The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-03-24
Ills. Several children were born to
the couple, then the mother died.

Two years after he married Bridget
Mehan, but a little over year after
the second marriage Murphy suddenly
left home and sailed on a vessel up the
lakes. The first mate, John Williams,
was drinking man and abused the
sailors, Murphy among the number.
At Mackinac Murphy quit the vessel
in the night, and within two hours of
his going Williams was stabbed and
killed
Three years later Murphy was ar
rested in Chicago and identified as the
He was convicted on the testimony of
Carson and the reward of $500 was
paid to those who arrested him. He
spent seven years in the "life so1i-,
tary." When he went in his hair was
as black as ink; when he came out, on
the abolition of the solitary system,
it was white He knew very little, his
mind being affected. Many moves
were subsequently made to have him
pardoned, but nothing came of the
efforts, as all believed him guilty.
After many years, Jack Carson, dy-
ing in Chicago from a stab received in
a saloon row, confessed that he killed
Williams and caused the arrest of
Murphy for the double purpose of
screening himself and securing half the
reward. At once a movement was
set on foot for Murphy's release, and
several years ago, after the incarcera-
ton of Thirty seven years, the much
wronged manwas freed. -PrisonMrror
Writers on pathological subjects look
upon the mingling of old and young
criminals in jails as deplorable evil.
1t is undoubtedly a bad method, but
it is no worse than herding lot of
juvenile criminals together, perhaps
not so bad. Young boys are not com
monty sent to jail until they have be-
come pretty thoroughly vicious. Put
among lot of older criminals they
are somewhat restrained in display
ing their criminal accomplishments
perhaps through feelings of respect for
the superior accomplishments of their
elders. But leave the fedglings to
themselves and thenthere is chatter
ing and Boosting of cunning tricks
and daring exploits If you were to
keep your ear at a crack for week
you would not hear anything but ras-
cality discussed from waking to Sleep
ing. Such place is a perfect para
disc to a bad boy. A boy was once
heard to sigh regretfully as he told
over the jolly times they had had in
the boys section of a large Jail. He
had learned more deviltry there in a
! few months than he would have
learned among old criminals in as
many years 1t is proper that old and
young criminals should be separated,
but it is far more essential that the
young should be kept apart in Jail
Another common error is that of sup
posing that old criminals make a
practice of leading boys into the COM
mission of crime The truth is, an old
criminal rarely tries to lead anyone
outside of his own class into sharing
his exploits, and as for boys, he avoids
them as dangerous because of mex
perience. A boy has an exceedingly
| hard apprenticeship to serve before he
is allowed to train with professional
! criminals. Prison Mirror.
"There is a good deal of hypocrisy
in this world after ALL" says Rev. ].
H. D. Bruin, chaplain of the Ohio pen
itentiary. "Let me give you some
figures that to me would have once
been startling. Now I am so used to
J it that am never startled by any
| thing. During the year 1890 we re-
: ceived 932 convicts. Of this number
/ SIG were members of churches, while
but lie were non-professsors of re-
) igion. This is not reflection upon
= the life and utterances of Christ, but
} is a sad commentary upon the condi-
]. tions of various church denominations
: and the cant that passes nowadays
!. for Righteousness ~ Prison Mirror.