Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1912 — One-Armed Burglar is Only Content in Jail [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

One-Armed Burglar is Only Content in Jail

Detroit, mich.—The fact that Joseph Murphy has but one arm does not Tiandieap him in his life of crime. H© has a police record covering so many pages in the identification bureau of the police department that the detectives shudder even at the thought of Murphy having two arms. His record as it now reads would do credit to a man having as many arms as an octopus hast tentacles. Since 1897, however, there has not been a single conviction registered against his name. Previous to that time and after ISBI, there were nearly 30. His appearance in police court came with unbroken regularity, except lor a short seven years. During that time he was serving a sentence in Jackson for robbery. The reason that "One-Armed” Murphy has not been appearing }n court •with his old-time frequency is because the warden of Jackson prison

would not let him. A few weeks ago the steel-girded gates opened and Murphy again had his freedom. He returned to Detroit, the scene of his former exploits, and soon got “in bad” again. A Hunt street patrolman, off duty and without his revolver or handcuffs, encountered a mild mannered one-armed man in his back yard one day a short time ago. The intruder thrust a revolver in his face, at the same time saying that he was not “doing anything.” He backed away, still holding the pistol in a threatening manner. But it was different when Motorcycle Patrolman Danielski and Patrolman Taube of the Chene street police station were called to the home of a citizen and arrived in time to see a one-armed man emerging from a ground floor window. The one-armed one drew a revolver and fired several times at the policemen. He then started to run down the street, putting up an exhibition that would have done credit so Tom Longboat. He was caught and locked up in the Chene street station. Murphy’s criminal career began when he was 17 years old. He is 48 years old and says that he is only content when in Jail.