The New York herald., 1874-08-01
MURDER IN TENNESSEE.

A Memphis Weather Prophet Found
Dead in His Bed-Evidences OF OptunS
Poison-An Unfortunate Woman Ac<
cused OF the Crime.
MEMPHIS, July q, 1874.
Considerable excitement was produced in this
city early this morning by the reported murder Of
william Dardis, an old man, who has resided herd
for the past quarter OF century. Repairing td
his rooms, on Jefferson street, between Second
ana Third, and making my way through the CROWD
that had assembled, ghastly and sickening scend
was presented. There lay the deceased on tha
moor, surrounded by pools OF blood, and In am
almost perfectly made condition, and near oy on a
bed was q woman IN q deep Sleep evidently pros
duced by some powerful narcotic. This girl was
Sue Morgan, a well known and unfortunate
woman Of bad character. The tablean was rex
pulsive in the extreme, and was well worthy thd
pencil OF Hogarth or Gustave Dore. The WARM
sun gared through the dirty windows into a
poorly furnished apartment where every thing
was in confusion and the height OF disorder; dusu
was everywhere, ana o stckening efnuvia
pervaded the atmosphere, and there waa
an old gray headed man curled uu
in death, and woman, half uncovered, was
breathing stertoriously on badly mussed bed
near by. Doctors Taylor and Rogers who had BEEN
called in, went to work on the woman, using tho
stomach pump with the happiest effect bringing
up morphine and whiskey in great quantities, and
thereby saving, for a time, her miserable life.
CORoNER's INQUEST.
John SpelIman, in the absence OF the regular
Coroner held an inquest, and DR.. Marable made
post-mortem examination. With the exceptlom
OF several slight 8brasions and bruises on the lace,
and neck OF the deceased no evidence OF violence
was discovered, and the blood with which he was
nHss ed to % have ye 6 from 5
two witnesses were examined. Maggie Wills
nams, the first, testified that she lived close by.
n q IQf a Ri sQ ~ W nrnL
crossing; saw Sue Morgan coming out, followed BY
Mr. Dardis, who had heavy stick Sue screamed
went back into the house. The second witness,
an Italian named Bertola testified that he resided
Dardis at seven O'Clock this morning Sue MOrgarh
came to his room and asked him to help her pun
Dards dead on the floor; he then went immediatelX
Tor an officer.
girl that she took the morphine intending to Kill
herselL
THE VERDICT.
After hearing the testimony and weighing the
crcumstantial evidence in The case the jury OF n-
quest returned a verdict that William Dards came
came to his death in the following manner td
wit-from being drugged by some person or per-
sons to us unknown.
When Sue Morgan recovered she was taken to
the station house, and warrant was sworn out
charging her with murder, and this forenoon she
was turned over to the SheriT and carried TO the
County Jail. The evidence against her is altos
gether circumstantlal and OF a rather weak char.
acter The death seems to have been the result of
big drunken spree, IN which both parties engaged.
She says that Mr.. Dardis must have died early in
the night. and that as soon as she woke up in thd
morning and found him on the door she went to
Bert0las room and asked HIM to come In and put
Mr.. Dardis back IN bed, anc that when she found
he was dead she took morphine to Kill herself
THE DECEASED.
William Dardis was native of Ireland and in the
early part OF his manhood served in the British
army. He has lived in Memphis for the past
twenty-seven years, where he was highly re-
specteG by the community. For many years past.
he has kept an intelligence office. where persons
seeking either help or situations were accommo-
dated. Before "Old Prob" went into the prophesy-
Ing and weather gauging business Mr.. Dardis
was the weather clerk OF Memphis.