On Wednesday morning August 28, 1883, Matt Brennan was shot and killed in Thaynes Canyon. On Sunday morning September 2, John Murphy was found hanging from a telegraph pole in Parley’s Park City with a cryptic note stuffed into his boot bearing the number “77,” written apparently 77 times by 77 different hands. Between these dates, the Salt Lake City Marshal was shot by a black man and the shooter was hung within two hours. New research will be presented about John Murphy and the events of these days.