The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-29
D.N MUHPH1'S CASE
2eirg Recalled by His Srrest at
sWainsborc, Georgia

2eirg Recalled by Eis srrest a
swainsborc, Georgia
The Man Wha assassinated Treasur
er Copss, of Orange burg County.
Will Serve Out His Term.
The story CT the career Of Dan Muir
ply. the escaped convict who is saic
10 have ben cap ured at Swainsboro
Ga has recalled some singular irci
dents in connection with tae oc;ur
e1ce. It was published in The State
on Tuesday OF last We K that ths
amount taken from the body OF Treas
urer Copes was so 0G0. The State
OF Wednesday says '.ne accuracy OF
this statement has been questioned by
TWO former citizens OF Orangebusg,
one OF whom says that the murdered
treasurer had on his person but 81, ,0oO
and another former citiz n Of that
place states that the amount was not
more than S425.
In one particular they both agree.
Tee money was not found by the muir.
derer. Treasurer Copes had the bulk
OF the money in his pocket where it
was not discovered. The money which
the assassin secured was not. more
than $40, principally in pennies. the
cowa1dly murderer perhaps did not
stop to open the hand bag, whose
weight no doubt deceived him Into
thinking that it contained currency
Of value when as a matter Of fact ii
vas filed with one cent pieces. Anc
upon that depended the conviction o1
Murphy.
Toe crime startled the State an6
Tor some time there was no clue. II
is said by one Of these Otangehur1
gentlemen that the case was ferretec
out by Mr.. Geo. B. Kittrell, man Of
irquirlng and Investigating turn Of
mind, who got his irst clu- from ar
examination Of the subscription books
Of a county paper. he discovered
that juss 3u days before the murder
mai HON some point In Florida had
SUBSCRIBED Tor this paper for shor,
perll d. On investigation it was
fouG0 tnaJ the paper was going to the
hcultioLs address given, but had beer
taken cut OF the postcffice by Dar
Murphy. II there was any motive al
al In this move it was that the mai
planning the robbery might know the
dates cn which the county treasure!
would make bis rounds from town K
town in the discharge Of his duty a:
taxsatherer, as was permitted unde1
the law Of that time.
In this way Murphy's name Wa
for the first tin Q connected wl9a the
aff .ir, even by suspicion. Murphy Was
Unen followed and it was found that al
a remote place in Colleton county he
nad exchanged large number o1
pennies for silver. This was another
link il the cEain.
"Fioanly 1t was discovered that Mur
ply had a shot gun which showed
certain characteristics noticed il
connection with the shells fred in the
gun which killed Mr.. Copes. The
olunger struck the shell IN peculiar
ciunger suru * the shell in peculiar
manner which corresponded exactly
with Murpny's gun.
THESE facts taken in connection
with Murpny's stolidity when arrest
ed and his refusal to say anything II
answer to charges or to excuse himself
in any way wound the rope arounc
nis neck. The evidence was circum'
stantlal in the N. in, but had he beer
innocent he might have proved ar
slibi, when his neck was 10 danger
However, he would say nothing ani
would tell nothing OF his movement:
or 10 days proceeding the killing.
AS recounted yesterday, be va:
convicted and Sc, fenced to be hanged
and the very afternoon before the ex
ecusion be was given Communication
Of sentence on an alibi framed up il
Augusta, it is said, by relatives O
Murphy. This alibi was discreditet
by the people OF Orangeburg to th'
extent mat they cried out in criticism
OF the governor who at that tim'
granted the cJmnu5ation and OF th'
attorneys employed by Murphy
relatiV.s.
1T is said by parties who knew
Murphy at school That he was not ;
man Of nerve, but was skulk!nl
coward, and that be was a blacl
sheep all OF his life, biz main occupa
tion after being grown having beel
The peddling OF liquor at negro canl
meetings."
The county paper Murphy subscrib
ed for while in Florida was The Time
and Democrat. he did not subscrib
in a fictitious name but in his Owl
name, Toe amount OF N )ney MI
Copes had with him when asSasSinate'
was 5000. 90. All Of this money, ez
cept about thirty dollars in change
MI. Copes had in his pocket. Tn
small change was In a satclel in tn
back OF his buggy. When the assas
sin had done his dastardly act OF as
sassinating MI. Copes, he hurriedl..
grabbed the satchel which be evident
ly thought contained all the none
MI. Copes had collected that Gay, ant
in this way he failsd to get what b.
had assassinated Mr. Copes to get
The amount the assassin got was 81
dollars, much Of which was in COP
pers, which Mr.. Copes generally CARR
ed with him to make change. Nj
Geo. B. Ki5trell worked hard to fnc
out the assassin, and, as The STATE
says, was the first man to suspect tht
nan VINO was convicted OF the crime