The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-06-27
CHICAGO LABOR
LEADER FALLS
ON OWN LAWN
Marked for Death Is Years
Ago, Dearborn Mail Theft
Director Finally Falls
WAS PUT ON THE SPOT
Called from Radio by Door
BELLS Ring, Willy Giant
Walks Into Trap
WAS PUT ON THE SPOT

Chicago, June 27.-(R-The gang
guns got Big Tim Murphy last
night.
A machine gun barrel was thrust
through the window Of . sedan
cruising slowly by the Murphy bum
galow. Murphy's six feet three
standing on the lawn was an easy
mark.
Fire streamed from the window Of
the sedan. The bedtime quiet Of the
Rogers Park neighborhood was
broken by the guns deadly rata
tat-tat. The knees of q giant buck
led, and the blood Of Big Tim MUIR
ply stained the grass where he fell.
Two years ago Murphy stepped
from Leavenworth penitentiary aft
er serving : sentence for completely
in the daring Dearbon street station
robbery Of 1922. Several men were
playing ball on vacant lot near the
station at noon. When . mail truck
carrying $125,000 drove up, the men
drew revolvers, took the money and
escaped in automobiles. The gov
erhment chavged that Murphy
plotted and led the execution Of this
most daring Of daylight robberies in
Chicago.
Racketeer, mail robber, gambler
-Murphy's name frequently was
whispered in connection with police
mysteries. When "Mossy" Enright,
who had beeil prospering in fields
which had been MuFphy's own, was
shot dead at HIS home in 1920, MUIR
ply was arrested. But they couldn't
connect him with it.
It was following his release in
this case that Murphy for the first
time appeared in public with the
bodyguard which designates the
marked man in Chicago's under
world. He WIS never one to carry
q gun. He had no weapon when he
was shot down last night.
Fifteen years ago the word went
around that Murphy, who had risen
to power as president Of the Gas
Workers union, had been marked for
death. Yet Murphy's buck teeth
continued to gleam in the Murphy
smile and he lived to read the obit-
uaries Of scores Of gangsters, rack
eteers, feudists and slayers.
But AZ years is long time to live
for one with pursuits 80 precarious
IS Big Tins. His time came last
night.
It was no new story, the manner
Of his taking off. There was the in
evitable closed car, with drawn
shades-four or five men with mur-
der in their hearts-the clip Of car
tridges-ths quick speaking machine
gun.
They put him ''on the spot" Big
Tim was in the basement Of the $685.
900 bungalow listening with his
brother-in-law, Harry Diggs, to Z
radiocast Of the Houston convention.
The front door bell rang. Murphy,
trained in caution, did not answer it.
Instead, he and Diggs slipped out .
side door and walked around to the
front lawn to see who was there.
No one was in sight. Murphy
moved across the grass toward the
street. Then they saw the sedan,
almost in front Of the house. Be-
fore either could retreat the gun
had spoken and Big Tim was on the
ground, mortally wounded. Diggs,
. world war veteran, dropped to the
grass with the first few shots and
was uninjured.
In the short moments that passed
between the time that Big Tim fell
and died, he tried desperately to say
something to his brother-in-law.
Whatever he hoped to say was
choked back by death.