The Anaconda standard., 1890-04-18
The ELLISTON MURDER
4 Standard" Reporter Interviews Koo-
ken, The Nan Who Murdered Iurphy.
The Prisoner Claims to Have Used
His Gun In Self Defense
Murphy's Career In
Montana.

Special TO the Standard.
DEER LODGE, April ia STANDARD
reporter to-day had an interview with F.
p. Kooken, who shot a man named
Murphy in quarrel at Elliston last Mon
day night, and is now in Jail here. Kooken
is well known i'm Deer Lodge, where he
has worked of and on for the past eight
years. Last winter he worked in Wards
livery stable here and became n general
favorite with his associates by his gentle
manly behaviour and generous DISPOSE
ton. Kooken is small man, about 81
years of age, and unmarried. He came
to Montana from Pennsylvania in 1882,
and has worked in this vicinity ever since.
He has no relatives In Montana except
one brother who came from the East about
month ago, and who was In Elliston
when the shooting was done. Kooken Is a
member OF the Knights OF Pythias. He
told the following story to the reporter In
straightforward and convincing man.
ner:
~ have seen Murphy several times dur
ing the past year but never held any con-
versation with him except to bid him
good day as l knew he was o bad char
acter and not the kind of man / should
associate with. / never had any quarrel
with him until the morning of our final
row. We both boarded at Hogan's hotel
anu AT tit ttoAc NAoilusty uloTli-
ing Murphy made some very disgusting
remarks in the presence of Miss Lizzie
Perkins, q respectable young lady who
was employed as waitress in the hotel
Murphy's remarks to the.unfortunate girl,
who is an orphan, were scandalous and
say anything as knew him to be an Of
fensive big bully with whom / could
not cope. He looked at me
and laughed when he made
insulting references to the girls character
and when he saw that was not approx
ing his dastartlly conduct, he became
angry at me, though he said nothing till
after we left the table. My brother was
with me and after breakfast We went out
and sat by a window smoking. When
Murphy came out of the dining room he
came straight at me and without saying q
word struck me on the breast. He did
not hurt me though he struck me very
hard. and sprang up and lodged the
second blow which he aimed at me. He
struck at me half dozen times, then in a
vicious manner, and once was knocked
against the window bars. Finally
l got in n good blow and
knocked him down. Then my brother,
and Murphy left. understand that Mr.
Hogan afterwards ordered Murphy to
leave the house. There was law suit
that day i'm Elliston, and after the trial
Murphy told some persons that he was
going over to do me up. He came into
the place where Was and walked through
the room as il he was going out the other
door. As he passed me he struck me and
swore he would kick me all over town.
had told him that was too well raised to
be kicked by such a worthless bully as
he, and when he threw of his
coat and rushed at me 1 jumped
back and pulled my gun and
shot him. I think was justified in do
ing as / did and do not fear the results.
only weigh 135 pounds and could not de-
fend myself i'm any other way against
such big man as Murphy"
Murphy did not bear a very enviable
reputation in Montana. He was very
large man, 9 feet and inches tall, and
weighed about 215 pounds. He had an
ungovernable temper and n remarkable
fondness for whisky and quarreling. He
came originally from the stock yards of
Chicago. Upon his arrival in Helena he
announced himself as lawyer, but
before long he was run i'm as n vag and
spent nine months in Helena Jail. He was
an inveterate bum and obtained his meals
and drinks like tramp. Those i'm this
city who knew Murphy have sympathy
only for the man who is new behind the
bars charged with his murder.