The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-12-10
SAVED FROM 4 MOE.
Murphy, Who Assassinated Treasurer COpes,
T.fI


Columbia, s. c., December 6.-Governor
Evans has had difficulty today in prevent
ing the lynching of a white man in the
city of Orangeburg. The man is ID. G.
Murphy, alias j. I. Spanlln, a desperate
fellow of vagabondish appearance. After
going by circuitous route via several ran
roads the sheriff and five detectives and
deputies arrived here with him late tonight
and lodged him in jail. He is charged with
being the principal in the foul assassination
of Treasurer Robert Copes. Of Orangeburg,
early in October.
The treasurer had been out i'm the coun-
try collecting taxes and was returning along
lonely road when from ambush III a
swamp he was shot. Half OF mis- head was
blown Oft. He had a large amount of the
states money on his person. The aSSaS-
sins managed to find only about $40 of IT,
however. The treasurer was a prominent
man and generally beloved. For dGNS-eVen
country around f6r some trace of tine as
sassins. They could find none. They were
determined to lynch the assassins. The
fate of Copcs has just caused the legislature
TO abolish the collection law.
In the crowd which searched for clues
were two detectives, Weeks and Lambert.
They found strong evidence, showing that
this fellow Murphy was the principal. They
kept ii to themselves. For many weary
weeks they trailed Murphy from the scene
of the crime through to Palatka, Fla
where he has a wife, whom ne sneaks in
TO see occasionally. lie got there a couple
of days before them ana had disappeared
when they arrived They took the trail
again and followed close on him through
Georgia, getting hot after him at Pitts
sylvania. ON Wednesday they located him
in the woods near a small place in Beau
fort county. Re ran "A blind tiger there
during the night, and hid way out in tne
woods during the day. He submitted ~
arrest without asking question He took
the detectives after he was iroued, TO see
his hiding place. lie has declined to speak
of the assassination at all. There is evil
dence to show who the other assassns are
and il points to several persons in Orange
burg county. He will likely sive their
names.
There is no doubt of his being the prin-
cipal. The detectives have silenccd their
witnesses temporarily. The fellow is
desperate looking character. lie is six feet
high and powerfully built, with high cheek
bones and unShaVen face. The detectives
and escort had to spirit him from Orange
burg in a iify early in the afternoon as
the town was rapidly filing up with men
and excitement was running high.
anxious to lynch Murphy.
Columbia, S. c., December 7.-(SpeciaI)--
A lynching has been in process of organiza-
tion here tCnignt but from the Indications
II can hardly materiaizc. A crowd of Or
augeburg people are here and laid plans
to storm the Jail, where Murphy, Treasurer
Coues's murderer, was placed last night.
Shelf Cathcart got wind of the matter and
quietly took Murphy TO the penitentiary.
The Orange burgers have been trying to en-
list local parties. They appointed meet
ing to be held at the city hail corner at
midnight.
The force at the prison and the general
construction OF the massive walls makes it
impossible for any kind of a force to gain
entrance. 4 stranger went into several
stores this afternoon, pretty well intoxi-
Gated. and asked clerks to help them lynch
the prisoner tonight. He was arrested and
licked up.