National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-23
BLOODY MURDER.
A STARTLING MIDNIGHT TRAGEDY.
The Killing Of Tom Fitzgerald-His Body Found in
the River, with the Skull Fractured
John Murphy Held for the
Terrible Crime.

A great sensation was caused yesterday
morning in the part of the city where the gas
works are located By the discovery of what was
supposed to be foul and brutal murder. The
police learned that there had been bloody fight
in the house ofJohn Murphy, little shanty sitting
up on hill on the south side of street, near
Twenty-siXth street. 4 man named Thomas FitZ-
gerald was known to have gone to Murphys house
a little after midnight and to have been badly
beaten by Murphy. Murphy's house showed evil
duhces of a bloody fight, there being tell-tale
marks of blood on the walls and floors. Fitzgerald,
however, could not be found, and the story was
started that he had been killed and his body
sCcreted. Lieutenant Guy, Sergeant Perry, and
Officers Kirby and Cunningham, of the Fourth
Precinct, having put Murphy and the members OF
his family under arrest, set themselves at work at
once to clear up
THE MYSTERY.
Traces of blood were found by the officers on the
stone abutment near the Analostan Boat House
and it was decided at to drag the water in that
vicinity. About half-pas twelve o'clock yester-
day the body was found in ten feet of water, few
yards away from the shore. The head was badly
bruised and cut and the skull fractured. The
body was taken to the Fourth Precinct Station,
where Coroner Patterson held an inquest yester-
day afternoon. Fitzgerald,
THE
of the tragedy, was Irishman, and worked in the
gas-house, besides running little store at his
home On Twenty-sixth street, between H and 1
streets. He was about forty years of age, had
wife and seven children, and is represented as
having been g man of good habits and not
especially quarrclsome. Murphy, who is now held
responsible for Fitzgerald's life, is also Irish
man. about fifty years of age, and has lived in this
city about thirty years. working in gas-houses. He
is short and thick-set, with round, bullet head,
and is clean ShaYen saving little tuft of beard on
his chin. He is an illiterate man, and his brogue
is so broad that it is quite hard to understand him.
SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY.
The house where the fight occurred is not unlike
many of the houses i'll that vicinity. 1t stands on
little eminence where it was left when the Board
of Public Works cut down the street. and steep
fight of steps leads up 10 it. The narrow rooms in
side poorly furnished, and brood of chickens,
who had possession of the middle room when the
reporter called. seemed quite at home. The unin-
wiling back yard guarded by several goats,
who appeared quite undisturbed by the ex-
element that prevailed in the neighborhood.
Murphy and Fitzgerald, it appears were old
friends, and it is supposed that liquor had much to
do with their falling out Saturday night. They
came together Saturday night at the house of John
Scanlon, No. rs Twehty-sixth street, where Scan
lon keeps a store and bar-room. Fitzgerald or
= Fitz' as he commonly known, wanted to
sell Scanlon q lot, and they came TO agreement
Scanlon paying down $40 to secure the purchase.
Murphy then nterfered, and
A QUARREL
sprang up between him and "Fitz" which re-
suited in AIurphy's knocking FitZ" down. This
affair was quoted and the men separated.
About one o'clock in the morning "Fitz"
gained access to Murphys house. Mrs
then pitc he'd into him, beating him over the head
with a chair. The chair was completely de-
molished by the force of the blows, and the frag-
ments are held by the police as bloody relics of
the affray. Fit got away from Murphy's house
in some manner. Whether he went to the river
to wash his wounds and in or while stupefed,.
walked off the wharf, or whether Murphy followed
him to the river and consummated the tragedy
may never be known; but there is no evidence
showing that Murphy followed him.
NURPHY's STATEMENT.
as made to REPUBLICAN reporter in his cell at the
Fo urth Precinct Station, was in substance as fol-
lows: " went TO market last night, and sent my
little girl home with the market-basket. 1 then
went round to Scapion's and net .Fitz' Fitz
wanted scanIon to buy a lot of ground OF him
hey agreed to the sale, and Scanlon gave 'Fitz'
SO. When we were ready to go home 'Fitz
said: Il have got no S10.' said Yes, you have
He said that it none of my business and then
struck me behind the ear. l couldn't stand that,
and we had regular rough and tumble fight.
When got home he came around and rushed into
the house. came down and struck him with a
chair and put him out"
THE INQUEST.
Coroner Patterson held an inquest at the Fourth
Precinct Station at three o'clock yesterday, the
Jury being composed of Messrs. Joseph s. Mccoy,
William C. Gallon, Arson S. Taylor, Thomas Lucas,
James N. York, and George ny West. The prisoner,
Murphy, was present during the examination of
The witnesses, and made statement to the jury
similar in effect to the he made to the reporter
The first witness called was John Scanlon, who
keeps the store, rs Twenty sixth street, near the
gas works, where the trouble between Murphy and
Fitzgerald began.
sCAHLoN's STORY.
Mr.. Fitzgerald and himself, Scanlon said, were
transacting some business about half-past nine or
ten o'clock Saturday night. They had been talking
about purchasing lot. The witness agreed to buy
it. The witness exhibited receipt for $40 written in
an account book signed by Thomas Fitzgerald and
by Murphy. While the witness was
writing the receipt he said Murphy and Fitzgerald
got into dispute and Murphy struck Fitzgerald
and knocked him down. Witness said no provoca-
ton was given by Fitzgerald. He told Murphy not
10 do it again, but he did do it again, knocking
down a second time. Witness then
SHOWED MURPHY DOWN,
and, when he got up, put him out of the door.
Murphy made threats that he would get even with
Fitzgerald He said he would "go away" with
him and with somebody else afterward. The wit
ness understood Murphy to mean that he would
kill Fitzgerald and some one else afterward. He
put Mr.. Murphy out and kept Mr.. Fitzgerald in.
Murphy came back twiceand wanted to get in, but
the witness would not let him in After Fitzgerald
left the witness children and wife heard the noise
at Murphy'S house and went down there. He saw
no signs of intoxication on Fitzgerald while he
was at the witness house. Fitzgerald did not
threaten Murphy at any time. Murphy seemed to
be very bitter toward Fitzgerald.
DID NOT WANT TO SWEAR.
Mrs. Mary Moran an elderly lady in mourning,
who lives on F street, between Twenty-fi and
Twenty sixth just cast of Murphy's, the next
witness sworn. When the Bible was given to her
TO she said: FL object to doing anythinglike
this on the Sabbath. fit was on any other day
wouldn't object" DR.. Patterson blandly per-
suaded her that she could tell the truth on the
Sabbath as well as on week days, and she finally
to be sworn. She testified that she sew
the gentleman (Fitzgerald) when he went to Muir
phys door; she thought it was between twelve
and one o'clock. She saw him alss when he went
out. There were two ladies there, and when the
man raped one OF them said: "Who is that?"
The man replied: It's ME; let me in" Who
ever opened the door the witness did
not know. 1t was a woman. He went
in and the door was closed. After that she
heard great cursing and a heavy fall. She
halloed to her 10 get up but he did not go out
Some minutes afterward she saw the same man go
out and 60 down the steps. She heard him say.
" Oh, Murphy, you've done" but what the rest
was she could rot understand. She did not see
Mr.. Murphy until after the fight. His wife and he
came to her house and she went home with them.
She left Mr. Murphy there. She did not know
lr Lan.. Il