, 1880-05-06


sate of excitement this morning
when it became generally known
that the shades of night just gone
by had covered tragedy which, had
it resulted as had evidently been
planned by its perpetrator, would
have paled every horror heretofore
known IN the place.
About |, A. NJ, little Eddie Dem
mons. son cf Mrs, n. d. Tobey, of
this place, gave the alarm to Mar
shaI Finn that Mr., Murphy was break
ing into Mr.. Tobey's house. Soon
after, iailer Chapman saw Murphy
running from the direction of To-
hsy's house, carrying gun in his
hand. Chapman, thinking that some.
thing must be wrong, gave chase and
was joined by Finn, who called upon
Murphy to stop, which he did when
within about forty yards OF his own
house near Point Hudson. Finn
went up and took him in charge,
after disarming him. Finn then
asked him what he had been doing
at Tobey's house. He replied that
he went there to ''get even" with his
wife. Finn then asked if he had
shot anyone. He said, "No." On
being asked if he had knife, he
said that he had one while before
but could not tell where it was, and,
in answer to question as to
whether he had stabbed any one or
not, he said he thought not. He
stated that his wife had made signals
to some one yesterday, and he was
not going to stand it any longer.
Immediately after this he asked for
water, and was seized with convul.
sions and twitchngs Of his limbs,
and, a few minutes after, while
walking towards his house, sank to
the ground. Upon seeing this, mes
seugers were dispatched to call doc
tors Wilson and Gassaway, also to
rouse Mr.. Ginger whom Murphy said
he wanted to see. Ginger appeared
upon the scene in few moments,
his dwelling being but few yards
away, and assisted to carry Murphy
to his own house, during which time
Murphy told him where his private
papers were, remarking: "lts no
use, boys, to try to save me. Pve
taken poison" Murphy was laid
upon the porch of his house, and ex-
pred before the door could be
opened.
1t seems that Murphy went to
Tobey's house just after midnight
(robey being absent at work on
Wildly Island and commenced cu!.
ting the lower panel of side door
Mrs. Murphy is Mrs. Tobey's sister,
and had been living with the latter
for SINE time back, having left her
husband on account of alleged i'll.
treatment. A lamp was burning in
Mrs. Tobey's house at the time of
the entrance by Murphy. Mrs. M.
was aroused by the noise Of the cut
ting at the door, and, Jumping out of
bed, ran nossleSsly to back door
which had fortunately been left open
the day before, although previously
nailed up for several months, and
made her way to Mrs. McCabe's
next door, for assistance. Mrs. To-
hey, being aroused too, arose and
attempted to escape through another
door, but before she conld get it un.
fastened Murphy had effected ar en-.
trance. He Immediately asked for
his wife, and, upon being told that
she had gone, attacked Mrs. Tobey
with the butcher knife that he had,
stabbing her once in the left side
near the heart and also inhicting
slight flesh wound on one of her
arms. The cries of the victim
brought to her relief her little boy,
Eddie, lad about ten or twelve
years old, who sprang upon the back
OF the assailant, took him by the
coat collar and pulled him back on
the floor, when mother and son took
the knife away from him. After be.
ing disarmed, Murphy took the lamp
and set it down near the stove, after
throwing the chimney in the wood
box. la the meantime Mrs. Tobey
escaped and her son ran to give the
alarm. Murphy, after realizing that
his intended victims were cut of his
reach, caught up a doubie-barreled
shot gun that he had left standing
against the house, outside, and start.
ed to run home. Before leaving,
however, he is supposed to have
swallowed the contents OF a small
vial Of poison, as ono was found in