The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-07-09
Served Forty Years in Penitentary.

Served Forty Years in Penitentiary.
Milwaukee, July 1.-The most un-
paid man in America, if not in the
entire world, is temporary resident
of Milwaukee.
He is Thomas Henry Murphy, SO
years old, alias Thomas Mcintyre,
alias Snake" Murphy, alias twenty
other names and his record (consld-
cred one of the most remarkable Of
any criminal) is in every police sta
tion in the United States. Murphy
he says himself, is cheap crook"
He has served thirty-six years in
penitentiaries in three States. This
does not include sentences in houses
of correction, county jails and calla-
booses for minor offences nor the
time lying in jail while awaiting
trial, about five or six years.
"The wages of sin are small"
whined the aged, bent man as he
crouched on a seat in district court.
81 have spent more than forty years
of my life in prison, but the total
value of all l have stolen will not
reach $780,"
81 started when I was a kid" he
explained, after some wheedling. 81
was living with my mother in st.
Louis. A negro washerwoman was
drunk on the street and cop stop
ped an express wagon to take her to
Jail. I picked up stone and hit the
cop back of the ear, laying him out.
1 was sentenced to the reformatory
until l was 21. In two years my
mother got me out.
After this l was in no serious
trouble until l moved to Colorado.
This time stole about SIS worth Of
stuff and got u years in the peni-
tentiary. 1 had broken into a place
and the charge was burglary. I was
sentenced three times in Colorado,
serving about Is years in all.
Then 1 went back to Missouri, but
it was no use. kept getting in bad
there and in Kansas. AS fast as
got out 1 would steal some small
thing and get back in again. l
haven't had a free summer in twenty
years. Every, summer I have been
locked up. That's why l came up to
Wisconsin. l planned to have great
time, working around the lake hotels
and taking it easy, had made up my
mind to be honest"
Murphy was arrested in saloon.
He was drunk and was trying to sell
a new pair Of shoes for twenty-five
cents. He said he bought the shoes,
but could not name the place, so was
sentenced to ninety days on vag-
rancy charge. He had been in Mil
waukee four hours Murphy pro-
tested he had bought the shoes and
declared he was being sentenced be-
cause of his past record.
eff you really bought these shoes,
Murphy" man who heard the story
told him, Il will help you, I will go
to every shoe store within mile of
where you think you got them. If it
is found that you bought them l be-
lieve the Judge will let you CO.
Murphy scratched his head, May
be we had better let we'll enough
alone" he said, Maybe if you found
the place l would be in more trouble
than I am now"
why is it that you were never
straight--never really tried?" Muir
ply was asked.
Booze" he replied. II never had
sense enough to let it alone. 1t is
hard enough for man who has nev-
er been in prison to beat the booze
game. A man with a record can never
do it. AS soon as | get out of jail |
beat it for saloon. I might as we'll
walk right back to the police station.
During the forty years I have been
locked up l have thought of an epi-
taph that l would like to have placed
upon the headstone of my grave-if
I am lucky enough to have a head
stone Here it is:
Here lies Snake Murphy,
He was in Jail forty years,
Cheap booze kept him there.
Tboy etil1 coll II -