River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-09


with whom he had FNLa>N
/ been int i mate and ri"
/ who had taken an in BLiNkN" MORGAN
1 terest in the Communication Of his sen
tence. To all with whom be talked he
/ protested his innocence Of the crime.
| On Thursday Morgan made out an order
turning his body over 10 DIR. Clemmer, the
/ physician of the prison, with the request
/ that it be used for the benefit of the
sciences and afterward cremated. After
/ giving the order, however, he received a
/ letter from Nellie Lowery, Of Cleveland,
/ who is reputed TO have been his mistress,
I asking that his body be sent to her
/ She had been refused the pleasure
/ Of seeing him alive, and she claimed
/ it was no more than right she should sec
his face after death. Morgan changed his
mind after reading the letter, and asked
the physician to relinquish his claim
/ which was done. A post norton, how
ever, will be held this morning.
The execution was witnessed by thirty
persons. Morgan was on the scaffold when
the spectators entered the execution de
partment He looked like heightened
! gentleman dressed for an evening ball
I The warrant was read, and Morgan re
| fused to say a word, but stood like statue
as the ropes were adjusted. When all
was ready, the cap drawn down, and the
rope began to tighten, Morgan spoke in a
loud tone: Goodbye, Nellie" and passed
through the trap. The work was not "a
success. The body writhe in the greatest
agony and the legs jerked, while the arms
swung and the hands clutched. He slowly
strangled to death.
II has been discovered on good author ty
that Morgans real name was Charles Nc
| Donald
/ Morgan prepared a letter before his exc
cution, in which he thanked the prison
officials for their treatment of him, and
again declared that he was innocent of any
connection whatever with either the theft
of the furs, the rescue Of McMunn or the
murder of Detective Hulligan.
MoRGAN's CRIME.
On the night OF January 20 1887, the fur store
| Of Benedict s. Ruedy, Superior street
/ Cleveland, O., was burglar2ed, and 5000
| worth OF sealskin garments carried away
| Just at the break OF day. The furs we're
| taken out OF the front door and CARED 10
house on st. Clair street. where the cracksmen
I had engaged lodgings. The burglary was dis
covered in the morning at o'clock when an
I employe arrived at the store. The thieves left
the city with their booty, going TO Allegheny
City. on the Cleveland s. Pittsburgh railroad.
| Detective Huligan, together with Cap
tain Hoehne, went to the latter place aad
the day after their arrival arrested young
man who gave the name Of Harry Me
| Mum. He was afterward ident fed by Ceve-
| land shop-keepers as having been hanging
/ around their stores, and also as having had
prominent part in the shipment of the goods
ReQuisttion papers were served and the prs-
| oner was taken aboard the train by Captain
| Hoehne and Detective Hulligan, being
| shackled to the latter. Chief OF
| Police Murphy, of Allegheny City, and
| several detectives went TO the depot with the
/ Cleveland officers. Had they not done n res
/ eup hav haau a "a the depOt
The presence 81 many officers, how
| ever, frustrated the scheme McMunn
behaved quietly, and seemed anxious to
make the officers as little trouble as
| possible The prisoner and his captors
were in the smoking-car. At O'Clock in the
morning five men entered the car. There was
| no recognition between the prisoner and them.
At Ravenna, thirty miles from Alliance. they
| stepped across the aisle TO where McMunn sat
shackIed to Detective Hullgan. and draw
ing their pistols said "Give him up;
Both Hulligan and Hoehne drew the
| weapons, and rapid firing commenced Both
| the officers were shot several times, but would
| not yield. Finally of the rescuing party
| took a coupling pin from a newspaper and
struck both officers over the head, knocking
them senseless. Hullgan was dragged TO the
car door. where the shackles were broken and
McMunn was free.
The wounded officers were brought to Cleve-
land, Detective HulIigan being taken to his
| CAPITA Hoehn to the city hospital, where
he was carefully nursed back to health and
| strength. A reward OF $4,000 was offered
/ for the capture of the murd rers, and
| then began the long hunt for the Ravenna res
| ouers, as they were called Word came from
! Alpena, Mich, finally that Blnkey
Morgan Billy Harrington, Pat Hauley ard
| Harry McMunn, the men desired in the police
circular, were believed to be in the city. The
one supposed to be McMuan disappeared
pfr~ he,vn and IN mic fflf
| June q, when the arrests made, only
! Morgan and the two supros to be Hanley and
! Harrington were captured. Morgan was taken
1 into custody at the house where he was stay
ing, after desT crate struggle, in which he shot
! Sheriff Lynch, OF Aip5na, in the leg, pro-
| ducng a wound which finally caused that
officers death. The other two men ar
/ rested they were about to board a boat go
| ing from Alpena to OscOda, Mich. Morgan and
/ his companions who proved 10 be James Rob
ipson and John Coughlin, were brought TO
/ Cleveland Friday morning, July l, and
/ after being IN jail there four days were
taken t. Ravenna TO await their trial for muir
der. On October 8, 1887, Morgan was brought
! into court at Ravenna for IT al. Tle witnesses
/ for the state, one after another, gave test-
mony which connected Morgan W tn the bur
/ glary and subsequent murder on the Cleveland
/ & Pittsburgh tram. The jury after having
! been out one hour and twenty-five minutes, re-
turnf verdict Of guilty OF murder in the
| first degree.
The trials Of Coughlin ard Robinson followed
! that of Morgan. and each was convicted Of muir
] der in the first degree, tn 1uyh both brought an
/ array OF witnesses 10 prove that they We're not
/ present at the time the murder was commit
/ ted. Coughln was aftcrward granted new
| trial, and finally his case was nO!ej. Robin
son was also granted new trial, and he is now
/ in jail at Ravenna
49,
The Flood of immigration.