Sacramento County
Biographies
RICHARD J.
MURPHY
RICHARD J. MURPHY, Captain of the guard at the Folsom State Prison, was born in San Francisco, September 4, 1854. His father, James Murphy, was a native of Ireland, who emigrated to the State of New York about 1845, and resided in Troy. In 1854 he came to California by the Nicaragua route, landing in San Francisco in February of that year. After remaining there for nearly a year he went to the mines, first at Prairie City for a short time, and then to Weber Creek, El Dorado County, about five miles from Coloma. He followed mining and raising cattle, taking land under the homestead law and also buying some from the railroad company. He is still raising cattle, and even mining to some extent. He and his sons are the owners of about 1,000 acres of land altogether. He was married in 1852 to Catharine O’Connor, who was born in Ireland, but brought up in New York. She died in El Dorado, in June, 1872, at the age of forty-three years. In their family were five children, viz: Richard J., George Henry, James, Mary and Francis. Mary is the wife of Henry Kipp, guard at the Folsom State Prison, and the others are residents of El Dorado County. After the death of his mother, Mr. Richard J. Murphy was clerk in a grocery in this city about two years, and for the next five years was employed at the railroad shops, in the boiler departments, under Charles Shields, foreman, and completely learned the trade. When work in the shops became slack he went to mining in El Dorado County and working on the ranch, having an interest in two pieces of land, amounting to 160 acres. In July, 1880, when the State Prison at Folsom was completed, he took the position of guard, and served in that relation all through Thomas Peckman’s administration, then warden. When McComb had charge of the prison he was made driver of the prison wagon between Folsom and the prison; next for about two months he was gate-keeper; then turnkey for three or four months; next Lieutenant of the guard two years; finally, when Charles Aull became warden, he was promoted to his present position as Captain. He is a member of the order of Native Sons, and of the Young Men’s Institute. Politically he is a Republican, taking an active interest in public affairs. He was married in March, 1883, to Mrs. Mary Milroy, a native of Canada, who has lived the most of her life in Folsom. She had one son by her former marriage, Arthur Milroy; and by the present marriage there is one daughter, Martha.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of
Sacramento County, California. Page 620. Lewis
Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.