River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-09-23
cinninnntti Enquirer.


for | was on the road most of the time.
Last Saturday morning just before leav-
ing Cincinnati for business trip, l
met Morgan and he asked me if | would
do him a favor, very great favor he
would consider it. Being on the best
of terms, and always liking the man, |
said | would He then informed me
that Mary Monahan was in Cleveland;
and some months ago she had married
man named Lear, hailing from north
en Ohio somewhere; that Lear had
died, and that Mary was stopping at
the St Clair Place here. He also in
Informed me confidentinlly that Mrs.
Lear held his note for $1,000, and pos
sessed diamond ring and some other
jewelry which belonged to him. These
valuables, including the no e, he wanted
to make every effort to secure. He
told me that Mrs. Lear arrived i'll Gin
cinnati last Thursday, and had had an
interview with him, which ended in n
violent quarrel. He told her TO 60 to
hell;' that he was done with her. He
wanted her to get out of his sight She
had returned to Cleveland, and he en-
treated me as friend to call and see
her, and persuade her, if possible, to
give up what he claimed was lawfully
his | promised to do this, and left
town Saturday night, arriving here Sun
day. | called on Mrs. Lear, and told
her my GRAND, but found Immediately
that it was no use. She would not lis
ten to any proposition to give up the
things mentioned. | then sent the
first Of three kilograms to Morgan,
which | worded as follows: Have seen
NJ. Slim prospects of success. | re-
ceived an answer from Morgan in which
he intimated that he was arranging to
come to Cleveland himself. | knew
this would cause trouble, and so after
another vain appeal to the woman, /
sent second dispatch, saying: Very
slim prospects of success. Don't come
here Yesterday l received another
line from him, saying that he had
made up his mind to come. | i'm
mediately telegraphed for the third
time, begging him not to show himself
here. The dispatch was long, and do
not remember just how it was worded.
/ thought it was strong enough to
answer the purpose intended, but it
seems that | was mistaken. This
morning | went down to the depot to
take the train for Rochester. While /
was waiting there the 40 express ar
rived from Cincinnati, and about the
first man | noticed among the passen-
gers was Morgan.
II said, For Gods sake, jim, why
did Won come here@ | then changed
my mind about going away, and went
up town with him determined to see the
end ofthe whole business. We went
to the Forest City and registered, and
after that he wanted me to accompany
him to the ST. Clair place, where Mrs
Lear was. | refused to go with him
unless he handed out to me his revol-
yer and heavy cane he carried. This
he declined to dc, and accused me of
cowardice. An hour or two afterWard
he fell in with an acquaintance named
John McEvoy, plumber living on Erie
street. He drank, and | could see that
Morgan was extremely nervous. The
three of us sat down to dinner togeth-
er. after which | went along to the St.
Clair place, seeing that Morgan had de-
termined to go. When we reached the
hotel we passed up stairs, as | suppos-
ed, to McEvoy's room. He was, and
is, regular boarder there. Instead of
going with us Morgan turned into the
parlor, where, as | have since learned,
Mary Lear sat with the landlady, Mrs.
Kessler. After waiting for some time
| suolled up the street, and when | re-
turned | noticed a crowd of excited
people standing in the main entrance
to the building Itinstinctively occurr-
ed to me that something serious had
happened, and that Morgan was prin-
cipally concerned. Inquiries proved
that | had judged correctly. | was
told that a man had been shot, and
fastened up stairs to the parlor | saw
my unfortunate friend lying uncon-
scious on tie floor, with a bullet-hole
in the temple These are the full facts
in the case aus | know them"
Mrs. J. S. Morgan arrived in the
city at 1910 o'clock, and was met at the
depot by Mrs. Kessler, of the st. Clair,
and Morgan's friend, whose statement
is given above. The latest develop
ments are startling in their nature. 1t
is known that the woman Lear tele-
graphed early this morning for Mrs.
Morgan to come to Cleveland, signing
Morgans full name to the dispatch. 1t
appears that she was. aware of Nor
gan's intended visit here, and had made
up her mind to expose him in the
presence of his wife. Mrs. Kessler,
the landlady, who was in the room
when the interview took place, has at
last been persuaded to speak, and fur
nishes the following facts: When Nor
gan entered the parlor where Mrs. X.
and Mary Lear were sitting, lie imme-
diately comm enced to upbraid the lat
ter for her unfaithfulness, saying that
she was untrue to him, and without
sufficient cause. She denied the charge
and in return accused him of treating
| her harshly while in Cincinnati. Hot
words passed back and forth until Mrs.
| Kessler interfered, declaring that she
wanted no such exhibitions in her
house. She SAYS in the midst of the
quarrel at one time Mrs. Lear struck
| Morgan over the head with a parasol,
and that this made linn fairly purple
with rage. Finally the woman went
to a window, and, drawing a dagger
| from her pocket, called out, Come
/ over here. Jim: I've got something to
show vou.n Mrs. kessler saw the
weapon, and, feeling that the crisis had
come. was thoroughly frightened.
Morgan looked at the woman an in
slant and then turned and walked
across the room, where he placed him
self in front of mirror He said,
simply. .sThat's your game, is it?' and,
i placing a 32-caliber revolver to his
| head. fred. and fell 10 the floor.
When the news OF Morgan's death
was broken to Mrs. Morgan she was
frantic with grief, ard re used to be
| seen or to speak to anyone. She de
clared that the worst was vet to come
and expressed the wish that she could
die. Her anguish was indescribable.
She was conveyed to the ct. Ctail
| place, and viii pass the night under the