The daily gazette., 1877-09-28
DYING FROM iREMORSE.
TERRIBJE AGONY OF A SPIRrTUA.
LIST CONDEMN ED FOR NJ URDER-
INGsHIS WIFE. #f

uIST CONDEMN ED FOR M URD &
q : ING!HIS WIFE. NJ .
From the st. Louis Globe Demeceat. ''
At 4.05 o'clock yesterday afternoon
William Morgan, who had been confined
in the City Jail since July31 1874, for
numbering his wife, died quietly in cell
in the presence of Jailer Conway and
Guard Slower. He had been ailing for
some time, but for the past two or three
days his condition was very low and fee
Bile, and yesterday morning, when Head
Turnkey Sigsmund paid him visit, the
prisoner was barely able to converse with
him. However, he rallied, and after a
glass of whiskey partook of light break
FAST The guards watched him closely
during the day, and at "a few minutes be-
fore four he was SO low that Jailer Con-
way was sent for. AS soon as the latter
saw the old man he sent to his dispen-
sary for medical assistance, but before
physician arrived he had passed easily
away.
Morgan was arrested on the 9th of
July, 1874, for killing his wife. on the
following day was charged with the crime
of murder in the first degree. On the 9th
of March following he was convicted, land
motion for new trial was overruled
in the Criminal Court on the Sd of April
following, and on the 10th of that month
he was sentenced to be hanged on May
2Sth, 1875. The case was taken to the Court
fAppeals, which affirmed his sentence.
An appeal to the Supreme Court was
finally made, which was pending at the
time of his death.
He was in many respects peculiar
man, and for some years previous to the
commission of the crime be was de-
vout believer in spiritualism, and, as a
medium of considerable power, he was
the centre of coterie of believers, who
used regularly three times a week to at
tend his private seances. The three
wearying years of Jail life told heavily
both upon his physical and mental pow
ers, and of late he became exceedingly
morose and sullen.
The condemned man, who was of a
highly nervous organization, suffered
terribly from attacks of remorse, which
frequently deprived him tor weeks togeth-
or of sleep. Frequently, on hearing a
moan from his cell, the night guard
would rush to the spot, to find Morgan
seated upon his pallet, quaklng with
great fear, and gazing with horror-strick-
en- eyes into vacancy. Oflate these symp-
toms had become aggravated, and the
night before last he awoke with scream
that echoed all through the building, and
drew up all the guards in the building to
his bedside. There they found him
trembling and staring, as usual. When
he saw them he sank upon his bed, and
moaned in gasps, 81 dreamt--dreamt a
man was after me-with a knive-and
EI-told him if he didn't-puts away
the knife-I'd hang him" ~ When it is
remembered, in connection with this
utterance, that the murder was commit
ted with knife, and that the man was
under sentence Of hanging for the CRIME,
an idea can be obtained of the solitary
agony of the long sleepless nights passed
BY this man in his more than three years
occupancy of a Jail cell. An attempt was
made three weeks ago to have the Court
of Criminal Correction issue an order for
his removal to hospital, but tbero was
no legal means Of accomplishing the
change.