Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-23
TALK WITH MORGANFIELD.
lie Tells n Reporter Why, I'm His
Opinion He Was Convicted.

Opinion. He Was Convicted.
Charles A. Morganfed, the train-robber
who was brought to the penltentIary last
week. has not yet been put to work. His
leg is stu In such condition as to render
him unfit for any labor whatever.
He was seen In his cell by Dispatch
reporter yesterday afternoon and told
some things about himself which have
never yet been published. He said but
little about his home, but iterated several
times the statement that he had been
reared a gentleman and had always con-
Quoted himself as one. He positively de-
MED his guilt and said he had never
been before a Judge or a jury In his life
before his arrest on the charge Of being
party 10 the Aquia-creek train robbery.
He is very bitter in his denunciation Of
Searcey, who. he says, Is the biggest liar
in the United States. lie very frankly
admitted that Searcey knew him very
well, but he said that he was only slightly
acquainted with searcey. His explanation
OF this was that they both lived in Texas.
and that he (MOrganfield) was for a long
time proprietor OF a gambling house which
Searcey occasionally visited Naturally,
he said, Searcey, would know him by
reputation, whereas he would only have
q speaking acquaintance with Searcey.
WILL BE AVENGED ON SEARCEY.
When asked II ne had any feeling OF
luminosity toward Searcey, Morganileld
laughed. and replied that he was rather
inclined to think he did. Said he: Il may
not live out by term here, but IL | do
I'll make It my business TO flnd Searcey,
and then you'll hear from me. | never
got into fight in my life since / was
small boy, and used to draw marks
with my toe and dare other boys to cross
II, but | will certainly pay my debt 70
Searcey II We both live.
Il have thought about the causes which
led him TO implicate me, and have about
come TO the conclusion that he did so
simply as a means Of getting himself
out Of serious trouble. When he found
that he had gotten himself into a hole
it was with him. any way, Lord to get
out He knew that / was I'm Cincinnati
with a broken leg. and was unable 10
travel. He calculated upon being taken
TO Cincinnati 10 Identify me. when some
means OF escape might present itself 10
him, and hence he He'd on me- / don't
believe he really intended getting me
in trouble, but when he found that he
could get off with lighter sentence than
he had any right to expect by continuing
the lie, he did so. and, as a result, here
! am, and here l will stay.
"A KfSHEi TABLE illlLEN.
THE whole truth of the matter IL that
/ was convicted simply 10 protect the ex-
press company from a suit that | might
have brought against them. After l had
been arrested Bob PinkertOn went 10 my
home in Texas and found out that | was
a respectable, law-abi1ing citizen, and this
fact he reported 10 the express company.
They then realized that unless / were con-
victed they would have to pay heavy
damages 10 me for having caused my ar
rest, and therefore they forced a cOnvc-
ton on me. / know that Searcey weak
cned after he got In the Fredericksburg
Jail and said he had lied on me. A negro
who was in the cell at the time heard
him say to one OF Pinkerton's men that
/ was not guilty. The detective then told
him that unless he adhered 10 his original
statement he would be hung, and thus he
was frightened into swearing my liberty
away"
Morganneld spoke with some pride OF
his connection with gambling-houses,
and said that at one time he was pro-
prietor OF house which employed thirty
five dealers at faro-tables.
HE SEES SEARCEY.
While Morganield was conversing with
the reporter, on one OF the corridors or
the prison, the conyicts filed out OF their
cells for supper. and Searcey passed In
the line. When he caught sight Of Nor
garfield he hung his head. and kept his
eyes on the ground. Morganiield gazed at
him with flashing eyes, and muttered
something that BODIED no good to Scar
cey. Captain White. the assistant super
ntendent Of the prison, who was present
noticed this, and warned Morganfield
against attempting any violence in prison,
assuring him that II he did so he would
certainly be severely punished. Morgan
field dlsclaimed any intention OF so doing
but reiterated his determination TO be
avenged when his term expired. He is
very bitter against the court officers OF
Stafford county, and says that had he
been given an opportunity 70 do so. he
could have proven an abb.