The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-16
MURDERER MORRIS CRIME.

THE Slayer of the Locketts on His
Way to Madison for Trial.
Alex Morris (colored), the slayer of Daniel
Iockett and his wife near Madison, Fla. in
1887. and who was arrested in Savannah
last week by Justice E. A. Davidson, is On
his way to Madison for trial.
Sheriff Fears left here night before last
with Morris securely shackled. Morris has
been in Chatham county Jail since his arrest
nv Justice Davidson. He had little to say
70 the officers. His crime, committed in
October, 1887, is a shocking one.
THE CRIME.
South of Madison, about two miles from
The court house, lived Dan Lockett with his
wife, Lucy, and daughter Mary. Dan was
q bard working, inofPensive old negro and
had many friends among both races. He
cultivated one-horse farm, and by haul
ing wood aud selling melons, ETC., made a
good support for his family, besides saving
little money at the end of every year.
About three years previous to the crime
Aleck Morris had married Dams daughter
Mary very much against the wishes of her
father. They did not live happily together
and many quarrels ensued, resulting finally
in Aleck giving Mary severe beating and
nearly breaking her arm. After this she
left him and went to live with her parents.
Morris tried to induce his wife to live with
him again, but she refused and he became
enraged with Lockett, accused him of keep
ing bis wife away from him, and threatened
his hte.
PLANNED THE MURDER.
On the day OF the murder Morris went to
I,ockett's house. He was received coolly at
first. but after some talk Lockett told him
he could come to see Mary whenever he
chose, but that she would not live with him
again. Morris seemed satisfied with this,
and soon the family retired. Lockett spread
a pallet on the floor before the fire, and
lying down was soon asleep, little dream
ing from that sleep he would never awake
again.
The house, a small log cabin, had but one
room and two beds. Morris wife occupied
the bed near the door. In the farther corr
ner stood Lockett's bed in which his wife
lay. Lockett's double barreled shotgun.
which he had loaded that night. leaned
against the wall beyond the fireplace, where
Lockett was lying, and near his bed.
THE FATAL SHOT.
So well did the fiend play his part that
not soul in the house suspected his devilish
design. About II o'clock Morris, becoming
satisfied that all were asleep, arose from bed,
and, by the dim light that fickered in the
fireplace, crept over the slumbering form Of
Lockett, and, Selling the gun, placed the
muzzle close to the old mans head and fired.
Lockett never knew what killed him. The
charge tore an ugly hole through his head,
from which his brains ran in huge clots
upon the floor.
The report of the gun aroused Locketts
wife. who rushing to the pallet where her
husband lay saw that he was dead, and that
the pallet was on fire, caused from burn
ing wad. She extinguished the fire, being
assisted by Morris, who watching his op-
portunity and as the old woman turned
caught her from behind, and drawing her
head back deliberately cut her throat
severing the w1ndpipe, and narrowly miss
ing the Jugular vein on both sides.
STABBED HIS WIFE.
He then approached the bed where his
wife lay, and before she could get out he
stabbed her two or three times on the neck.
She finally managed to get out of his
clutches and ran screaming from the house
closely followed by Morris. The report of
the gun and the screams of the terrified
women aroused the neighbors, who soon
came running TO learn the cause of the dis
turbance. They saw the woman struggling
with her husband, but before they could
reach the spot, the murderer had fed
The murder occurred on the night of Oct.
!, 1887. Diligent search was made at the
time to apprehend Morris, but he eluded
pursuit.