Norwich bulletin., 1911-04-10
'Spiker" Murphy Declares Innocence
Plea Made to Board of Pardons of Rhode Island Claims His Trial was Travesty on Justice Escaped from Norwich Jail Just Before His Arrest.

held as witnesses, all the others said 1 was not the man.
 I am absolutely innocent of any part in that murder. It was i1 no way re- sponHible for Waterman Irons death. had no hand in the murder and know nothing whatever about the criminals. Moreover, 1 neve rsaw MT. Irons in my life. was never in Mir. Irons store ex- cept when went there with the sher- if, court and jury on the first day of my trial. Nobody is oblibed to prove a fegativce. Ie have been a scape- goat long enough. have suffered martyrdom long enough. mann the most aboninabIy missued man in the world. Never before, in the hitory of this state has a man been vonviced or murder. or any other crime, With no evidence as to his guilt. and held in prison for more than 22 years except me.
 I was condemned to suffer perpetual punishment in my goth year, when life was pjust beginning, and for a crime which did not commit. The state has robbed he of my liberty, the most pre- cious thing in the world, for more than 22 consecutive years, the best part of my life, and If have to remain here, even one year more, l. shall diel The people who oppose my pardon are out siders kno knew nothing either about my trial or myself, but who are preju- 1 diced against me because they have
 
 pers about my trial and myself. am innocent, and therefore theree can new CT be any real evidence against me, either direct or circumstantial. It Is needless to call attention to the terms of my sentence. It Is fierce, uncom promising and revengefu1, and it's se- verity argues the presence of that in veteracy of spirit that has been held against me from the day of my arrest.
 My trial was a reproach, not only to the state, but to civilization itself.
 Had No Money to Fight.
 The truth is, but more In sorrow than in anger do say 1t, I have been held in prison for more than 9 con- secutive years. because I have no mon- ey with whic hto pay for legal fight. If I were confined in any other state prison in this country I could earn money enough in a couple of years to employ an able and fearless and con- scientious lawyer to fight by case, but have got dollar here.
 I was entitled to a fair trial. accord- ing to the constitution of the state, and the fact that I was convicted on flimsy testimony proves that my trial was unfair, and therefore I should be released from prison at once. Every body can see that the verdict was man ifestly unfair. Am I to be tortured to death, on the rack of perpetual pun ishment, because I am poor? Is this
 
 prisonment have undermined my con- stitution. I am worn out physically and if I have to remain here much longer shall either go insane or die. It is to me that the rankest injustice is being done. To demonstrate that injustice is letter to the people, and as Cadlyle said: Hunger, nalxedness and death even may sometimes be borne with cheerfulness but injustice is insupport- able to all men
 Justice Should Triumph. know that while I labor the prize for which I strive is dwindling and rading away with the passage of each day. When a man is suffering injus tice it is verybodys business to see that he gets justice. It is quite as much the duty of society to see that an innocent man should not suffer in justice as it is to see that guilty man should be punished. I know not, in this fight, whether I shall win or lose, whether justice shall triumph or malice bear down justice, but shall have this satisfaction, if fail, that did everything in my power to regain the liberty of which I have been un- justly robbed.
 As for my prison record, have nev-. CT injured anybody here nor did I try to injure anyone. I have violated the prison rules, it is true, but have been I SeVGTciy puulS1GO I0I Itl6SG luIdtLlOlS and that ought to settle the matter. Furthermore, it should be borne in mind that my prison record has noth- ing to do with my trial, and therefore they have no right to use it against me- Moreover, I have been reformed man for 10 years, and I will always be good man. I earnestly desire an op- portunity to earn an honest living. Had I had a fair trial I would have been acquitted, and there would have been no prison record, either good or bad Now, I have proved that I am suffering injustice, and therefore I should be re- stored to my lawful, constitutional and inalienaible right to liberty. It is a burning shame that I, poor unfortunae man who never injured munity at large should be compelled to suffer punishment for a crime com mitted by c person or persons un- known.