The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-20
LADY SHOT BY A BURGLAR.
Hiss Murphy, of PittsburE. KILLED
Under Peculiar Circuni.taEces-


Pittsburg. December 17.-Harriet P.
Murphy, prominent in church and soci-
ETY. circles and treasurer of the Kings
ley House fund, was murdered at her
home No. 6221 Howe street, east end,
by a burglar. about o'clock this morn
ing. The murderer made his escape
and although the whole detective ano
police force of that section was called,
the man has not been captured.
Miss Murphy was the only sister OF
select councilman John n Murphy, and
was 80 years old. She, with her broth
er and two servants, women nVed
alone in the house, Miss Murphy Sleep
ing on the second floor.
She was an expert with the revolver,
having practiced many years for the
purpose of protecting herself in the
event of just such an attack as happen
ed this morning and she always had =
nistol either under her pillow Of within
easy reach.
About o'clock this morning her
brother was awakened by two shots in
the house and, fastening to his sisters 3
room. found her lying dead on the floor
with bullet wound in the head.
The burglar was porch climber. He
scaled the porch posts and entered the
window of Miss Murphy's room by
breaking the glass. It is supposed that
the noise of the crashing glass awak-
ened her and as she jumped from the
bed with her revolver in her hand. the
man fired. Marks in the snow on tho
porch roof indicate that only one man
entered the room.
Miss Murphy usually kept the col
lections for the Kingsley House fund in
her room until they reached a sum large
L.
is thought the burglar was after this
money.
When the police raised Miss Murphy
they found the revolver within a few
inches of her right hand under the
folds of her night dress. The room in
which the duel took place was pitch
dark and the police think that the
burglar guarded the vital spot of the
shooter by the flash from the revolver
she fired 1t was shot that only an
expert could make and they are conf
dent that it could not have heen n
| chance shot. A careful investigation
was made of the room this morning and
not thing Of any value was missing.
The police are inclined to think the
| burglar was a negro and at noon claim
| ed to have good clue.
Developments tonight in the case
| deepen the air of mystery Shrouding 1t
| At the coroner's preliminary inquest 1T
was shown that two bullets were miss
| ing from Miss Murphy's revolver. One
was accounted for by tracing it to the
| window ledge where it lodged. Nc
| trace of the other has been as yet
| found. Miss Murphy's physician stat
| ed that his patient had not slept for fif-
/ teen nights and the physician who ex
aInined the body for the coroner said
| the hair around the wound in the head
| was scorched. showing that the shot
| Tas fired at close range. Bloody tracks
| on the snow outside of the house sup
| posed to have been made by the wound.
| ed murderer are shown to have beer
/ made bv officers who arrived early OF
| the scene and after being in the room
! tracked blood to the outside during theil
| investigation of the case.
| While many are inclined to believe
! 1t case Of suicide while temporarily
| deranged through insomnia, the police
| authorities will make no statement and
| the friends of the family are positive
| that this theory is entirely wrong.
| The hunt for the possible murderer is
| still being kept up vigorously and every
| possible clue followed closely.