The Evening Times

MURPHY
NOT
WORRIED
Remained Over Sunday In Fargo and
Says He Will Unbosom Himself
When Through With Case-Up to
the Jury Soon.
[Special to The Evening Times.]
Fargo, Feb. 5. The Murphy case
was continued today and it is expected
will go to the jury tomorrow. It has
been intimated that the defense would
be willing to submit the case to the
jury without argument, but this would
not meet with the approval of the
prosecution and it is not probable that
the case will be given to the jury until
Tuesday afternoon at least.
For fifteen days the case has been
in progress and never before in Cass
county has a case been as strenuously
contested on both sides. Every scrap
of evidence introduced has been scrutinized by the attorneys on both sides,
and a careful record has been preserved for use in case of an appeal.
Major Murphy has been defended by
able counsel. Judge Lauder, who has
had charge of the case for the defense
has indicated that he is an able trial
lawyer, farseeing and cautious. He
has been ably assisted by Judge Palda
and Barnett Richardson.
Major Murphy has rendered no little assistance to his attorneys and the confident air he has maintained all during the trial has indicated that he has
little doubt of the result.
For the state Assistant United States
Attorney Townsend and John E. Green
have conducted the case in court. The
former has conducted the cross-examination of witnesses and many of the
telling points brought out have been
suggested by Mr. Green who was associated with State's Attorney McGee
in the preparation of the case against
Major Murphy.
During the trial of the case a persistent report has been current to the
effect that detectives in the employ of the
state have been shadowing the defendant.
Whether the report is true or
not it is impossible to ascertain. The
attorneys for the state have denied it
positively although it has been admitted that certain persons not directly
connected with the case have been
under surveillance.
Major Murphy did not return to
Minot Saturday night, but announced
that he would remain in the city until
his case is finally disposed of.
In spite of the confidence of the state
that a strong case has been made out,
Major Murphy is confident of an acquittal, and it was only along this line
that he would speak for publication.
For years a political leader in the
most strenuous county in the state,
Major Murphy is the custodian of
more information which might be described as "juicy" than any man in the
state and he has indicated that at the
conclusion of the trial he would be
ready and willing to unburden himself
to some extent.
"It would not be proper for me to
speak at this time," said Major Murphy to a Forum reporter, "but you may say that I have no doubt whatever as to the eventual outcome of the
trial."
In connection with the case and incidentally, it is interesting to note that
Major Murphy has surrounded himself
with three attorneys who wear the title of judge. His leading counsel,
M. S. Lauder, was on the bench for
several terms, and Attorney Palda was
appointed to the bench in Ward county
to fill a vacancy. W. H. Barnett, when
not referred to as state's attorney, is
known as Judge Barnett in remembrance of his early experiences in Fargo as police magistrate.