The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-20
GIVEN EIGHT YEARS.
Patrick Murphy Sentenced In Superior
Court.

thing About the Case and Asks That
Light Sentence Might he Given His
| Client.
Patrick Murphy who pleaded guilty on
Wednesday to granddaughter was sem
fenced yesterday In the Superior court to
eight years In the States prison by Judge
Bonney for the murder of his wife, Mary
Murphy.
The case was called mp In the usual
form by County Attorney Libby moving
for sentence. Judge Bonney expressed a
readiness to hear anything that might be
said by counsel on either side of the case
tefore sentence was pronounced.
John b. keho,. Esq said some wit
nesses were present whom he would like
to have examined. While he realized that
| thsir statements could not be considered
legal evidence. such as could be intro.
duced In a trial before jury, yet they
might have some weight in assisting the
court to determine what would be a just
sentence to administer in the case.
Deputy Marshal L. K. Hartnett was
first questioned. He said he had known
Patrick Murphy twenty years, and knew
him to bs hard working man; he would
have his little DRINKS occasionally, but
was not bad citizen. But after he
married Mrs. Beattie 1t was almost con-
tinual case Of trouble at his home. She
was often intoxicated, invited lewd
characters to her home and her case was
one of almost total depravity. The SYM
pathy of the officers, when called to quell
Murphy. because they knew the character
of his wife. Deputy Hartnett had several
times been called to the Murphy bouse in
the night, and had found them quarrel
ing, she accusing him Of abuse and he
complaining that she was drunk and
neglectful Of her household duties.
Officers Charles Hanson and Oliver L.
Skillings, whose beat includes the street
where the Murphys lived, testified that
they had often been called there to quell
disturbances Murphy was an industrious
man, but his wife was confirmed
drunkard, and during his absence in the
day time she often invited bad women
there to drink.
John Dunphy, q real estate dealer, also
bad good word TO say Of Murphy. He
said Murphy had worked hard. brought
up a large family, paid his bills promptly
and never made trouble, while his first
wife was alive, but during the two years
he lived with his second wife there was
constant trouble.
Judge Bonney asked what the state was
prepared to prove If the case had gone to
trial. County Attorney Libby gave an
outline OF the case, narrating the cireum-
stances of the finding of Mrs. Murphy in
an unconscious condition on the steps of
her home, in the rear of Pleasant street,
on the night Of October 10. and reoiting
the other facts in connection with the
case. The autopsy showed that her body
was bruised from head to feet, eleven ribs
| were broken, one side OF the chest de-
pressed, and ON the back of the head was
a confused wound from which eight
| ounces of blood was taken when the
autopsy was performed.
The county attorney added that 1t was
a cruel, atrocious, Darbarous affair.
Murphy had once served a Jail sentence
for assaulting his wife, and only two
weeks before the fatal assault Mrs. Con
roy, a neighbor was called in and found
Murphy standing over his wife and kick
ing her. In Massachusetts the crime
which Murphy committed would be
punishable by death. Murphy had pleaded
guilty to II anslaughter and was deserving
Of the full punishment.
Then Judge Bonney asked Mr.. kehoe
what he had to say before sentence was
imposed. Mr. Kehoe said that Mrs.
Murphy came to an unfortunate end
having led AN unfortunate, beastly life
Murphy had always been II hard working
man until he had married this woman.
She kept his home In a constant state OF
turmoil all the time and brought loose
characters there TO drink and to carouse.
The woman's associates were bad and the
| witnesses whom the state was to call up
on to prove Murphy's guilt were some of
them Of bad character. One of them who
was at Murphy's house the night Of the
assault had come there for the express
purpose OF helping Mrs. Murphy get
money away from her husband so that
they could geJ drunk together. 1t was
Mr.. Kehoe opinion that Murphy must
have been nearly insane from all of this
trouble at home and he asked the judge
to take these facts into consideration in
imposing sentence and give Murphy such
a sentence that he might not pass the rest
| of his days in prison.
| The judge then wrote for a minute or
so upon sheet of paper and handed 1t to
the deputy clerk who told Murphy TO
stand up. The old man was very pale
but did not seem TO realize exactly what
was taking place. He was given eight
years in the states prison by the sentence
of the court. but when this fact was an
nounced did not appear to fully under
stand the matter.
Judge Bonney complimented Lawyer
Kehoe for the manner in which be had
conducted his clients case and also said II