The Mount Holly news., 1914-07-21
Murder Admitted.

/ While all the circumstances connected
; with the murder of Herman Fisher, neal
riverside, last week, pointed to Edga
Murphy as the man who committed the
foul deed, the entire situation was cleared
on Tuesday when Murphy confessed he
was the murderer. The details of the
confession are in the hands of Prosecu-
tor Atkinson, who does not deem it ad-
visable to give them out until the grand
jury meets, and in this move he is per-
fectly justified. The city papers had
given vivid accounts of how Murphy
was to be taken to the Fisher home, put
into the room where the dead body of
his victim was lying, with the gun and
suitcase which figure in the affair." then
the lights were to be turned on and
Murphy was to break down and aclxnowl-
] edge his guilt.
But nothing of this kind happened.
After being in jail few DAYS, left to his
own thoughts, Murphy gave in and
sent for Prosecutor Atkinson and de-
tective Parker to whom he made a clean
breast of the entire affair. Everything
he said fitted in with the evidence that
had already been gathered, so that there
are no doubtful points left to be un-
raveled.
The first story told by Murphy was
that he had been to Camden to try to
get work on trolley line. About the only
thing that lent any credence to this warn
was the fact that he did pack a suitcase
and told his parents that he was going
to Camden. That they believed his
story is beyond question. But the man
went only to a point near where the
murder was committed. There he hid
his suitcase in the joint of fence where
vines grew so thickly that it would have
beer impossible to have found the case.
Ihis was about three o'clock in the after
noon, and, according to Murphy's story, !
he waited around the neighborhood un-
I'll he got chance to fire the fatal shots, !
which was near eleven o'clock. He had !
ms gun with him, but while there were
persons who saw him with the suitcase |
nobody seemed to remember the gun.
Fisher, after he left the young woman
who had accompanied him to moving
picture show, made a short cut through |
a cornfield and there was where Murphy
was waiting. He said he fired two shots
to make sure that the desired death |
would occur. Then Murphy said he
started for his home. On the way he
met Fishers brother, who had become 4
alarmed over the safety of Herman and
mad decided to start in search for
nm. George Fisher told Murphy what L
he was going to do, and the latter agreed II
to aid in the search. At that time H
Murphy had his gun with him, but held II
it close to his side and it being dark
George Fisher did not see it. This and
other circumstances led George to be-
lleved That Murphy was not guilty of
the crime with which he is charged.
Of course it took nerve to commit such
a deed and then go along as if the man
who did the killing had nothing to do
with 1T, but it seemed extreme heartless-
ness in him.
The nerve of the man who did the kill
ing was all right until he got in place
where he had nothing but his own
thoughts to contend with and then he
broke down. He did many things that
showed how heartleSs he was. After
Killing one who had been friendly with /
aim he rendered his services to the dead |
mans parents, offering to do anything
n his power to aid them, even to the ex-
,ent OF helping select mourning gar
nents, and it was during this trip he
vas overhauled by the authorities and :
aiken from the wagon in which he and
he sisters were.
The work done by Sheriff Jordan,
Prosecutor Atkinson, Detective Parker
md Deputy Sheriff Fleetwood entailed
much labor and they certainly are en-
titled to credit for the result that has
.nsued. Not detail was omitted and
here was enough circumstantial evil .
ience on which to base an arrest, and
he confession that followed showed that
he right man is in custody.