He grew up in Brooklyn and was childhood friends with Timothy Sullivan[2] who introduced him to John F. Ahearn, whose daughter would eventually marry his son William.

[4][citation needed] He was hired as a printer's devil by Victor Eugene Mauger, where Murray learned from a worked sent to the US from the Goodall plant in London.

He not only made the plant highly efficient, but when he found that any device was needed he evolved it himself and astounded his company by his ability to meet any emergency no matter how difficult.

After this, he was steadfast in his loyalty to the United States Playing Card Company, even turning down an offer of $2 million by a big printing house in New York.

[4] Murray is credited with several inventions including the re-usable paper box, a machine for cutting cardboard, and a streamlined process for printing and packaging playing cards.