PATRICK J. MURPHY IS SENT TO STATE ASYLUM
The Butte Miner, Butte, 1908-03-24, p.6
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articleThe article as printed
Summary
Butte Miner's coverage of the Mar 23 commitment — third paper to carry the story (with the Inter Mountain same-day and the Anaconda Standard same-day-next-day). The Miner's framing is notably more sympathetic than the other two: where the Inter Mountain ran "WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN IN DANGER FROM HIM" and the Standard ran "threatening to kill her and the children", the Miner explicitly states "Murphy is not violent." Other new factual content: the medical CAUSE is identified as "a stroke of paralysis" — i.e. an apoplectic stroke, not chronic alcoholic insanity (the Jan 8 hearing's "fits when drunk" framing). The examination was at the family home, 120 West Quartz street, by Judge Donlan with Drs. Turner and Horst. Mrs. Murphy has had the burden of supporting her husband AND THREE CHILDREN. Committed to Warm Springs for "special treatment" that "might be of benefit to him." Three-newspaper journalistic-divergence note. Two papers emphasised danger to wife and children; one emphasised illness. The Miner's "not violent" framing reads protective. Worth noting for the book — the same event read three different ways at three different politically-aligned Butte/ Anaconda papers.
In its time
Narrative
Patrick J. Murphy, formerly a barkeeper in Butte, was examined on a charge of insanity at the family home at 120 West Quartz street before Judge Donlan and Drs. Turner and Horst, his mind having failed following a stroke of paralysis. Mrs. Murphy had for some time carried the support of her husband and three children. Though not violent, Murphy was committed to the state asylum at Warm Springs in hope that special treatment might benefit him.
- “whose mind has been failing recently on account of a stroke of paralysis”
- “Murphy is not violent, but it was decided that special treatment at the state asylum might be of benefit to him”
AI-generated (claude-opus-5). Verify against the transcription before quoting.
People
- Patrick "Pat" J. Murphy (Cork-born bartender / shoemaker; d. 1912 Warm Springs MT)(as printed: Patrick J. Murphy)role: subject · family confidence: 100 certain
- Ellen (Lyne) Murphy (b. Ardgroom; m. Patrick Murphy 1881; d. Butte 1935)(as printed: Mrs. Murphy)role: supporting wife · family confidence: 95 certain
- Judge Michael Donlan (Butte; heard the 1908 insanity complaints against Patrick J. Murphy)(as printed: Judge Donlan)role: presiding judge · family confidence: 0 not family
- Dr. Christopher Turner (Butte physician; insanity commissions of 1908 and 1912)(as printed: Dr. Turner)role: examining physician · family confidence: 0 not family
Also mentioned
- Dr. Horst · examining_physician
Places
- Butte, Montana (primary)
- Warm Springs, Montana (secondary)
Themes
Story threads
Tags
Source type
news_item, court_report
Related sources
Transcription
Dotted underlines mark key terms on first mention — hover or tab to one for a reference note. The wording is the source’s own.
Open questions
- Why does the Butte Miner take a softer line than the Anaconda Standard and Inter Mountain on the same event? Politically the Miner was the Daly / Anaconda Copper paper for a stretch; socially it was Butte's morning daily. Possibly an editor knew the family. Worth a sidebar in the book on press divergence in the same Butte event-coverage.