Evening star., 1896-07-20
Held for the Grand Jury as the Cause
of Morganst Death.
AFFRAYi SATURDAY NIGHT
Testimony Give1r,at the Inquest
Held This Morning.
THE PRISONERS MANNER

Fred Morgan, fifteen-year-Old colored
boy. got into an alteration with a colored
clam man by the name Of VIM. Ellis near
the o street market Saturday evening about
II o'clock. Blows passed, and then the boy
started to run. He was pursued up 1th
street by Ellis. The street was crowded at
the time with people returning from market.
and Morgan lodged through the crowd
He was soon overtaken, and Ellis struck
him in the back with a knife, which he had
picked up from his clam cart.
During his flight Morgan had turned. and
was retracing his footsteps when he was
overtaken, only short distance from the
cart. Morgan turned and struck the older
man fairly in the face, breaking his nose
Then 1t was that Ellis stabbed him.
Morgan staggered few feet after being
stabbed, and then he fell to the ground. An
ambulance was summoned. and he was
taken to F'reedmen's Hospital. Nothing
could be done to save his life, and he died
before morning.
Ellis arrested shortly after. near
the U street station by Policeman Edward
Murphy. He said that he was on his way
to give himself up. although he did not
know that Ellis injuries would prove fatal.
Still. he realized that the police would be
after him, and that escape was out of the
question He has been arrested before but
never for serious offense, usually for crap
Shootlng, and he seems to be greatly dis-
tressed over the affair He claimed that he
only used his knife in self-defense, and had
no intention OF seriously injuring his victim.
The COr0ner's Inquest.
Coroner Hammett held an inquest this
morning over the body of young Morgan
at the second precinct station house.
The jury was composed of William Reitz,
Henry E. Bergman, Fred w. Bouse. Chas.
Pitt, NJ. {. Gallaher and j. A. Thrift.
E.lliS the ic
sized negro not much larger than a six
teen-year-o old oolored boy. He was present
at the inquest this morning and seemed
utterly unnerved by what had occurred.
There were tears IN his eyes and apparent
ly he was on the verge of collapse all the
time.
The first witness was young colored
man named George Colston. He said that
the occurrence. A young man or boy
whom he did not know was throwing
stones at Ellis, who was running away IT
the time Colston testified that he was the
owner OF the clam stand and had left Ellis
in charge while he went into the market.
The knife was a Very sharp bread knife
and belonged to him. He did not see the
cutting. e 8"
Result of the Autopsy.
Dr. Glazebrook. the deputy coroner. testi-
fled as to the autopsy that he made upon
Morgan at the hospital this morning. He
found four cuts in the clothing, all in the
back. but only one penetrated the body.
That cut through the plural cavity and one
Of the mans ribs was severed and the next
was cut almost through. The knife went
completely through the left lung and the
wound was at least six Inches deep
George Warner testified that he saw Ellis
make lunge at Morgan, but did not see
strike Ellis.
tEat he had examiqed the prisoner but did
not find that he had had his nose broken
or had suffered any other injury.
DR.; W A. Jack. physician at Freed
mems Hospital. gave testimony as 10 Nor
gan's wound and his death.
Alice Ellis testified that she saw Ellis
cut Morgan. After the latter fell Ellis cut
at him again. and when some people pulled
throwing stones at him. Ellis stayed
around several minutes before he started
to run down 7th street.
E. c. Peach, a huckster, testified that the
prisoner had worked for him for five or
six years. when he was able to work, but he
was IN bad health and subject to fits.
Peach said that Morgan formerly worked
for him, too but was discharged for strik-
ing a horse. The following day Morgan
and his gang made an attack on the
driver and on Ellis. Ellis testified against
Morgan in the Police Court, and Morgan
threatened then to fix him for 1t. This
was only couple of weeks ago, or a little
more, and Morgan was sent to Jail for fif-
teen days. Ellis was quiet, tractable fel-
low, while Morgan was quite the reverse.
Charles II. Gaines, coiored. testified to
seeing the men fighting with their fists be-
fore the stabbng occurred.
Harry Schoole, colored, testified that he
saw Morgan when he first came up to the
clam cart. Morgan threatened to do Ellis
up, and then drew off and hit him in the
face. Ellis picked up the knife from the
stand. Morgan also had a. knife in his
hand. Morgan, he said, clinched with Ellis,
and tnen the latter cut him.
Other witnesses gave similar testimony,
differing only IN minor details
The Jury's Verdict.
The jury returned verdict holding Ellis
responsible for Morgans death, and the
prisoner was remanded to Jail to await the
action Of the grand jury.