The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-09-10
Arrest Follows Queerest Circum-
stances Ever Put on
Police Blotter
WHY MONEY WAS CONCEALED
Visitor at Undertaking Shop Called to
Seek His Friends Wealth-Says
Currency was Stolen from Sailor
with Whom They Were Fishing.

Brooklyn, was locked up in Police
Headquarters on suspicion of know
ing something of the death of An
drew Ericsson, of No. IL Chatham
square. Circumstances leading to
Murphy's arrest are about the queer
est that have ever been recorded on
a police blotter.
Ericsson was a bartender in "Dia-
mond Dan" O'Rourke's cafe, No. 1S0
Park row, and Murphy was one of the
men who frequented the place. Eric
sons body was picked up in the Sound
and II was generally believed he had
been drowned. Ericson's body was
brought to the city and placed In the
undertaking establishment conducted
by Samuel j. Murphy at No. 265 Pearl
street.
That night Michael Murphy called
at the undertakers and expressed a
desire to see Ericson's body.
Gould | see my old pa! for a few
minutes?" asked Mr.. Murphy.
Certainly" said the undertaken.
"Hes in the back room"
The two Murphys made their way
to the rear of the shop.
"If you don't mind I'd like to be
alone with him for a little while"
said Murphy, the driver, with some
difficulty.
"Take your time" said the under
taker. I'm in no hurry to close up"
Saying which the undertaken left
the visitor alone with his dead friend
and went out to the front of the shop.
A half hour rolled by, but there was
no sign of the callers leaving. Feeling
that the visitor had sufficient time to
exhaust his grief, the undertaken
went into the rear room. BY the dim
light of a gas jet he saw Michael
Murphy working around the jaws of
the dead man. So intent was he in
his work he did not hear the others
approach.
What are you trying to do there?"
yelled the undertaken, when he recov.
cred his voice.
I'm trying to open this fellows
mouth" said Michael Murphy.
whats the matter with his
MOUTH"
'It's full of money"
"We can settle that in few min
utes," said the undertaken, "Ill take
care of any money in his mouth, but
l think you're crazy"
After some effort the teeth were
pried apart. The undertaken inserted
the thumb and forefnger of his left
hand in the dead mans mouth. When
he drew them forth they held five
dollar bill.
What did l tell you?" exclaimed
the driver.
"You were right" answered the
other Murphy.
"There's more money where that
one came from" said Michael Muir
phy. He has mouthful of it."
Once more Samuel Murphy's fingers
reached in and drew out five dollar
BILL He was on the point of giving
up the search when Michael Murphy
baGe him try again. He did so, and
the result was third five dollar bill.
Michael Murphy said that was all the
money the dead man had. The two
Murphys then got into heated argu-
ment as to who should have the
money. It ended with the undertaken
showing the bills into his pocket and
ordering the driver to make himself
scarce.
No one knows how the police got
hold of the story, but they did. They
got to the undertaking rooms about
an hour later The undertaken turn
ed over the money to them. From
the description he gave of Michael
Murphy they had no trouble in find
ing the latter in O'Rourke's saloon
When he was taken to Police Head
quarters Murphy told this story:
Ericsson, myself and sailor, whose
name I don't know, met in the Bow
cry early last Sunday morning We
had been drinking heavily together
but the sailor had all the money
Some one proposed we spend the day
fishing. The sailor agreed to this
and we all started for Canarsie. OF
the way we bought bottle of whis
key, and after we got in the boat w
poured the liquor into the sailor unit
he fell over in the bottom of the boat
While he was in that condition ERIC
son went through his pockets and go
three five dollar bills.
eve were deciding on how W
would divide the money when tn
sailor woke up, He complained O
being robbed, and in order to be o.
the safe side in case he should dc
mand search Ericsson slipped tn
money in his mouth, We were pullin
toward shore at the time, as heav
storm was just beginning to breal
During the argument one of the oar
fell in the water and drifted away
Ericsson dived in after it. He was ca
ried beyond our reach and went dowI
We were helped ashore by launc
and we reported the fact that he ha
been drowned l heard his body ha
been found and brought to the unde
takers and went around to get ths
S15. / figured he still had It,"