The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-08
A Convict at Lansing Passed as
Another for Years.
George Phillips Believed to
Have Been Geo. Murphy.
DECEIVED BUNK MATE.
Old Army Comrades We're Work
ing for His Pardon.
The Story of the Fraud, as Told,
Not a Difficult Work.

Leavenworth, Kas., Feb. San I'M
usual story has come to light in con-
nection with the application for par
don of George Murphy, alias George
Phillips, new serving a life sentence in
the Denitentiary for murder.
George w. Murphy, as he represented
himself to be, became an inmate of the
soldiers home at Leavenworth in 1896.
In 1897 an old soldier, an inmate of the
nome, Cummings by name, was muir
dered in the tough district just west of
the home, known as the 'Klondike."
Murphy, alias Phillips, was charged
with the murder, convicted and SEN
fenced to life Imprisonment.
In order to get into the soldiers home
the man Phillips represented himself
to be George w. Murphy, of company
2, Eighth Wisconsin regiment His
appearance and description fitted ex-
actly that of the Murphy in the Wis
consin regiment as given in the enlist
ment and discharge papers on file in
the war department. Capt Jacob
1eiHter commanded that company and
is an inmate of the soldiers home. He
1dentiHed Murphy as a member of the
Wisconsin regiment.
G. r. Ames. of Ill Troup avenue, in
Kansas City, kas-. was a member of
the same company. and was a bunk
mate" of George W. Murphy through
out the civil war. AmeS went TO Ian
sing and talked with the man who rep
resented himself as George Murphy.
He had not seen his bunk mate George
Murphy, for thirty-eight years. but the
prisoner at Lansing gave every evil
dence of being his old friend and com
rade-
As result of these Investigations the
inherent 9. A r. camps over the coun-
Try We're interested in a movement to
secure the pardon of Murphy Cover
board of pardons were showing much
interest in the affair. About a month
ago the real George Murphy was found
at Floyd, Iowa. The man in the peni-
tentiaTy in whom SO many old sold
dters had become interested and who
had succeeded in deceiying the old
comrades of George Murphy was con-
fronted with the fact of the where
abouts of the real George Murphy. In
the presence of the warden of the Deni-
tertiary and G. r. Ames he admitted
he was an imposter and had gotten
into the Soldiers Home through fraud
ulent means.
The man represented himself as my
old comrade and bunk mate, George
Murphy" said Mr.. Ames recently.
They looked very much alike, had
the same voice and complexion, and
this man at Lansing knew all the
members OF my company and told
many stories of camp life familiar to
me. When he admitted to me a short
time ago he was imposter 1 asked him
how he knew much about my COM
pany. He said he was present at Fitch
burg, Wis, when we were mustered in
to the army and was present when we
returned home and were mustered out
of service.
When he applied to the Soldiers
home for admittance he represented he
had lost his papers and asked that the
management of the Soldiers home Sc
cure a copy of them from the original
files of the war department. The pa
pers come and fitted the description
of the man representing himself as
George w. Murphy"
The prisoner at Lansing says his real
name is George Philips, and he served
for 10 years in the regular army after
the civil war. The G. A. r. probably
will drop his case.