the
floor said, "This is the damn thing that done
it, He admitted that he had been drinking
while in the city yesterday, The coroner's
inquest resulted in a verdict that the deceased
came to his death by the hands of his son
Michael. He was placed under arrest, and
while being taken to a Justices Office he con-
fessed to Coroner Yount and A. w. Gregory
that he had shot his father, but that it
was an accident He further said that
he bought the pistol Tuesday and
took it home, and found his father
sitting, on trunk that he playfully pointed
it at his father, supposing it was not loaded.
and pulled the trigger; that the deceased had
gone to bed after the shot was fred. On
being arraigned before Justice Lowman, he
pleaded guilty to the charged of murder. He
was brought here tonight at 10 o'clock and
placed in jail. On the way to this city he
conversed freely, and expressed what course
he intended to pursue in the management of
the farm after his fathers death. This
would seem to indicate that the murder was
premeditated.
From the best information, it appears that
they did not live harmoniously. They were
frequently seen quarreling and fighting.
Young Murphy is about 10 years old, and is
said by his neighbors to be indolent and dis
honest. He appears stupid, and has low
expression of countenance. His stories con-
fiicted in so many particulars that the first
statement, that the death was by suicide, was
at once discredited, and suspicion pointed
to him as the guilty party. His admission
of guilt before the justice of the peace, and
his confession to the coroner, together with
strong evidence, presents clear case, leaving
little or no doubt of his guilt.