The Murder of Police Chief Sam Murphy

 

The Torn Headline from the Floyd County Times
Prestonsburg, KY, January 17, 1936.

Most of this article comes from the January 17, 1936 edition of the Floyd County Times. In the situations where the paper was torn I had to fill in the gaps with what I thought it was saying. 

Weeksbury, Kentucky Chief of Police S.J. Murphy was shot and fatally wounded Saturday night, January 11, 1936, at the Weeksbury jail by D. "Manny" Burke after Murphy had jailed the slayer's half-brother on a drunkeness charge.

The killing, declared by authorities to have been one of unusual atrocity, aroused considerable feeling in Weeksbury where Mr. Murphy had headed the police force for the last eight years and had earned the friendship of all who knew him by his courteous but firm enforcement of the law.

The bullet from Burke's high-powered rifle struck the officer near the heart and he was dead within minutes.  He spoke only once after he was shot. "Why did you do that?" he called out to the slayer, then fired two shots from his revolver before falling.

Shortly before the slaying took place, Murphy had arrested Wilson Hall, the half-brother of Burke.  It was alleged that Hall was intoxicated.

Burke's wife told authorities that the slayer picked up his rifle and announced that he was going to the lock up and kill the two - The two being policeman Murphy and Deputy Ben Mullett.

Mrs. Burke said she pleaded with her husband not to go to the jail, and a Weeksbury boy said he heard Burke's threat and ran ahead, seeking to warn the officers of Burke's approach.

When he arrived near the lock up, however, he found Burke so near that he feared to shout the warning.

Kicking open the door to the office of the jail building, Burke opened fire. Four prisoners, one his half-brother, witnessed the shooting.  Policeman Murphy was engaged in opening a door to a cell or in attending to a prisoner when Burke threw open the door.

H.S. McKalip, manager of the Elkhorn-Piney Coal Company at Weeksbury, telphoned the Sheriff's office here, asking that a search be instituted for the slayer.  Bloodhounds were summoned from Lexington, and the trail was picked up early Sunday.  The posse searched the Burke home and followed the dogs about seven miles through the hills before the pursuit was considered fruitless and halted.

On the same day, Burke appeared in Neon, Letcher County, and surrendered to an officer there.  The jailer of Letcher County late Sunday afternoon notified the Sheriff's office here that he was holding Burke in jail there.  Sheriff Stumbo left Monday morning to bring Burke here.

Burke told Sheriff Stumbo that he went to the lock up for the purpose of posting his rifle for his half-brother's bond.   When he opened the door, he said, Policeman Murphy began firing. He returned the officer's fire in self-defense, Burke claimed.

Surviving Policeman Murphy are his widow, one daughter, Pauline Murphy; two stepdaughters and a stepson.

Mr. Murphy was a native of Louisa, and his standing as an officer and citizen alike was such that both company officials and mine employees joined this week in expressing deep regret upon his slaying.

Burkes was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Officer Murphy is buried in the Wells-Buckingham Cemetery in Johnson County, Kentucky.