READING, PA – After 128 years, a mummified man publicly known as “Stoneman Willie” received a proper burial and was recognized by his true name, James Murphy of New York. The solemn ceremony took place in Reading, Pennsylvania, where James Murphy’s open coffin had been displayed for over a century.
Dressed in a period tuxedo, the folklore figure’s long-standing mystery was finally unraveled during the funeral. Attendees, including funeral home employees and other well-wishers, acknowledged his identity by saying, “Rest in peace, James.” His tombstone, bearing his real name in smaller letters under the much larger “Stoneman Willie”, marks his final resting place.
The story of James Murphy’s end is tragic.
Of Irish descent and battling alcoholism, Murphy was in Reading for a firefighters’ convention when he died in the town’s jail on November 19, 1895, due to kidney failure. Kyle Blankenbiller, the director of the Theo C. Auman Inc. Funeral Home, which had housed Murphy’s remains, revealed the deceased’s real name.
Although the name was known to the funeral home since 1895, it took recent efforts and historic investigation to conclusively verify Murphy’s identity.
Murphy had been imprisoned under accusations of theft and was inadvertently mummified when a mortician tested new embalming techniques on his body. With no known relatives coming forward to claim his remains, and given the unique circumstances of his mummification, the state granted the funeral home permission to retain the body to observe the experimental preservation.
Earning his nickname from his tough, leather-like skin, “Stoneman Willie” became a city legend. Pastor Robert Whitmire reminded those present at the funeral that while many may know him as “Stoneman Willie”, James Murphy could have once been a cherished friend or family member to someone.
The rediscovery of James Murphy’s identity and his subsequent burial underscores the importance of preserving and respecting individual stories, no matter how long they may remain untold.
