Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-08-01


The following is taken from Knight
hood, an Alexandra publication, edited
by Mr.. William F. Carne. 1t will be
read with interest by all who knew the
late Doctor Murphy
The most notable object that rears it.
self among the graves in our old church
yard is the Murphy mausoleum. There
repose Dr. Francis j. Murphy, his faith
err, mother and sister, and his beloved.
DR.. Murphy well deserves the epitsph
which the City Council has inscribed on
the public monument of Charles Bennett
in Christ Church yard
ga PUBLIC BENEFACroR."
He gave all that he possessed to the
poor of Alexandria under trust conid-
ed to the Society OF st. Vincent de Paul.
His last will recorded at the court house
reads as follows;
81 give, devise and bequeath my es-
tate as follows All my property at the
intersection OF Duke aud Fairfax streets
in said city, viz, the house aud lot on
which | have heretofore resided with
all the appurtenances thereto; and
also the house and lot on the south side
of Duke street, and adjoins the above
with all the appurtenances thereto
to the conference of st. Mary
of the Society of st. Vincent de Paul
(of Paul. to be used by said society for
the purpose set forth in the act of the
General Assembly of the State of Vir-
GINA to incorporate said conference.
| nominate and appoint
Richard l. Carne and William F. Carne
the executors of this will, directing that
no security shall be required of them"
Dr. Murphy was one OF the leading
citizens aud most prominent physicians
of Alexandria for the third of century.
He was an example of good citizenship.
He wrote for the leading magazines
genial and pure thoughts in English un-
defled. His verse is to be found in
Blackwood s; in the Knickerbocker, when
its pages flashed with the poetry of Willis,
Morris and Fay, and for the Southern
Literary Messenger when Poe was IFS
editor. some OF these poems he gather
ed for the memorial volume which he
left to bis friends.
The most personal of his poems en-
bodies the romance OF bis life:
Come back my pale-faced darling,
| ., come once more to me:
viii we meet no more forever
This side the silent sea?
Lo, hear thy spirit whisper.
I'VE will meet by that mystic shore,
In the groves of the far hereafter
In the land of the evermore."
DIR. Murphy was for many years the
sutton OF delicate beauty, aconvert to the
Catholic Church, the aunt of Mrs. Ryan,
whose benefactions have made the church
in Virginia rejoice. She died of consump-
ton and her remains lie in the same
tomb with DIR. Murphy; for his mauso-
leum not only contains his family, but
also two other graves, in one Of which
rests all that was mortal ofihis beloved.
Fond of good company and pleasant
amusement, DR.. Murphy in lS43 joined
Alexandria Washington Lodge ofMasons.
The supper which he gave at his in
itiatiOn is noted as the most superb
ever served in body well capable of
taking care of the good things of life.
DR.. Murphy never advanced 10 Masonry,
and long before his death ceased to be
connected with Masonic fraternity. DIR.
Murphy was also initiated into Mt. Yer
non Division of the Sons OF Temperance
in 1850, hat did not long remain mem
Der.
The latter portion of his life was one
of great pain. After having received
attention at several hospitals, he located
himself at the mansion of Mrs. Wood, at
Washington and Franklin streets, where
he died He had prepared before
death home for his body beside his
family aud his "pale-faced darling"
and home for his soul by giving all he
had to the poor, and so he travelled to
another land fortified for his journey by
all the helps of the Catholic faith.