The sun., 1919-09-21
HIS TWO MOTHERS
NEARLY FREE HIM
Motor Thief Facing Life Term
Convinces Them He Is
Missing Son.
EACH SENDS HIM $3.50
But Police Intercept Cash and
Bare Amazing Case of
Deception.

The inventive mind and literary at
tainments of Jordan L. Murphy in the
matter OF letter writing have almost
saved him from the sentence Of life
Imprisonment with which he Is faced
but not quite. Harry L. Lewis, District
Attorney of Kings county, yesterday
told how Murphy, who is a prisoner in
of being a habitual criminal hanging
over him, nearly gained his freedom
when he succeeded in persuading two
distracted mothers in different parts OF
the country that he was the missing
son for whom they had been seeking.
In each instance his letters were so
persuasive that the women actually for
warded the $3.50 their supposed boy
wrote that he required in order to clear
matters up in Brooklyn and start home
ward.
Murphy, who is 6 feet 2 inches tall.
has a frank face. honest looking eyes
and appears anything rather than
habitual criminal He was arrested
July is, accused of the theft OF an auto
mobile belonging to Angelo. Barbato Of
304 Flatbush avenue. II was the fourth
time he had been charged with grand
larceny, and conviction, he knew, meant
that the court would have no discretion
but TO send him to prison for life.
Realization of the plight in which he
found himself was not lacking in Muir
ply. Almost Immediately after his ar
rest he made his first move in his effort
to escape punishment. He sent word to
District Attorney Swami. in Manhattan,
that he had information which would
disclose the present whereabouts of Fritz
H. oil -lx n
from the prison ward at Bellevue Hos
pital some some months ago. Judge
Swami expressed interest and at his re-
quest Murphy's trial was postponed so
that he might have an opportunity TO
make good in his claim of special
knowledge In the matter.
Promptly Sends $3.50.
But the weeks went by and Murphy,
realizing that he had failed to produce
anything more tangible than words. hit
upon another scheme, according to Dis
trict Attorney Lewis. In some manner
he learned that a Mrs. Swift of Dayton
Ohio, had asked the bureau Of missing
persons here to find her son, who was
believed to be somewhere in this locality.
Calling for pen and ink Murphy began
the composition OF a remarkable docu-
ment WHICH ne sent 10 NlTS. SWuI-
In the letter the convict told her that
he was her son and that he would come
home again at once II she would aid
him to extricate himself from certain
transaction in connection with an auto
mobile which was causing him trouble.
He asked her to send $3.50 to him at
149 Raymond street, in care of a man
he said was his lawyer. IN reality the
number is that of the Raymond street
Jail and the man he mentioned Is a
trusty there.
Murphy's audacious plan might have
been successful for Mrs. Swift sent the
money at once with a touching letter to
her supposed wayward son. had she not
also written the bureau of missing per-
sons to tell them they need no longer
carry on the search as the lad had been
found. The suspicious official mind Of
the New York police caused Mrs. Swift's
letter to be turned over to District At
torney Lewis and the money was inter-
cepted before It reached Murphy.
secona Mother Responds.
The delay in hearing from Mrs. Swift
aroused Murphy's apprehension and ne
suspected what might have happened.
But the idea was a good one. he thought,
and hearing of another missing SON
the youth hailed from Nebraska this
time-Murphy wrote a second letter to
the second grief stricken mother. This
time he asked that the money be for
warded to the wife OF an intimate
friend" who was. in truth, the wife of a
fellow prisoner.
The credulity of motherhood was IL
lustrated by the promptness with which
the woman in Nebraska got her $3.50
into the mail District Attorney Lewis
learned of the circumstances and recov-
cred the cash and sent II back.
Both Of the mothers have been noti-
fed of the trickery." he said last night
Murphy found It easy to satisfy his
conscience in trying to swlndle sorrow
ing women in search of their sons ana i
| snail have no qualms of conscience in
trying to rid the community forever OF
his presence. He must either plead
guilty and take life sentence or stand
trial this week, and have the evidence