The Detroit times., 1911-03-09
LEAVES MuRT.HA
TO JUDGE ABOVE
Mrs. Julia 0'Donnell, Of Brooklyn,
Tells How She Suffered When She
Lost Her Small Fortune.

NEW YORK. March s.--The Ameri'
can says:
Word that James A. Murtha, the
Brooklyn lawyer, who disappeared SIX
years ago under a cloud, is In Michi-
gan, a state senator and Democratic
leader, yesterday reached two rooms
on the upper floor of modest frame
house. No. 2 Sherlock place, Brook
Ign.
There lives Mrs. Julia O'Donnell,
| the widow, whose every penny the
man appropriated to himself. to his
own undoing, when he was supposed
to be In fair way to high political
honors and fortune in his practice.
Mrs. O'Donnell lives with her
daughter and namesake. The strain
OF six years ago Is not so great now,
because her son and daughter are
grown up and self-supporting.
so Murtha is out In Detroit" said
Mrs. O'Donnell quietly, folding her
hands on her lap. He 10 out there
trying TO live down the past, winning
high honor for himself and new
name. Let him be, then, young man.
He no longer can cause me TO suffer.
Let him be to the punishment Of an
other judge. have no wish to trouble
him.
Il wonder" she continued, does
the man ever think Of the suffering
he caused me and mine years ago;
wonder IL he cares to think how he
caused the little house I had to be
sold to support my son, daughter and
myself, all the while having the
money that would have meant much
for my age and for them, too? Maybe
he thinks all that has been made even
by the few dollars his mothers tears
and prayers made me accept when
they feared he would 60 to jail.
1T was this way: My husband had
been killed, leaving me with the two
children. was told that the company
that killed him should be made to pay.
went to Murtha because everybody
spoke well of him; his father was a
city oficer. He was friend of Hugh
Mclaughlin, and everybody knew
him. He took my case at once, saying
that all he would charge me would
be third Of what he got IL he went
to court.
There was q delay then, and pref
ty soon / heard the case had been
settled for $2.250. II was small
enough, but II saved time, and I need
ed something to live on. I went to
his office, and he told me they had
not paid the money over.
Months went by, and they had not
paid IL. The little house went, but
the money did not come. Then he
told me the money could not be paid
until my boy, then nineteen, was Il.
I waited those two years and went
back. II was not ready then. The
days my girl and ! put in the ONCE
waiting! II was always crowded, but
the talk was not on law. but on race
horses. I pleaded with him. but he
put me on again.
Then I went to Judge Gaynor on
the bench. He heard my story and
told me to 60 to Eugene v. Brewster.
Mr.. Brewster heard me and sent out
word to Murtha. "A day or two later
When she saw me she began to cry
and told me how her son was in great
trouble. He had been foolish and
had spent more money than he
should She begged me on her knees
not to DO anything TO him. She said
she would sell everything she had,
her jewels and oil paintings, to pay
me something; 1T. could not be all,
and then she offered me $1,000.
II was the mother of q boy, too,
and when she cried to me I could not
remember that I had no jewels or oil
paintings and little bread, but went
10 Mr. Brewster's ONCE and he told
me should accept the money, be-
cause II did not would not get any
thing. could not refuse. signed
a paper, paid my lawyer 5000, and
with the $500 paid all my debts.
There was little enough left for
me. don't want to see him. / have
been told no jewels or oil paintings
had been sold to raise the money,
but that IL all right Let him be, to
the punishment that Is bound to come
10 him"
NEW YORK, March s.-The Amer
lean says:
Friends of James Z. Murtha, the
Michigan state senator. whose con-
troversy with Gov. Osborne led to the
disclosures about his Brooklyn ca
reer, agreed yesterday that Murtha's
unfortunate marriage in the later part
of 1902, or the early part OF 1903. was
in great part responsible for his down.
fall.
According to the story told by
them, Murtha met young woman at
the race track, with whom he became
very friendly. One night, when he
hardly knew what he was doing. he
was induced to go to the Church OF
the TRANSPORTATION, "The Little
Church Around the Corner" where
they we're married
"Murtha's awakening came almost
at once, these friends say. The couple
speedily got on very distant terms
Murtha endeavored peaceably to OBJ
tain a separation. but IL is said, his
wife pursued him and as a result OF
the continuous marital troubles. he
began to drink. neglected his business
and at last faced the alternative OF
leaving Brooklyn or facing ruin. he
turned over sufficient property to pay
all claims, including that OF Mrs
O'Donnell, and departed.
That he tried to make Il appear