Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-14
KILLED AT HIS DESK.
Murder of E. II. Morse, OF
San BernardinO.
THE STORY OF THE TRAGEDY
How He Shot His Assailant Three
Times After Being MOrtally
Wounded.

Dan Dernaruln0 was the scene yeSter-
day of one Of the most cold blooded mur.
ders in the annals of crime, the cashier
OF the National Bank, Edward H. Morse,
being shot down and killed at his post Of
duty by laborer named John Cakes.
The bank, which is situated in the
Stewart Hotel block, at the corner oil
Third and E streets, opened it's doors for
business as usual at 10 O'Clock, the only
persons present being "Ted" Morse, the
cashier, and Mr.. G. w. Filkins, of River
side, one Of the directors of the institu-
ton. About fifteen minutes had elapsed
when Morse saw the swingdoor opened
by man whom he recognized as having
been in the day before with check
which he had asked to have cashed, but
which was refused, inasmuch as it was
not drawn upon the San Bernardino bank
and its presenter was unknown. The
visitor walked mp to the cashiers win
dow and said, Have you got that money
for me to-day?" whereupon Morse re-
piled, "No." An individual who was
looking through the window at the time
said that the stranger had in the mean
time drawn pistol from his pocket and
was holding it by his side. When he
received the negative answer from
Morse he raised the pistol and fred,
the bullet striking Morse in the
left side and topping him back. Though
wounded to the death Morse showed the
stuff he was made Of, for holding with
one hand to the desk, he lifted out a
heavy target pistol from the shelf, such
weapon as is usually kept on
hand in banks in case of trouble. He
could not cock it, however, 80 he threw
it down and then put his hand to his hip
pocket and drew forth a small hammer
less pistol. With great effort Morse
climbed on to the desk, for his as
sassin had crouched down in front of
the woodwork for protection and steady.
ing himself, fred, the bullet striking his
man in the ear and clipping out piece
Moree then fell back inside his desk and
his assassin fired shot at Mr.. Filkins,
who was standing at the corner, the bull.
let striking that gentleman's watch which
acted as cuirass and thus saved his
life. The murderer then turned and ran
toward the door but crack crack went
the reports of pistol and it was seen
that Morse had raised himself to his
knees and was firing through the wicker
work of the desk at the fugitive. Both shots
took effect, the first striking the would-be
escape in the arm and the next in the
back, bat he kept on running and got out
side the bank door. Morse fred once
more, the ball crashing through the
heavy plate-glass window and then he fell
back on the floor, dying. The incidents
here narrated all took place within a
minute, but the time was long enough to
set the whole vicinity astir. AS is usual
when shooting is going on, everyone was
averse to approach the scene of combat,
SC Morse's assassin was out and in the
middle of the road before anyone really
knew what had occurred. He circled
still holding the pistol in his
hand and then a shout went up that
Morse had been killed, and period
Of intense excitement ensued. Con-
stable j. Donahue, of Flagstaff,
Ariz., who was stopping at the Stewart,
was the first to act, for he rushed to the
assassin and wrenched the pistol from
his grasp. Officers were now on the
scene, and as there was no time for ex-
plantations they seized both Donahue
and the man he was struggling with and
fastened with them toward the prison.
1t was necessary that they should move
quickly, for cries of "Lynch him w
chang him" were ringing out from the
crowd, and it looked as if the assassin
would be hurried into eternity from the
end of a telegraph pole. The
prisoner looked around in a dazed
manner as he was being carried off and
said "What do you want?" but he did
not resist and in less than a minute was
safely within the shelter of the Sheriff q
quarters.
IN THE BANK.
The first man to enter the bank after
the shooting was George Nickerson, the
druggist, who came in just as the assas-
sin had reached the sidewalk. Nicker.
son rushed to the cashiers window, and
looking through, saw his friend Morse
stretched bleeding on the floor. The
dying man looked up as Nickerson
peered between the bars and said, "Take
that pistol, George, and kill him." point
ing to the large target pistol which was
lying on the shelf. Nickerson took the
gun and went to the door, but as
the streets were by this time
filled with people he wisely decided not
to do any firing. Returning to the
bank he clambered over the bars,
and aided by one or two other gentle
men, lifted Morse onto table at the
end of room. sect lawyer" gasped
the dying man, and a messenger was at
once dispatched to the courtroom where
Judge Willis, who was trying case, ad-
journed the proceedings and hurried to
the scene of the tragedy. DR.. Phelan
made quick examination of Morse's in
juries, and found that the bullet had
passed between the seventh and eighth
ribs. cutting the upper part of the
stomach and penetrating the end of the
left lung, from thence passing
through the back. Death was Ger.
tain within a very short time, 80
messengers were sent to Morse's wife,
mother and brother directing them to
come to the bank without delay. Morse
acted like hero during the few minutes
left to him. He gave no evidence of the
extreme torture he was enduring, but
dictated his will to Judge Willis, and
then with trembling hand affixed his
signature. His relatives were almost
crazed with grief, but he bore up man
fully as he bade them goodbye. Eigh-
teen minutes after the time he had been
shot passed by and it was evident
that the end was at hand. His breath
came quicker and quicker, and he could
scarcely be heard as he gasped, "Did l
kill him ?"
"No," was the reply. "a
"How many times did l hit him ?" w