JOHN BARLEYCORN IS VERY BUSY MAN

The Butte Daily Post, Butte, 1908-01-07, p.6

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Summary

Butte Daily Post (evening paper) account of the Jan 7 hearing — published the SAME EVENING of the hearing, with significantly more biographical detail than the next-day Butte Miner or Anaconda Standard treatments. The richest single source for the bartender Patrick Murphy's biography in the archive. Sub-heads: "HE SENDS MURPHY TO THE POOR FARM, AN INVALID. / BOYLE GOES TO THE ASYLUM / Two Strong Men Brought to Sad Ends by Drink." KEY BIOGRAPHICAL FACTS for Patrick Murphy: - Age 50 (born c. 1857-58) — note March 1908 papers said 52 - Invalid for 11 years (paralysis since c. 1897) - TWO strokes of paralysis (not one) - Also injured "about the head in a mine accident" - Formerly a bartender - Came to Montana 20 years ago — so arrived c. 1888 - Answered questions in court "in a rational manner" HOUSEHOLD / KIN identified: - Wife — Mrs. Murphy (Ellen, per the same-day Butte Miner) - Witnesses for Pat — **Maggie Murphy, a NIECE**, and **Mary Sullivan, a SISTER of Patrick Murphy** The "niece" vs. "sister" question. The Butte Daily Post (this clipping, published same evening) calls Maggie "a niece." The Butte Miner next morning calls her "a sister." The Daily Post is closer to the hearing and likely more accurate. Adopting "niece" as the primary record; flagging the Miner's "sister" as a printing error. The Mary Sullivan = sister of Patrick Murphy detail is significant for the family arc: it means Patrick had at least one sister, who married a Sullivan. Sullivan is a Beara surname (cf. Timothy Sullivan of Coulagh, 1846 starvation clipping). The Patrick-bartender household is now anchored more deeply to the West Cork / Beara Murphy diaspora. Hard-drinking framing: "Mrs. Murphy said that her husband had been a hard drinker and that since he had a paralytic stroke he has been helpless and whenever he gets drunk he is subject to fits and once had three in a single day, but has not had any now for over a year." "The children teased him and he has threatened to set fire to the house." Drs. Schwartz and Renick: not insane, but better at the poor farm. Barney Boyle (Kildare) separate case: examined by Drs. McIntyre and Heine, found insane. "Has just finished a thirty day sentence in the county jail on a vagrancy charge." Gave age as 46 but "probably nearer 60." Dr. Tremblay testified.

People

Also mentioned

  • Judge Donlan · presiding_judge
  • Dr. Schwartz · examining_physician_murphy
  • Dr. Renick · examining_physician_murphy
  • Dr. McIntyre · examining_physician_boyle
  • Dr. Heine · examining_physician_boyle
  • Dr. Tremblay · character_witness_boyle

    Had known Boyle for about seven weeks.

Places

Themes

Story threads

Tags

  • candidate_family
  • heavy
  • evidence_primary

Source type

news_item, court_report

Related sources

Transcription
transcription: complete · confidence high
# JOHN BARLEYCORN IS VERY BUSY MAN ## HE SENDS MURPHY TO THE POOR FARM, AN INVALID. ## BOYLE GOES TO THE ASYLUM *Two Strong Men Brought to Sad Ends by Drink.* *The Butte Daily Post, Tuesday, January 7, 1908, p. 6.* Patrick Murphy and Barney Boyle, alleged insane persons, were examined before Judge Donlan this morning and the former was sent to the poor farm, while the latter was found insane and committed to the asylum at Warm Springs. Patrick Murphy answered questions in a rational manner. He has sustained two strokes of paralysis and also was injured about the head in a mine accident, which has left him weak and sickly, and he has been unable to provide for himself and his wife and says that her circumstances are such that she is unable to look after him at present. He gave his age as 50 years and has been an invalid for eleven years. He was formerly a bartender and came to Montana twenty years ago. ### A Hard Drinker. Mrs. Murphy said that her husband had been a hard drinker and that since he had a paralytic stroke he has been helpless and whenever he gets drunk he is subject to fits and once had three in a single day, but has not had any now for over a year. Mrs. Murphy also stated that the children teased him and he has threatened to set fire to the house. Maggie Murphy, a niece, and Mary Sullivan, a sister of Patrick Murphy, testified to the same facts and Drs. Schwartz and Renick, who examined the man, stated to the court that they did not consider him insane, but thought he would be better at the poor farm and he will be sent there. Barney Boyle, who has just finished a thirty day sentence in the county jail on a vagrancy charge, was examined by Drs. McIntyre and Heine and found insane. Barney has a poor memory and frequently got tangled up in his stories. He gave his age as 46 years and is probably nearer 60. Dr. Tremblay stated that he had known Boyle for about seven weeks and from what he noticed, he did not believe it was safe to have the man at large.

Open questions

  • Patrick "came to Montana twenty years ago" — i.e. 1888. Worth a targeted look at 1888-89 Butte arrival / saloon-licence / early-bartender material for him.
  • The mine accident injuring his head — when, which mine? Worth tracing through 1888-1896 Butte mining-accident coverage.
  • The Mary Sullivan = Pat's sister datum significantly tightens the Beara connection. Worth a cross-check against Beara parish registers for a Murphy daughter married to a Sullivan in the 1870s-80s.