The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-06-26
THREE SHOTS WERE FIRED.
4 Boston Physician Killed In His
Own House
IT WAS A PREMEDIYATED MURDER
People who Know Him Jhiuk He is In
sane-rne Murderer Caught After n
Hot chsse-rhe Victim Very Popu-
lar Man.

Boston, June 20. DIR. w. II. Wardwell
was murdered at his home in Florence
street, Roslindale, at 4:25 o'clock Saturday
afternoon by Amos /. Morse. who resides
with his wife at 25 Revere street In this
city. AT the hour named Morse rang the
doorbell of the DOCTORS residence. The
DOCTORS wife answered the summons, and
.he man said he desired to see the doctor.
Mrs Wardwell invited the caller to step
inside, and Mrs. Wardwell went upstairs
utter ushering the man into the sitting
room.
The doctor came down stairs and en-
tered the room. Al that moment Mrs.
Wardwell WAS startled by the rapid re-
ports OF pistol She rushed down the
stairway and discovered her husband lying
upon the carpet She spoke to him. He
did not answer. He WAS dead.
The murderer had fred three shots at
the doctor, and
Well Meant to XIII Him.
After Morse had killed the doctor he
PUSHED out OF doors and ran down Flor
snce street, closely pursued by Mrs Ward
we'll, shouting murder" and screaming
TO pedestrians to stop him.
Several young men gave chase after
Morse, and he, thinking he was to be cap
tured, turned In a most deliberate man
ner and fired shot at his pursuers They
stood for moment. and Morse started Oft
bn run again. The crowd of young men
continued the chase They closed up on
him, and he turned again and drew his re-
volver. He fired another shot. His re-
volver was then empty.
The crowd chased the murderer hotly as
he ran down Washington street When he
had gained Keyes street at Forest Hills
Patrolman Delaney captured him.
Morse, aftet he had been tucked away
behind the bars, said that he had no re-
grets and that he had only done what any
man should do whose home had been
broken up; whose wife's affections had
been alienated That was the charge he
brought against the doctor. The MUIR
herer had secured his revenge at the muzzle
pf new bulldog revolver.
Is Morse Insaner
When Mrs Morse heard the news she
tainted. Upon being told that her hus-
band had injured DR. Wardwell she In.
stantly inquired: HAS he shot him 2"
When she recovered somewhat from the
shock she exclaimed; "Why did he not
kill me instead 7"
Mrs Morse said she had known DR..
Wardwell, as had her husband, for several
years, but had not seen him for several
months
Mrs Morse was married five years ago,
and has since had IN unhappy life, al
though the couples troubles have not been
generally known of until within q year.
Morse had been an elevator man for sew
eral years, first at II. II. White g. Co.'S
store aud afterwards at the Equitable
building.
Evidently Morse intended TO commit the
deed, for when he left his work at noon,
he said he should not be back that after
noon with an air Of mystery, adding to
the assistant janitor that he wished he
would collect his pay Monday and see that
his (Morse,sl wife got the balance sfter
paying s5 to Mr.. Mckay, tenant In the
building. Morse was regarded by his as
sociates as quiet man with dangerous
temper
Victim Was Very Popular.
DIR. Wardwell was 80 years old, and
graduated from the Boston high school
and also the Harvard medical school.
After that he went to the Massachusetts,
general hospital and then to the Provi-
dence, where he met his future wife, then
known as Miss Amy Garfield, a nurse.
For over three years he had lived In Ros-
lindale, where he identified himself with
many local interests, being a member Of
Longfellow lodge of Odd Fellows and of
the Masons, having taken his third degree
in that order last Monday night. He also
belonged to the knights of Honor.
The autopsy shows that one bullet en-
tered the doctors face below the left eye
aud imbedded itself below the left of the
brain. A second entered one side and
lodged in the intestines. The third went
up through one kidney and lobe of the
heart, finally coming out through the
other side.
No satisfactory reason has yet been ad-
vanced for Morse's crazy deed. The doc
tors personal character has been above re-
proach, according to the testimony Of
every resident OF Roslindale, and Mrs.
Morse is also highly spoken Of
Since the murder, many OF Morse's 8
neighbors at his former residence in Dor
chester recall his erratic disposition dur
ing his residence there. The neighbors
regard him as slightly demented, as he
at times committed minor acts that could
not be otherwise construed than as origin
ating from an unbalanced mind. But he
was not feared