Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers re-create brother’s funeral march

As sounds of toy guns rang through the air, the brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon honored a fallen brother.

Friday, the brothers of SAE and their dates marched in a funeral procession across campus to honor Paddy Murphy, a long-gone brother of the fraternity.

The legend of Paddy Murphy comes from the 1920s, the time when bootlegging became popular after the 18th Amendment went into effect. Murphy was a bootlegger doing deals with gangster Al Capone when they were caught by organized crime fighter Eliot Ness, who then shot Murphy.

Right before he died, Murphy gave Ness the SAE secret handshake, and at that point Ness realized he killed one of his brothers.

“Ever since Ness killed Paddy Murphy, the brothers of SAE have created a week to honor Paddy Murphy, and one of the events is the funeral procession,” said sophomore Reagan Kha, eminent correspondent of SAE.

The funeral procession started at Beck Chapel, continued up Jordan Avenue, went around the extension and ended at the SAE parking lot. The procession was made up of two single-file lines, with a coffin and the SAE flag leading the procession. During the procession, the brothers would all take turns carrying the coffin, which represented the coffin of Paddy Murphy.

Each year, as the chapter grows, the number of people in the procession increases.
“There was a big improvement from last year, and we almost doubled in numbers,” junior and pledge educator Brandon Bennett said.

All of the brothers of SAE where dressed up in black suits and mobster costumes to honor Murphy and his mobster persona. Toy guns were also used to add to the feel of the procession.

“The best part of the procession was seeing people’s reactions as they walked or drove by,” Bennett said.

At the end of the procession, the members of SAE gathered and had a ceremony to honor their seniors. Two sophomore members of SAE, Brooks Chumley and Ryan Quinlan, conducted the ceremony and read speeches of memories they have experienced with their senior brothers.

The week of Murphy and the funeral procession is an annual tradition for the brothers.
“The week is meant to build brotherhood and friendship throughout our chapter, and we have different events in order to accomplish that,” said Alex Garrison, a sophomore and president of SAE.