The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-05
Striking illustration of Woman's
Ability to Forgive.
WIFE LOST HER MEMORY
Couldn't Remember q Detail Concerning
the Row Which Led TO the Loss
OF Her Arm at the Hands OF
a Brutal Husband.

- ~ ~ tOehs " tahN n IN
was witnessed in Justice Laurandeau's
court yesterday afternoon when the
preliminary hearing of Pat Murphy on
a charge of assault in the second de-
gree was in progress. On the 24th of
March Murphy. who is a miner, with
a wife and two children living in Cork
town. went home trunk and assaulted
his wife. beating her so cruelty that to
escape him, she fled into the cellar. the
entrance to which was a trap o in
h kitchen of the house. Murphy
caught her arm i'm the door, and stand
ing on the door. poured boiling water
on the arm until the arm. from the ell
bow down, and the hand were dead.
Mrs. Murphy fled to the house of a
neighbor and then went to the county
attorneys Office N made complaint.
She also told the same story to the
county commissioners and the county
physician. who dressed her injury.
Subsequently Mrs. Murphy went to st.
James hospital. where her arm was
amputated by DR.. McNevin.
Murphy never made any attempt to
procure medical attention for his wife
and paid no to her till after
her arm had been emputated. when he
went to the hospital, very contrite. and
so far succeeded i'm wheedling his wife
into forgiving him that she refused to
testify against him when his hearing
came up. he having been proceeded
against for assault i'm the second de-
gree i'm the meantime. In order to es-
cape giving testimony against her hus-
band. Mrs. Murphy resorted to a lapse
of memory and persistently said she
could not remember how she received
the injury which resulted in the loss
of her arm, and went so far as to say
she could not remember her own age,
although she could remember the &
of her children, but under the skillful
handling of the case by Deputy County
Attorney Stivers, who appeared for the
state. she was at length trapped into
an admission. and by invoking the stat
ute permitting the states attorney to
introduce evidence to show the prose-
cutting witness had made statements
contrary to those made on the stand,
succeeded i'm having Murphy bound
over to the district court.
Murphy was the only witness in his
own behalf. He admitted he scalded
his wife's arm. but claimed he did Ii
by accident. His attorney. c. c.. Kohl,
fought stubbornly to prevent the wife
from being compelled to submit to ex-
animation and to prevent the introduce
ton of much of the states important
evidence, but without avail.
At the opening of the hearing, Mrs.
Murphy was called to the stand. Mr..
Kohl promptly objected to her being
compelled to answer questions. and n
vigorous argument of counsel followed.
resulting i'm the court ruling with Mr..
Stivers who then proceeded to question
Mrs. Murphy concerning the facts in
the case. She had suffered a complete
loss of emo and could not recall
how she was injured or any OF the
statements she had made to Mr..
Stivers, the county commissioners and
tho. as ~ fnGf hnr nanraa
DRY. Mr.. Stivers asked the & of her
children, which she gave. but when
asked her own age, could not remem-
Der. Then Mr.. Stivers asked:
You remember you came to me at
the county attorneys office. Do you
remember anything that happened to
you the day before"
II can't remember"
do you remember h you talked
To me about"
II can't remember"
Where are you staying at present."
AT the Sisters hospital"
why are you there"
My arm Is sore
What made 1t sore?"
II cant remember
lis your arm all there
Yes"
May see it,"
Witness said she had made a mis-
take. and said:
II said "A piece of it
do you know how you came to lose
the other part?"
My husband came home and was
getting some hot water To wash him
self. | was down cellar and he dropped
the kettle and spilled the water on me-"
How did your arm come to stay in
one position long enough to be scald-
edo"
Il ont remember"
III. 49,. -. \. go. 49,. a.,o 90 .,xr
office and say you had trouble with
your husband. and he had caught your
arm i'm the cellar door and poured
boiling water on IL till 1t was scalded?'
Il remember coming to your Office.
but l don't remember what ! said"
Mrs. Margaret Sullivan was next
Where do you reside?' she was
asked.
Right to home" was the reply.
do you remember the time Mrs.
Murphy was i~ntured?"
II remember her coming to my house
and asking to he let in
What was the matter with herr
Her arm was burnt"
did you learn how IL was burnt?'
she said 1t was burnt by hot water"
But she didn't say how it came to
burned by hot water?'
mo. sir"
You we're not at all curious to know.
when you saw the woman's arm all
scalded. to know how it happened?"
No. / always attend to my own bust
ness"
Mr.. Kohl objected and wanted the
question stricken nut. The court over
ruled the objection on the strength of
Mr.. Stivers' contention that IL was
proper to show Mrs. Murphy a made
statements to other persons contrary to
those she made under oath.
she didn't say anything about her
h~usband?" continued MIR. tivers.
Il declare I don't remember"
Mrs. Mary Sullivan. a neighbor of the
Murphy's. was next called.
DO you remember the occasion of
Mrs. Murphy being injured?'
Il do"
Did she tell you how ii happened?'
NO. sir: she came to my house and
wanted to come in and j put her out
with my foot" 3Ef
And you didn't let her come in or