The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-09
NEGRO BARTENDER
OBJECT Of SEARCH
Police Take Up Hunt After
Dropping Case at Re-
quest of Woman.
KIDNAPPING NOW CHARGED
GUS VERos RELATES STORY OF
BRUTAL DEPRAVlTY.

Fearing that she has been abducted
by a negro bartender. who Tuesday
night threatened to kin her, the police
yesterday begun a search for Mrs. Leo
ma Murphy. chambermaid at the Wash
ington hotel.
Mrs Murphy is a white woman. It is
claimed that X. A. Davis, wine clerk at
the ''Black Mans" club, 23l South Fifth
West street. has been giving her unso-
licited attention during the last week
According TO Gus NerOs, the Greek own
er of the building ina which the negro
club is located, Davis dragged her into
one of the rooms of the club late Tues
day night and fired two shots at her
when she refused TO marry him.
one bullet missed its mark, while the
other grazed the left thigh of Mrs. Muir
ply. She dashed out of tie club and
went back to the hotel Ncros says that
she is afraid the negro viii kill her
When Detective Howell, colored, inves-
tigated the shooting he could learn lew
details He brought Mrs. Murphy to
police headquarters, where she stated
that there had been no shooting, plead
Ing with the detectives not TO stir up
any more trouble, as the negro was of
the murderOus variety, who would kill
her If NJ ever learned that she had been
at the police station.
Mrs Murphy was released and since
then she has not been seen. PatrOlmen
ON the beat I'M the neighborhood of the
saloon were ordered to arrest Davis.
But he could not be found yesterday.
Veros Relates story.
At police headquarters yesterday, Gus
Veros told the following story concern
ing the shooting;
II am owner of the property in which
the negro club is situated. L had been
talking with Nick NicOlOWitz in the
Washington hotel, when someone told
me I was wanted at the club. I imme-
dlately went to see the bartender.
To my establishment, he had the APP
pearance of a crazy man.
d" Take the apron and wait ON the GUS
TONER'S he said. I have business to
attend to. Ill be back i'm "a minute
1t was not long before 1 noticed Mrs.
Murphy, chambermaid at the Washing
ton hotel, i'm one OF the side rooms of
the club The bartender stood over her
while she knelt pleading. She was very
pale.
1t was an awful sight, and I tried to
interfere. But just then the bartender
rushed behind the bar and tried to open
a locker. When the door would not
open. he smashed his fist against a
panel and drew a revolver from shelf. 4
running back to where the woman sat
in a chair with face buried in her hands. /
"Grasping her by the arm, he drew
her to her feet and cried: Now, kid, /
you'd better answer me, and be quick
about It; I'm as good as any white
man.
He closed the door. Then two shots
rang out. and the woman ran TO the
street screaming. He followed her and
since then I have seen neither Mrs. Muir
ply nor the negro"
When Veros had learned that Mrs, /
Murphy had been at police headquar- !
tiers. and that she had informed the pO- /
lice there had been no shooting and that (
she had disappeared, ne became sus- /
piciOus.
Sister Is Informed.
Early yesterday morning Veros called |
Mrs. A. G.. Graham of Provo, a sister /
of Mrs. Murphy, by telephone, inform /
ing her Of the disappe Mrs. Muir /
ply was separated from her husband !
three years ago, and since then Mrs.
Graham has had charge Of her Agar /
ola son. while Airs. Murphy has tried to /
earn a living I'M Salt Lake. Mrs. era /
ham lives at SOB South Graham avenue. /
IdhlDg MIS-. Murply S little son IN 4
her arms, Mrs. Graham caught a train /
for Salt Lake and went To the Wash /
ingtOn hotel, where she had a conference /
with Gus NeTOs Then, accompanied by 4
Veros she went To police Headquarters /
and demanded that a search be made for /
her sister, and that the negro bartender /
be placed under arrest.
Because the police had temporarily 7
been thrown off the track by a denial of /
a shooting made by Mrs. Murphy, and /
conflicting stories regarding the affair
given at the negro club, it had been
dropped as a hoax. Mrs. Graham saws
her sister had frequently spOi,en to her
about a terrible negro who had made /
advances on her, threatening to kill her
unless she married him. This threw new
light on the case. and $. NJ. Barlow.
chief of police. ordered that a vigorous
search be made for the negro bartender.
II am almost certain that my sister
has been kidnapped by the negro" said
Mrs. Graham Yesterday "She was SO
afraid of him that / think she would do
anything he asked. I am quite certain
that he has threatened her before be-
cause she has often expressed a wish
that she could get away from Salt Lake
where ne could not find her"