Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-03-18
DIR. HENKEL CLAIMS
DAMAGES OF $4,000
Sues for SANDER in Connection
With Suicide of MRS. MURPHY
FOUR DEFENDANTS NAMED.
Metropolitan Insurance Company Sued
for $50, 900. MurdOek and Wife.
sne c. ]. Koch. for $500

]
Following up the suits instituted
by titling several weeks ago. Or.
Charles B Henkel. a well-known
physician and druggist of this city
has, through his attorney, Robert
Moss, filed declarations in the Circuit
Court in which he claims heavy
damages against James H. Murdoch
and his wife, Emily Murdock, of
this city, Charles }. Koch. of East
port, and the Metropolitan Life In
surance Company.
Slanderous statements alleged to
have been made by each of the defen-
dants or representatives are made
the basis OF the suits. The plaintiff
charges that these statements charged
him with having caused the death of
Mrs. Caroline c. Murphy, widow of
Charles j. Murphy, a warrant officer
of the Navy, formerly of this city.
who committed suicide by drowning
on March l. 1912.
DIR. Henkel claims damages to the
amount of $500 from each Muir
dock a1d Koch, and like sum from
Murdock and his wife, jointly. The
Metropolitan Insurance Company is
sued for $500 The special alle-
cation against the insurance company
contained in the bill is that one of
the representative of the company
visited Annapolis and circulated a
report that he, D.. Henkel. had been
connected with the death of Mr..
Murphy; that the company had dis
missed him from the position as its
medical examiner which he had held
for years, without allowing hin the
opportunity of explaining any charges
that may have been made against
him.
Koch, one of the defendants. is a
brother of Mrs. Murphy. aud it is
about him that the whole case re-
wolves. Since the suicide of Mrs. Muir
ply there has been much talk of
certain circumstances alleged to have
brought about her death At the
time Of the death of Mrs Murphy, it
is understood that certain statements
were made to States Attorney Mich
olas III. Green, but that that official
did not consider there was sufficient
ground to warrant the matter being
placed before the grand jury, which
cow sned not long thereafter.
1t is further set out in tbs decla-
ration that th9 defendants have con-
nected Dr. Henkel with the death of
Mrs. Murphy in such way as to
cause him great injury. 1t is speci-
fed that Mr.. Murdock on several oc-
casions stated that the plaintiff was
the murderer of Mrs. Murphy and
should have been arrested, and that
he pointed at him and made a sim
liar statement. 1t is alleged that
| these stateme nts are wholly false
and malicious, but as a result he
has lost many of his patients; that
he has been dismissed as examiner
of the insurance company; that the
business of his drug store has been
curtailed, and that he has been un-
able to rent dwelling houses owned
by him.
DR.. Henkel has been a promint nj
practitioner of medicine for many
years, as we'll as proprietor of a drug
store on Maryland avedue. He ha s
also been actively identified with the
Republican party, served as Alder
man in the City Council, and was at
one time candidate for Mayor.
Mr.. MurdocK also has been promi-
nently identified with Republican pol
itics and served a tenn as a member
of the House of Delegates from this
county. For many years he has con-
Quoted a grocery and provision store
on Maryland avenue.
The suicide of Mrs. Murphy is
still fresh in the minds If many An
napolitans. 1t will be recalled that
she left her home, which adjoins the
drug store of Dr. Henkel, who also
owns the dwelling in which she lived
early on the N )rning of March ] 0.
last year A light snow had fallel
the night before, and it was by he
footprints that Mrs. Murphy wa
traced to ths pier of the ToIcneste
Steamboat Company, at the foot o
Prince gorge street, from which sh
jumped into the harbor. Her bod,
was recovered not long after the sui
| eide.
1t was stated at the time that Mrs
Murphy had been ailing for som
time, and that her health had cause