Thomas P. Murphy

THOMAS P. MURPHY PLUNGES TO DEATH FROM FOUR-STORY WINDOW

Thomas P. Murphy is no more, death coming to him in a most shocking and unlooked for manner at Salt Lake City last Friday night or Saturday morning.  Together with numerous persons from this section of the state, he had gone there to witness the reception to the nation's chief magistrate, and incidentally to look after some matters in connection with his business.  His taking away is perhaps best told in the following from the Evening Telegram:
Thomas. P. Murphy of Price, Utah, plunged headlong from a fourth-story window of the Wilson Hotel some time during last night and his mangled body was found by employee of the  hotel about 7:30 o'clock this morning.

Murphy registered at the Wilson Hotel Thursday afternoon and spent that day and yesterday with friends.  Yesterday he attended the Roosevelt exercises at the tabernacle and lunched with his friends at the hotel.  He left the hotel and spent the afternoon with a party of friends, returning in time for dinner. 

It is not known at what hour he went to his room, which was on the fourth floor, as the next time he was seen was when his mangled body was discovered on a heap of charcoal at the rear of the hotel building.  An open window of his room indicated the cause of his death.

An employee of the hotel, who was going off shift a few minutes before 7:30 o'clock, saw the body on the pile of charcoal, but believing that it was a celebrant in a drunken sleep, passed on.  When he had gone a few paces he had an intuition that it was something more serious than he had at first supposed.  He returned and examined the body with greater care.

He was horrified to find that the man was dead.  Hastily notifying the other employees of the hotel of this discovery, the employee also notified the police, and a patrolman and detective were sent to the scene.  In the meantime the body was identified as that of Thomas P. Murphy of Price, Utah.

The body was removed to the S.D. Evans undertaking establishment, where it was carefully examined with a view of finding evidences of foul play.  The left leg and a number of the ribs on the right side were found to be fractured, and with a number of slight abrasions and bruises on the face were the only injuries.  It was evident that death was caused by the fall from the open window, a distance of about sixty feet.

Another evidence that there was no foul play was that all the valuables in the possession of the deceased remained intact.  Among these were a fine gold watch and a college class pin, showing the deceased had been a member of the New York College of Pharmacy alumni of 1885.  The number on the badge was 264.  Some money was also found.

It is believed Mr. Murphy became ill during the night and went to the window of his room for fresh air, lost his balance and fell to his death.  It was his custom, as is the case with almost all others subject to hemorrages, to want the windows of his sleeping apartments open.

Stopping also at the Wilson Hotel were a number of people from Price and elsewhere from this section. E. Santschl of Castle Gate wired the information to Mrs. Murphy, and it was he who had the body prepared for burial and shipped to Denver, where interment was had Tuesday last.

The body came down on Saturday nights train and Mrs. Murphy and sister, Miss Fitzgerald, accompanied it from here, friends and relatives at Denver in the meantime having arranged for the funeral in that city.  It is here that the only child of the deceased and Mrs. Murphy's is buried, and it was his expressed wish many times to be laid away by the side of Florence.

The deceased was about 44 years of age and had resided in Price, some six years, coming here from Pennsylvania for his health, after a short residence in Denver.  He was a druggist and chemist by profession, but there being no opening in this line he engaged in the saloon business after arriving in Price.

Besides a profitable business Mr. Murphy had a thousand dollars life insurance, which goes to the widow.  He owned the real estate where he conducted business, a comfortable home and had other interests here and in the East.  As yet, of course, no disposition has been made of his business interests.

Down in his heart, which was big and beat for humanity, Thomas P. Murphy was a good man.  He suffered as few of us know.  It there is something better in the hereafter, as he himself was wont to say: "Don't worry about Old Murph."