Evening star., 1944-04-29
Death Penalty Given
Attacker Identified
In Court by Victim

Patrick Murphy, SO, Baltimore
garage owner, was sentenced yes.
terday in Prince Georges County
Circuit Court to be hanged fol
criminal assault on a 31-year-olc
Washington woman who broke the
defense's whole case by picking him
out of a crowded courtroom.
The sentence was pronounced BY
Judges Charles G. Marbury ano
John B. Gray at Upper Marlboro
after the jury had deliberated only
20 minutes before returning a guilty
verdict. States Attorney A. Gwynr
Bowie said the death sentence was
the second given in a criminal as
sault case during his five years in
Office. Two years ago coloreo
man, Frank Haywood, was SEN
tehced to hang for attacking q
white woman, he said.
During dramatic court session
In which the defense Staked its
entire case on whether or not the
plaintiff could identify her attacker
Murphy was placed unattended in
the courtroom and the woman was
brought in to take the stand as the
first witness. The defense asked her
to pick out her assailant. BY per-
mission of the court, Murphy had
been placed, along with five other
men, in the grand jury box.
Picks Him Out of Crowd.
The woman walked up and down
the courtroom isles, scrutinizing
every man. When she came to the
jury box, she stopped and pointed
to Murphy.
That is the man." she said.
She then walked over to him,
touched him and described the
clothing he was wearing the night
Of the attack.
The defense did not call a single
witness and Murphy did not testify
in his own defense.
Asking for additional informa-
ton on Murphy before passing SEN
tence, Judge Marbury was shown
a long Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation record on the defendant
The prosecution also cited convic-
tionS in Virginia and Florida and
pointed out that at the present
time Murphy is under indictment
on a charge of attacking his 26-
year-old stenographer. He was ar
rested March 26 on the latter
charge.
O'Conor to Fix Execution Date.
Murphy now will be turned over
to the warden of the State peni-
tentiary who will carry out the
sentence on a date to be set by
Gov. O'Conor.
When sentence was pronounced
Murphy's wife, who had attended
the trial, uttered a scream and had
to be quieted by court attendants.
The defendant, slight, dark-haired
man, with a black mustache, ap-
peared shaken.
During the trial, the woman, a
Washington hospital attendant,
testified that the attack occurred
on a road near Oxon Hill after
Murphy had offered to drive her
to work. She had had dinner with
him and another couple.
In passing sentence, Judge Mar
bury said:
There is no doubt in the mind
of the court that the young woman
involved in the case told the truth.
1t is difficult to conceive of a more
brutal crime.
"The record clearly indicates that
you are the kind of a man who has
no regard for the chastity of women
and that you violate them in the
most despicable manner whenever
you get the chance. While you feel
that every woman is fair game, the
court must inform you that this is
not the conception in this county
or in this country generally"
Murphy was represented by John
v. Hackett. Hyattsville, and State
Senator George c. Della and Web
ster c. Tall. both of Baltimore,