The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-29
PO|SONER HAS
LEFT NO CLEW
Aged Mrs. Morse May
Not Be Avenged.
HER SONS LOSING HOPE
SEARCH FOR THE FIEND has
BEEN UNAVAILING.
Belief That the Death of lie Grand
Morse, and Not His Mother,
Was Sought by Ring
of Conspirators.
HER SONS LOSING HOPE
SEARCH FOR THE FIEND HAS
BEEN UNAVAILING.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

of Mrs. Morse have about given up
hope of ever experimenting the fiend
who murdered their aged mother. In
few days they will dispense with the
services of the private detective who
has been working on the case, realiz-
ing the futility of further search for
the poisoner.
Downs, the blacksmith, vigorously
proclaims his innocence Of any connec-
ton with the crime. He declares that
little Minnie Bishop was mistaken
when she pointed him out as the man
she had seen leaving the Morse resi-
dence on the evening preceding the
tragedy.
Many of the residents of this place
who at first refused to discuss the
crime have at last given rein to their
tongues and declare that Mrs. Morse
was the victim Of a deep-laid conspir-
acy. They believe there were two or
more persons implicated and that their
plan was to get rid not only or MRS.
Morse, but of her two sons also When
asked what motive could nave
prompted the murder of the entire
family these wiseacres suddenly De-
come uncommunicative, stroke their
chins and walk away. Lewis Morse
ridicules the suspicion that the person
or persons who committed the crime
intended to poison him.
In the first place." he remarked yes
terday. II never eat mush and as ar
senic was placed in the oatmeal only, II
is evident that my life was not sought.
Our relatives, and in fact everybody IN
town is aware of the fact that l am not
partial to mush. Whether the poison
was intended for my mother or brother
I cannot say. My poor mother did not
have an enemy, and why the fiend
should lay murderous trap Tor ner is
beyond my comprehension"
When asked if he did not think that
one of his relatives placed arsenic IN
the oatmeal Mr.. Morse rather hesitat-
ingly answered that he could not tel.
1T is all so strange" he remarked.
Mother dead, a victim of polsonef,
and the fiend still enjoying his free
dom. God only knows, l have done all
in my power to bring the guilty party
to Justice AS it appears now the aWful
crime will go unavengeds unless the
criminal in after years, stricken by re-
morse, voluntarily surrenders himself
prepared to meet the punishment tnat
is awaiting him.
Mr.. Morse, like his brother, lie
Grand, cannot believe that Downs,
the son-in-law of LeGrand. had any
thing to do with the murder. I know
some people have placed him under the
ban of suspicion" he remarked. put
for what reason I am at a loss to un-
derstand He was devoted to my mother.
and was considered one of the family
by her. He is troubled with heart fall
ure, and, being unable to do heavy
work, he frequently attends to the
business Of the store which is owned
by nv brother. 1t Is true that he had
access to the bottle containing arsenic,
which is in my brothers store, and
could have helped himself without my
brother knowing anything about It,
Until sufficient evidence Is obtained
connecting him with my mothers death
1 will never believe that he had hand
In it,
LIE Grand Morse, who also ate of the
poisoned mush and narrowly escaped
the fate of his mother, believes in the
innocense of his son-in-law.
In Morses store is grapaphone
which he recently purchased. Becom-
ing tired of hearing the same old tune
Morse sent to San Francisco for some
new recorders for the graphaphone.
1T was the irony Of my fate" he re-
marked.
When I picked up one of the record
ers the day before nv mother was muir
dered and placed it in the graphaphone
1 heard that plaintiff air The Vacant
Chair Little did l think that on the
following day my poor mother would
be dead. the victim Of an assassin
Mrs. Spaulding remains In her room,
refusing to receive visitors and breath
ing vengeance against the citizens who
first accused her of the crime. At the
request Of detective who is here in
vestigating the murder, Harry Morse's
agency Of San Francisco has wired the
authorities of Ell Paso, Texas, asking
them to trace the movements of Mrs,
n ~, do rI,
to the murder. Information Is desired
simply TO convince several of the citi-
Zens of this town that she could not
have had hand in the tragedy.