The Murder Witness Who Spent 241 Days in Jail

Very few prisoners earn $2 a day while locked in the county jail, but that is what George Gordon, the principal witness in the Murphy murder case, has been doing. Gordon was the only eyewitness to the shot that killed the man, and his testimony was so valuable to the state that the prosecuting attorney had him locked up to await the trial. In consequence Gordon spent 241 days in the custody of the sheriff, and at $2 a day is now entitled to $482 fees. During the time of his imprisonment his board bill amounted to $251, so that the total cost of his testimony to the county and state will be $733.

The cost bill for the witness fees was filed with County Auditor Beman yesterday, after approval by the judge, and the auditor now has ten days in which to issue a warrant for the sum.

During the hearing of Gordon's evidence in the Murphy case, it was felt by the attorneys for the convicted man, and during the trial the strongest efforts were made to shake the witness down. An attempt was made to show that Gordon himself had asked a bribe as the price of absenting himself from the state, two witnesses for the defense swearing that he had made a visit to them for that express purpose. Gordon acknowledged having seen them, but said he did so at their solicitation, and took the precaution to arm himself, as he feared violence, and that they offered him a round sum of money as the price of his leaving the state.

During the cross-examination of Gordon, Murphy sat in his chair like a statue and scarcely took his keen eyes off the witness. Gordon stuck to his story, nevertheless, and it is thought that his evidence resulted in the verdict of murder in the second degree.