The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-08-04
"OLD" DAN MURPHY
TAKES IN MOVIES
SENT UP FROM ORANGEBURG
COUNTY.
Has Served 80 Years.
Colonel Sanders Gives Ray of Hope to
Prisoner Who Killed Treasurer
Copes in the Fork Section.

up until yesterday had never ridden
in an automobile, had never talked
over the telephone, had never seen a
moving picture show and in fact was
ignorant of many of the great inven-
tions of the present time. But all
things come to him who waits and
this man had his day yesterday.
The man is Dan Murphy. Dan has
/ been confined behind the massive
gates since a young man. He is past
go now and has served something
like 32 years of his life right behind
those prison gates.
Yesterday Dan was carried through
a marvellous age so far as he was
concerned. He was placed in the
penitentiary automobile and driven
around town and then carried to a
moving picture theater, where he
was overcome with the sights on the
screen. Coly A. K. Sanders, 'superin-
tendent of the penitentiary, told Dan
several days ago that he was going
to bring him up town to see the
''sights." The colonel is a man of
his word and shortlybefore noon yes
terday Dan and a guard, accompan-
led by Colonel Sanders, left the pris-
on in the penitentiary machine.
Sees Many Automobiles.
The party came up Elmwood ave-
nue. and upon sighting a number of
automobiles Dan turned to Colonel
Sanders and exclaimed: There must
be millions of these things, colonel
The aged prisoner was all smiles.
He gazed at the beautiful homes
along the avenue and as the car
turned into Main street saw the
long row of buildings. The trip down
Main street was a great treat. Ar
irving at the theater, where the man
agement had invited Dan and COL
onel Sanders to see the pictures for
the day, the old man had his picture
taken. He smiled as the camera
snapped him, Colonel Sanders and
the guard.
Following the taking of the pic
ture Dan and Colonel Sanders, ac-
companed by several others, were
ushered into the theater.
what do you think of that?" the
prisoner was asked as the picture
flashed upon the scheen. Dan was
dumbfounded for a moment and then
passed his judgment. "That certain
ly is wonderful he declared. Just
about this time the picture was COM
ing to an end, it being the usual
ending where the man takes the
woman in his arms and indulges in
a few kisses. "That fellow sure
knows how to kiss" was Dams COM
ment to this part.
The picture itself was somewhat
along the lines that would fit the
old mans case. It dealt with muir
der and a conviction, about the same
as the case of Dan. All through the
picture the man from behind the
walls would smile and then be SOL
emn, only to smile again as someone
would ask him a question.
After the picture G. D. Gallagher,
manager of the Imperial, carried the
party to the operating room and
there Dan was shown how the pic
lures were flashed on the screen.
"That's too much for me-" the pris-
oner said as he saw the machine
turning and saw the result on the
screen. From the theater the party
drove down Main street, around the
state house and back to the prison
where Dan was again placed behind
the walls.
Escaped One Time.
"Old" Dan, as he is called by pen
ibentiary authorities, has had some
what of varied career. He was
charged with killing County Treas
urer Copes, of Orangeburg county,
and was convicted. He was sentenced
to be hanged, but Governor Ellerbe
commuted his sentence to life i'm
prisonment. He began his sentence,
protesting his innocence. He served
several years and life began to look
hopeless. Dan decided that any
chance of escape was worth trying
and he began saving the bars of his
oo1l -, tbo +b;rd Hoor of tho old