The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-11-23
"OLD DAN" MURPHY
BREATHES HIS LAST.
Veteran Convict Died in State Peni-
Tertiary Thursday of
Last Week.

LcSt VSchs
"God be with you, boy; I'm going
With these words on his lips, D. C..
Murphy, better known as cold DAN"
the veteran convict at the state peni-
Tertiary, died in his bed at the state
prison last Thursday morning about
o'clock.
Murphy, who has been somewhat
in the limelight during the past sew
eral months, was convicted May Is,
1895, of numbering Robert Cope,
treasurer of Orangeburg county, and
sentenced to be hanged. He was
charged with having waylaid the Of
fetal and after Shooting him to
death, of having robbed the dead body
of tax moneys collected during the
day. He maintained his innocence
until the last.
Shortly after his conviction the
sentence of Murphy was commuted
tby Governor Ellerbe to life imprison-
ment, and, from Governor Blease,
every executive has been appealed
to for clemency for the man. Sew
eral boards of pardons have recon-
mended clemency.
During his term, Governor Cooper
offered clemency to Murphy, but the
man refused on the ground that 81
don't desire to 60 out into the world
at this time, as it has advanced a
quarter of a century ahead Of me;
would be lost; and this is the only
home that I know" However, lately
he has expressed his desire to be
freed and the question Of his pardon
was under review by Governor Har-
vey.
During the first part of his SEN
tence Murphy escaped but was ap-
pretended in Georgia and reimpris-
oned in the penitentiary, where he
remained a model prisoner since; so
much so that the superintendent, Col.
A. X. Sanders, members of the board
of directors and the prison guards
signed petitions for his release and
made personal appeals in his behalf.
Some months ago, Supt. Sanders
took Murphy in the prison automo-
bile to a local motion picture show,
and the aged convict was the most
astonished man living. 1t was the
first time he had ever ridden in a
motor-propelled vehicle and the click
ing camera was a revolving delight.
After the performance, he told news
paper men of his sensations, which
were like a page from the arabian
Nights" to him; the worlds progress
and hurley-burley so startled him
that he decided to remain in the
quiet of his prison home.
Murphy had a well-equipped COM
mercial sense. Because of his ex-
emplary record and his venerable age.
he was allowed by the prison author
tiles to run small store inside the
prison walls. He kept a stock Of to-
bacco, candies and the like on hand
for sale to his fellow prisoners and
the occasional visitor He had accu-
mulated quite a modest sum of money
from his enterprise.
Several months ago Governor Har-
vey visited the prison and Murphy
"set EN- up; he said that the gov
ernor of the state couldn't pay for
anything out of his store.
Murphy was a very quiet old man,
quaint humor and a real philoso-
ply of life. He delighted to talk
with those whom he thought under
stood him.
Thursday morning, according to his
Icell-mate, Jake Faulkner, Murphy
complained of the heartburn" sew
eral times. Near 4 o'clock, Faulkner
remarked: "Dan, your feet are
mighty cold"
"Yes," was the reply; "I'm feeling
funny; l never felt quite like this
before in my life"
There was silence for a short time,
then:
"God be with you, boy; Pm going"
Then "Old Dan" sighed and passed
out.
The aged convict has son and his
widow living in Georgia, and it is
supposed that the body wiz Je sent