The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-01
JERRY hURPHYS FREAK
Former Labor Agitator Acts
So Queerly the Police Say
He Is Insane.

jeremiah Murphy, fifty years old, Of
No. 1S3 West 102d street, who has gained
some prominence in small way as a la
Dor agitator in the past sixteen years
was arrested on Montgomery street Sat-
urday night and arraigned before Police
Justice Hoos in the First Criminal Court
this morning. He spent the intervening
time in a cell at the First precinct police
station. He was paroled in the custody
of his wife on condition that he return to
his home with her. This he promised 70
do.
1t. was thought advisable at first to
hold the man for examination as to his
sanity, because the authorities believed
from his actions that he was mentally ir-
responsible, but his wife's pleadings and
guarantee tnat ne would be properly ear
ed for secured his release.
Murphy strutted into the Terminus res
taurant Saturday night about 10 O'Clock.
In loud voice he announced
81 am a friend of Tom Platt and
wish to speak with him. May use your
telephone?''
This is a pay station and Murphy was
shown the phone. He rang up and told
Central to connect him with the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. When the hotel answered
Murphy was heard to say
"Tel Tow Plat his friend Jerry Muir
ply wishes to speak to him on important
business"
whether the message was delivered to
Senator Platt is not known. Murphy
rushed from the telephone after banging
the receiver and used indecent language.
When asked to pay the usual charge OF
l. oh, -
the cashier. A policemen was called and
Murphy was taken to the station house.
He. denounced his arrest as an outrage
and in the name of Senator Platt
threatened the police authorities. He gave
his name and address nationally enough
and laid claim to being a newspaper re-
porter. He talked in rambling way of
a mass meeting that he said was to be
held in Harlem yesterday to protest
against the burial of a dead horse in the
middle of a street.
Murphy greeted, this morning, Captain
John F. Kelly, whom he knew in this
city during the strike on the Erie Rail-
road in 1884. and several others who were
acquainted with the leaders. He was
one of the leaders. In 1884 Murphy lived
with his family at No. SIS Henderson
street He was a checker, employed on
the docks, and by his magnetic personal
ity he soon surrounded himself with a
number of followers. Early in that year
there was a demand for an increase in
the wages of the laborers and it was re-
fused. Murphy took up the fight of his
underlings and soon gained prominence
as one of the leaders of the movement.
About this time there were many who
accused Murphy in various ways of abus-
ing the confidence of the strikers. He
had many champions at first, but soon
even these turned against him and he
was openly accused of being a traitor. A
short time after he was forced to leave
the city.
Murphy went to New York City and be-
came interested in politics. He was q
prominent figure in the First ward and
soon his work was rewarded with a po-
sition in the Post Office. 1t is said he
afterwards became an employe of the
United States Express Company, at No.
40 Broadway, where Senator Platt's office
was. Here, it is said, friendship sprung
up between the two and Senator Platt
took a fancy to Murphy and in several
ways assisted him. Murphy has gone on
the platform a number of times and by
lectures and writings has advocated the
cause of the workingman. He is a rabid
anti-capitalist.