The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-08-19
FihDS g5 BILLS II
DEAD i.i.AH'S MOUTH
Arrest Follows Qu-erest Circum-
stances Ever Put on
Police Blotter
WHY MONEY WAS CONCEALED
Visitor at Undertaking Shop calles 70
Seek His Friends Weslth-Ssys
Currency was Stolen from Sailor
with Whom They Were Fishing.

| WIN Hnom tney were rls"lNs'
New York City.-Mchael Murphy.
driver. Of No. 1872 Atlantic avenue,
| Brooklyn. was locked Up in Police
! Headquarters on suspicion Of know
ing something Of the death OF An
drew Ericsson. OF No. II Chatham
square. Circumstances leading TO
! Murphy's arrest are about tie queer.
est that have ever been recorded on
la police blotter
Ericsson was a bartender in "Dia-
| mond Dan" ORour,-e's cafe. No. $50
Park row. and Murphy was one Of the
men who frequented the place. Eric
sons body was picked up in the Sound
and it 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. 2s5 Pearl
street.
That night Michael Murphy called
at the undertaker's and expressed a
desire to see Ericson's body.
Gould | see my old pal 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 Id like to be
alone with him for 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 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
What's the matter with his
MOUTH"
It's full OF money"
1--WE can settle that in a few min
utes," said the undertaken. "I'l take
care of any money in his mouth, but
| think you're crazy"
After some effort the teeth We're
pried apart. The undertaken inserted
the thumb, and forefinger of his left
hand in the dead mans mouth. When
he drew them forth they held a five
dollar bill.
What did tell you?" exclaimed
the driver
You were right" answered the
other Murphy.
There's more money where that
one came from" said Michael Muir
ply. He has mouthful of it,"
Once more Samuel Murphy's fingers
reached in and drew out a five dollar
bill. He was on the point of giving
up the search when Michael Murphy
bade him try again. He did so, and
the result was third five dollar bill.
Michael Murphy said that was all the
! oney the dead man had. The two
Murphys then got into a heated argu-
mcnt as 70 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
cd over the money to them. From
tie description he gave of Michael
Murphy they had 70 trouble in find
Ing the latter in O'Rourkes saloon.
When he vas taken to Police Head
quarters Murphy told this story:
Ericsson, myself and a sailor, whose
name | 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 Canarse. On
the way we bought bottle of whs-
key, and after we got in the boat we
poured the liquor into the sailor until
he fell over in the bottom of the boat.
While he was in that condition Eric.
son went through his pockets and got
three five dollar bills.
I'VE We're deciding on how we
would divide the money when the
sailor woke up. He complained of
being robbed, and in order to be on
the safe side in case he should de.
mand search Ericsson slipped the
money in his mouth. We were pulling
toward shore at the time, as heavy
storm was just beginning to break.
During the argument one Of the oars
fell in the water and drifted away.
Ericsson dived in after it. He was car.
ried beyond our reach and went down.
We were helped ashore by a launch