Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-08-05
lima bastile, took him "up town" in his
automobile recently, had he left the
nricnn for mora than twenty wears


automobile recently, had he left the
prison for more than twenty years.
Murphy was like boy at his first
circus. "Whoooo- eeee!" he calculated
as the pleasure CT the modern motor
car dawned upon him, and as every
turn OF the projection machine put
wonders of moving pictures before his
old eyes.
Dan said the automobile was grand.
He said at first it seemed like he would
fall through" Then as he was spun
along over paved streets his eyes bulg-
ed and he beamed forth the joy Of his
old prison heart. Men and women, tall
buildings, the ten thousand" automo-
biles on the streets were sources Of
wonder to him, only an occasional
glimpse through the prison bars had
he gotten of the modern motor car.
When Dan saw for the first time the
moving picture phenomenon, he gave
a stihed whoop. "Ain't it grand?" he
said to the guard and to the prison su-
perintendent who accompanied him.
The modern movie fan has been edu-
Gated to follow the programme Of the
film story but Dan Murphy had never
been. The inset vision picture had to
be explained to him. The quick jump
from one scene to another was all mys-
terious to him. Those who sat with
Dan and watched him as his mind of
a generation back forced itself into
tracks made by the modern scientist,
they learned much of the psychology
cal side of the cinematography. .
Killed County Treasurer.
Dan Murphy killed county treasu-
rer in Orangeburg county, South Caro-
lima, about 30 years ago. He was seu-
fenced to die with rope about has
neck. Governor Ellerbe commuted
the sentence to life Imprisonment. But
Dan got away. He sawed the bars in
one Of the penitentiary windows, and
climbed down the high wall. He fled
to the Philippines, where he joined the
United States cavalry. Returning sew
eral years later to Georgia, he got into
trouble and landed on the chaingang.
A South Carolinian saw him there and
informed the officials in Columbia and
he was brought back to the pen. For
more than twenty years now he has
lived behind the dingy walls Of the
state prison. Not until this week did
he see the streets Of the city within
whose limits he has spent the last score
years Of his life.
Dan is a merchant and he is also a.
manufacturer. He is allowed to oper-
ate a stand where he sells smokes ana
drinks, paid for with the pennies of the
other prisoners. At the same time
Dan works in the chair factory oper-
ated within the walls of the prison. He
is a good workman. He stands erect,
toll and soldierly.
Down in Georgia, Dams wife is still
living. She lives with his son and
helps to care for Dams grandchildren.
A movie man made fins of Dan as he
left the prison, and Dan wants to see
these. He also wants the loved ones
in Georgia to see them. There is
note of sadness in Dams story. He
must pay the penalty for his crime FOR
he killed his man, no was a tax gath
erer, for the purpose of robbing him.
But "hope springs eternal in the hu-
man breast" and Dan has gotten
taste of the big outer world. He must
go back to jail life, and yet he goes
with a different vision Of life. what
the outcome will be, the officials IN
South Carolina will await to see.
AS Dan Murphy got back into the
automobile, after his first visit to
movie house, he turned to the news
paper men and the theatre manage
mcnt and thanked them for the woh-
derful day they had afforded him. III
never forget this he said, and his Jo-
vial face doomed as he said' COO
bless you"