The age-herald., 1901-03-08
HASN'T EATEN IN TEN YEARS.
Case of Police Commis-
 sioner Murphy.

From the New York Journal,
 Police Commissioner Murphy is physi- cal wonder, in that for the last ten years he has not tasted food. He smokes with his friends, talks with his friends, and is a pleasant companion generally, but when meal time comes he is compelled to re- tire to private room and pump specially prepared food into his stomach through a silver tube inserted below his oesopha- gus.
 Colonel Murphy's case has attracted the attention and excited the wonder of the medical world. In 1898, in the midst of an exciting political campaign. he was attacked with acute indigestion, which caused a stricture of the oesophagus. He was unable to swallow anything. To pro- long life eminent physicians decided upon what they informed him might be a fatal experiment.
 They decided to cut into his throat and afterward remove his stomach. It was first decided that his stomach should have a rest, and for fifty-nine days he was fed unnaturally.
 In describing this operation, Colonel Murphy has told how the physicians would gather about his cot each morning expecting to see him die He refused to take an anaesthetic, even when the oper- ation became one of the most painful un- der the knife, and chatted with his doc LUIS Willie IL was SOlilS O1l.
 Colonel Murphy has told how he was forced morning after morning to swal- low d yard ot heible rubber tubing un- til 1t reached his stomach. Through this tubing the doctors would pour a solution intended to cleanse the stomach and hea the ulcerated parts The medicine was highly poisonous and had the tube failed to reach the proper place, or had 1t been displaced, the patient would have been dead in few minutes.
 During this operation one of the doctors always held watch, for 1t was danger ous to leave the solution too long, for fear 1t might be absorbed by the system. When the solution had been there the proper length of time 1t was pumped out
 At the end of sixty days the stomach was pronounced healed, but meantime the colonel almost died from starvation.
 He has been a man physically sound, weighing 200 pounds. After the operation he was reduced to 86 pounds. Colonel Murphy weighs today about 90 pounds.
 After consultation of the most famous doctors of the country 1t was decided that the only thing that could keep Col onel Murphy from starving to death was to cut into the abdomen and insert a sil- yer tube. He was told that there was little chance for him to survive
 Go ahead" he said. I've faced death before, and I'll do 1t again. If l die I'll forgive you.
 The wound from the incision healed within few weeks and the operation was successful. Since that time no food has passed .-.s palate.
 In spite of his physical disability, the new commissioner has attended to politi- cal duties with a carefuness which has won the admiration of all his fellow lead CTS In Tammany. He has set the pace, in fact for his associates in the Demo- cratic organization.
 All his life the new head of the police department has displayed extraordinary physical courage and indomitable will.
 He was born on March '. 1841, in Kalla- lock, County Limerick, Ireland, and WAS brought to New York when years old. His parents lived in the downtown sec tion, in which for nearly thirty years Colonel Murphy has been the strongest political factor. For several years he went to the public schools, but most of his education was received in printers office. He served at the case' for five years.
 The knowledge he thus secured was the only substantial kind he received to sup Pement his brief stay in public school.
 He was serving as a compostor when the war was declared between the states and immediately enlisted. He was only 20 years old. but was made a captain of Ellsworths Zcuaves. He made a record that won the plaudits of his superiors and later on was offered an office in Cor coran's Irish Legion.