The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-14
BEATEN NEARLY TO DEATH.
POLICEMAN MURPHY IN THE HANDS
OF A YAMACRAW MOB.

West Broad street by the Affair.
Firemen who Couldn't See Fight
Though Murphy Says They Did.
All Five of the Assistants Ar
rested.
Policeman Tom Murphy was badly beat
en- by a mob Of drunken toughs in Yama-
craw late yesterday afternoon, and IS in
bed with bruises all over his body Four
members of the gang which assaulted him
are in the barracks.
Murphy was coming along West Broad
street a few minutes after o'clock, when
he noticed several young men sitting on
the railing Of the lyman building at West
Broad and Indian streets. They were evil
IDENTIFY drunk and were very noisy. One
of them was fourishing a bottle, and
the crowd was singing songs which they
did not learn at Sunday school Murphy
notified them that they must behave them
selves, or he would have to take some Of
them in. The roysterers resented this in
reference, and some words followed.
George Sapp, a fireman at headquarters.
who was enjoying a day off, applied an
offensive epithet to Murphy and was
placed under arrest Murphy started to
take his prisoner to the nearest box The
crowd followed and made threatening
demonstrations, cursing and abusing the
policeman, who drew his pistol and the
crowd quieted down and told him TO go
ahead With his prisoner. He, very fool
ishly, put his pistol back in his holster,
and started on. All at once he received
blow from behind, and when he turned
10 defend himself with his club three men
jumped IN lin and bore him down. His
club and pistol were taken from him, and
he was kicked and stamped in the body
and beaten over the head with his own
weapons. When his assailants had beat
en- him 10 their satisfaction, they went off
down Indian street, carrying the club and
pistol with them.
After going a short distance on In
dian street, Sapp and Eddie Paine an
other one of the gang. met Policemen
Sweeny and Lakewood of the Ocean
Steamship force, to whom they gave the
club and pistol and surrendered them
selves. The officers walked them into the
barracks where they were locked up.
crowd left MIN, and started towards
Persse's drug store at Bryan and West
Broad streets. Before reaching there, he
fell in a faint. A crowd gathered shortly
and he was carried into the drug store.
A Morning News reporter was at the
barracks when a telephone message was
received there, that there was some ex-
element on West Broad street, and
crowd was gathered at the corner of Bay
street. A little later a second message
stated that Policeman Murphy had been
beaten in a fight, and requested that a
physician be sent to him at once. Two
or three officers were dispatched to the
scene, and Acting Sergt. Davis went
down with the patrol wagon with in
structions to pick up a physician on the
way. DR.. r. G. Norton was called, and
was taken in the wagon with his son. DR..
George Norton, and two other young gen.
tlemen who were at the house. When
the police arrived on the scene of the
excitement, an immense crowd of people
had gathered. There were fully n thous-
and there within twenty minutes after
Murphy was taken into the drug store.
There were at least a dozen policemen on
hand in addition to those sent from the
barracks, all who were off duty in that
neighborhood having gone to the scene as
soon as they heard that a brother officer
had been assaulted.
Norton began work upon him and it was
some time before he was revived. AS soon
as he was resuscitated, he vomited a tea
cup full of blood and i'm
mediately afterwards went into
commissions, requiring four or five
men to hold him. 1t was necessary to
administer chloroform to quiet him. Blood
was oozing from wound in the face and
he was evidently injured internally. After
being treated for his injuries, both exter-
nal and internal he was able to give a
brief account of the affair.
He stated positively that four firemen
were standing in front of No. engine
house on West Broad street and witness
ed the assault upon him, and that not
one of them came to his assistance.
The firemen at the engine house were
questioned and each one denied that he
had seen anything of the affair. one or
two said that they were at supper when
the assault occurred, and the others all
asserted that they knew nothing about it.
1t was evident from the manner of the
firemen that they were afraid to talk
about the affair. Chief McDermott has
stated his intention of having their con-
duct investigated.
1t was impossible to get any information
as to the assault. Nobody could be found
who would acknowledge to having seen
st. and the police had some difficulty in
obtaining MllntSSNc. EAiEA lUt GlOWu nttl
dispersed. however, several eye witnesses
were secured who corroborated the story
told by Murphy.
Murphy was removed TO his home at
West Broad and CASTOR streets. He was
certainly a badly beaten up man. The
bridge OF his nose was broken and two
cuts and confusion of the face showed
the work of his assailants. There was a
slight conclusion of the brain from blows
in the head and the right ear was swol-
len. He was injured internally by being
stamped In the chest and stomach and
one of the lower ribs was torn loose from
the sternum. There were also other bruises
on the body from kicks and blows. In
fact, he had been used as only a gang of
toughs know how to use a victim when at
their mercy.
After DR.. Norton had bandaged him up.
Murphy gave an account Of the assault to
a Morning News reporter. He said that
when he ordered the gang to keep quiet,
they gave him some talk and he then or
dered them to move on. They declared
that he couldn't arrest anybody and Sapp
called him vile name.
Il arrested Sapp and started up the Hill
with him., said Murphy. The rest OF