General Notes

REFN: 6936
[lillief.ged]
Murdered By Her Husband. He struck her in the back of the head with a ha
nd spike , then tried to get rid of her body by burning her in a woodh
ea p. He was arrested, convicted and hung in Campbellsville Kentycky OC
T. 1 0, 1851. According to S. T. Chandler,a doctor in Campbellsville at t
he ti me who made a post=mortem examination of Frances' body  , there we
re betwe en 5000 to 10,000 people present for the hanging. Was 7 months pr
egnant wi th their sixth child at the time of her murder. None of the chil
dren liv ed past infancy.
Commonwealth Case, Taylor County, Ky. 13 May 1851
Commonwealth vs. Phillip Taylor Murphy and Henry Murphy
Phillip T. Murphy of Taylor County, not having teh fear of God befo
re h is eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instignation of the Dev
il on M ay 7 1851 wounded Frances murphy with a deadly weapon of which s
he instant ly died. Henry Murphy assisted Phillip Murphy in the murder.
Phillip Murphy shot Frances through the head with a rifle valued at $
5. T he mortal wound was of the dept of 8 inches and the width of two inc
he s. He choked and beat her before he killed her.
Henry Murphy states tha Lydia Murphy is an importiant and material wit
ne ss for him. On Tuesday ight, the same night of the murder, he was at t
he h ome of his father's house, having gone directly from Saloma ther
e. He arri ved at his father's some time during the night.  He can pro
ve by other wit nesses that he was at Saloma, and can prove by Lydia Murp
hy what time h er arrived home. He and Frances were on friencly terms. Fra
nces had told L ydia on the Saturday befoe her death that she and Henry we
re best frien ds and he had always protedted her. By Sarah Johnson he c
an prove th at he was at home at his father's and the Wednesday night afor
esai d. He is informated that Lydia Murphy now lives in Bullitt County. S
he h as certainly left this county. She is a material witness for him a
nd he ca nnnot safely go to trail without her.  He has not had a consultat
ion wi th his counsel, A. Harding, since his confinement in jail , unitl t
his wee k. His other counsel never advised or suggested that it was necess
ary to h ave Lydia summoned.
Witnesses: Barbary Oaks, Sarah Johnston, Parthena Underwood, Isaac Oak
s, J ames Childers, John Carlile, Susan Carlile, George P. Workman, Dav
id Workm an, James W. Overstreet, Jacob R. Oaks, Matthew Headspeth, Robe
rt Whitlo ck and Lewis Bell.
James P. Childers gave information that suggests that Phillip T. Murph
y, P hillip Murphy, Henry Murphy and William Murphy are all guilty of perp
etrat ing the murder.
Statement of Parthena Underwood: I have been living with Murphy si
ne la st Saturday evening, having lived there about five years, but he g
ot mad a nd drove me off on the folowing Monday. I went back after my clot
hes. M rs Murphy was there at the time.  That was the last time I've bee
en ter e. They had a dispute and I saw him strike her, which he often d
id with h is fist and a stick rod. I have heard him say that he would ki
ll her. It 's been a month since he made those threats. I heard on the Thu
rsday fat er I left that Mrs. Murphy was missing. I've heard him say th
at he intend ed moving in the fall and that he did not intend to take h
is wife with hi m. He siad he could kill any person and keep it conceale
d. Less thatn t wo weeks ago, he struck her with a gun and run me off, cal
ling me a godd am bitch
Statement of Susan Carlile: She was a Old Phillip Murphy's at the ti
me t he search was made of mrs. Phillip Taylor Murphy and that they spo
le of t he search being made and that Henry was not home at the time.
Statement of Lydia Murphy: If Henry Murphy was complaining of the se
ar ch in anyway, she didn't know it.
Statement of James W. Overstreet: He was in the company with Phillip a
nd H enry Murphy on May 6. They left him about 10:00 last night and they w
ere d rinking when they left. I