Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-06

bounty. AS looked at him where he sat
between a policeman and q detective in
plain clothes, 1t seemed to me that he had
some difficulty in meeting his sisters eyes.
The coroner glanced at q representative
or the district attorney who sat near the
prisoner. The official seemed to have no
questions to ask at that point and so the
coroner excused Miss Morrison temporarily.
L suppose there was some medical testi-
mony before we came in?" said to Preble.
Inc result OF the post-mortem examina-
ton was introduced" he replied. II can
give IL to you IN very few words. Doug
lass MORRISON died of a wound in the right
side of lis head, extending from the eye
backward about two inches. Blunt instru-
ment, very little bleeding. The only in
jury was abrasion of the chin on the
left side; rot serious. He was big raw
boned man; very powerful and was as &C
tive at fifty-seven as most men are at
thirty
Fracture of the skull, suppose?"
Yes; but not instantly mortal"
Then why Didn't he raise an alarm"
Who knows? The police say there's only
one answer possible; that he didn't want
his murderer to be caught"
l glanced at Will Morrison. His face
had the haunted look of one who carried a
secret which can rever be told. His law
yer. Frank l.. Bryant sat directly in front
of him Morrison bent forward and whis-
rered something over the others shoulder.
The lawyer rose.
Il believe it will facilitate the investi-
Gation.' he said. 'if my clients case is pre-
scented at this point. At the preliminary
examination on Wednesday 1 was unwill-
ing to disclose 1t, but 1t Is now so strong
l can no longer hesitate. To establish my
clients complete innocence at an early
stage of these proceedings will remove an
element of doubt and error. But it can be
established beyond question"
Il am willing that the prisoner should
take the stand, said the coroner
Accordingly. William Morrison took the
- l@rk ~
oath was administered. and the usual in
troductory questions were asked. Coming
down to the main facts at issue Morrison
stated that he had spent the evening of
Tuesday playing cards with four young
men in the office of one of them. By pre-
N.ous agreement, they stopped playing at
exactly half-past eleven. About fifteen
minutes were occupied in settling accounts,
and putting on ths:r coats.
Two of the young men walked with him
to the Intersection of Waverly avenue and
Brent road. 1t must have been about five
minutes before midnight when they reach
ed that point. 1t was less than fifty yards
from the spot to his house. He went d.
rectly. home.
1t was very dark up to the moment when
he opened the front door. Then the moon
came out with great brilliaHcy and unusual
suddenness. He remarked the phenomenon
as he stood there 1t seemed as if the
heavy clouds had vanished from the sky in
an instant.
He closed the door and walked directly
to the stairs. Before he had reached the
top he heard his sisters voice. The door
Of her room was ajar, and she was looking
out.
From this point his story tailed with
that of the previous witness. Alarmed by
his sisters screams. he bad rushed down
stairs His fathers body lay as described.
Emily had fallen beside 1t, seemingly I'M
conscious.
1t was he who carried her upstairs. He
had then sent the housekeeper to sum
mon physician. and had remained beside
the corpse until DR.. Alexander Bishop ar
rived.
The arriy al of the police. the questioning
and the search. the stir and confusion. pre-
scented no special features of interest as he
described them. He had seen al once that
he was under suspicion. and had concealed
his defense: in the beginning from his own
prudence. and later by advice of his coun-
sci. He believed that his arrest was due
20 false and most absurd rumors about his
career in the west. and to recollection of
the hoyish errors that had led to his ex-
pulSion from his fathers house.
- To my =. eat surprise Morrison was not
croSS-eXamired. He was allowed to leave
the stand soon as he had finished his
story, and the four young men whom he
had mentioned succeeded him in turn.
They were well known ami of excellent