The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-12-01
DAN MURPHYss s, CASE

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Beipg Recalled by His frrest at
swainsboro, Georgia
The Man Wha Assassinate ted Tire asur-
or Copee, of Orange burg County.
WIN servo out Hrs Term.
The story Of the career OF Dan Muir
phy, the escaped convict who ia said
70 have been cap. ured az Swainsboro,
Ga, has recalled some singular irci
dents In connection With tine oc,ur
encs. 1t was published III The State
on Tuesday Of last week that the
amount taken from the body or I,reas
urer Copes was $40, 900. The State
OF "Wednesday eaJs tho accuracy OF
thiS.statemeht has been q lestioned by
two former citizens of Orangcbu, o.
one OF whom says that tho murdered
treasurer had on his person but 81, 600
ana another former citiz n OF that
place states that the amount was not
more than 1926.
In one particular they both agree.
Lac money was not found by the mur-
derer. Treasurer Oopes had the bulk
OF the money in his pocket where it.
was not discovered. Tne money which
the assassin secured was not moro
than $40, principally In pennies. The
coWardly murderer perhaps did not
stop TO open the hand bag, whose
weight no doubt deceived him into
thinking that 1t contained currency
Of value when as a matter OF fact H.
was hlled with one cent pieces. And
upon that depended Che conviction OF
Murphy. -
Tne crime startled the State and
Tor some time there was no Glue, Ii
Is SAID by one of these Ofangeburg
gentlemen that the case was ferreted
out by Mr.. Geo. B. Kittrell, o man OF
inquirlng and investigating turn of
mind, who got his first clus from an
examination OF the subscription books
II county paper. He discovered
THAT just 80 days before the murder q
man from some point In Florida had
Auoscrlbed for this paper for q short
period. On investigation 1t was
found that the paper was going to the
fictitious address given, but had been
lGken out OF the postoliice by Dan
Murphy. If there. was any motive at
all In this move 1T was that the man
planning tho robbery might know the
dates on which the county treasurer
would make his rounds from town to
town In the discharge Of his duty as
taxsatherer, as vas permitted under
the law Of that time.
In this way Murphy's name was
for The first tin connected wiah the
atfAir, even by suspicion. Murphy was
then followed and it was found THAI at
is remote place. in, Golleton county he
60. number OF
pennies for silver. Tdis was another
link in the chain.
'Flnanly 1t was discovered that Muir
ply had shot gun which showed
certain characteristics noticed in
connection With the shells fired In the
gun whicn killed Mr.. Copes. The
plunger struck the shell In a peculiar
plunger struck the shell In peculiar
manner which c)rresponded exactly
WIN Murphy'S gun.
These facts taken in connection
with Murphy's stolidity when arrest.
cd and his refusal to say anything In
answer to charges or to excuse himse If
In any way wound the rope around
his neck. The evidence was circum-
stantial In the m In, but had he been
innocent he might hav3 proved an
L..
However, he would say nothing and
would tell nothing of his movements
or 10 days proceeding the killing.
AS recounte1 Yesterday, he was
convicted and se' fenced to be hanged
and the very afternoon before the ex.
ecutlon he was given a Communication
OF sentence on an alibi framed up in
Augusta, 1t Is said, by relatives of
Murphy. This allbi was discredited
by the people Of Orangeburg to the
extent that they cried out in criticism
e the governor who at that time
granted the c)mmudation and Of the
aoIofhe3a employed by Murphy IS
1t is said by parties mho knew
Murphy at school that he was Iut q
man Of nerve, but was a skulklnl
coward, and that he was blacl
sheep all Of his life, his main occupa
tion after being grown having beer
the peddling Of liquor at negSo camI
meetings"
Tne county paper Murphy subscrlb
ed for while in Florida was The Times
and Democrat. He did not subscfibt
Ia u fictitious name but in his owl
name, Tue amount Of money Mr.
Copes had with him when assassinatet
was 5000 90. An Of this money, ex
cgpt about thirty dollars In change
Mr.. Copes had in his pocket. The
small change was ia saiclel in the
back OF his buggy. When the assas
SIN had done his dastardly act of as
sassinating Mr.. Copes, he hurriedly
grabbed the satchel which he evident
ly thought contained all the money
Mr.. Copes had collected that day, and
in this way he failed to get what he
had aSsassinated Mr.. Copes to get
Tne amount The assassin got was &c
dollars, much OF which was In COP
pers, which Mr.. Copes generally carri
ed with him to make change. MIR,
Geo. b. Kittrell worked hard to find
out the assassin, and, as The State
says, was the first man to suspect the
man VINO was convicted of the crime
Dan. Q. Murphy. -o:sngeburg T!nses
and Democrat.
"A r. Ftsase n