The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1920-01-09
ARE THE MURPHYS
TO ESCAPE TRIAL?
Why Does Cleveland Criticise
Her Criminals If She Sets a
Premium on Crime, and AL
lows Easy Escape?
PUBLISHED ADMISSIONS
LOOK BAD FOR MURPHYS

It's a travesty on justice, the branC
of lawfulness put across in the ap.
prehension and punishment of those
who rob and murder people in THE
Forest City. Its a queer state OF at
fairs when man can be murdered in
broad daylight in Cleveland home
his person robbed of several hundred
dollars, and little or no explanation
be demanded of the owner of the
home, and the people other than he
if there are such who were in this
home before, at the time, and i'm
mediately succeeding the crime.
The purpose is to speak Of the mur-
der of Paul johnson, killed in the
home of one Murphy, the published
account of the Staying indicating
that the daughter of Murphy, at
least, was an eyewitness to the kill
ing. Tho published account, too, in
dicates that Murphy did not deny the
killing, spoke in desultory manner
of a quarrel, etc., but never gave the
public any reasonable account Of the
why and the wherefore Of the muir
der-if such it can be termed. Some
little hint leaked to the public-evi-
IDENTIFY a disturbing element to the
police on the investigation-that
Murphy said something about provo
cation, the belief seeming to form in
the dense heads of the police H>there
was an admission of quarrel there
must of necessity follow an implica-
ton of the commission of the killing.
7 Johnson was killed, and no one
has as far denied that the killing was
done in the Murphy home. johnson
had several hundred dollars on his
person when he went to the Murphy
home. When the body was turned
out of the Murphy home no money
could he found on the body or in the
clothes on the body. 1t is quite ma
tural to ask, "Where's the money;
what became Of it; did it disappear
before Johnson's death or AFTER or
did part of it change hands before
johnson died and then was the rest
stolen after his death?
These are all reasonable questions,
and if johnson had been your son,
brother or father YOU would be inter-
ested in securing reasonable ans
wer. And what's the use Of society IT
after a mans foul murder society
don't inquire into the why and where
fore, and do all possible to determine
as to who did the deed, and the in
centive for the crime?
So far as we have been able to de-
termine, Murphys don't deny that
johnson was killed in their home; and
according to what little evidence was
published Murphy does admit killing
Johnson, but says it was in self de-
fense or to save his daughter, or to
uphold the family name, or anyway
for some reason not very definitely
given to the public. Instead Of TAX
ing the Murphys through trial SO
as to determine the why and the
wherefore of the killing-data that
was due, both Johnson's friends and
the public-the whole matter was
seemingly, squelched.
Murder and robbery has held full
sway in Cleveland the past year. Can
any one wonder after reading the
published facts in this and similar
cases; stories telling of killings and
robbings and the escape of those
charged with the evil deeds with little
question of law? If crime can be
pulled under the circumstances that
have been admitted in the johnson
case, and the ones under suspicion al.
lowed to go free with as little ques.
tion as did the Murphys, what's the
use of any law? There was enough
admission to warrant an impartial
trial; and if the Murphys are moi
guilty to the extent of culpability
then it is due them to give them ar