The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-09-28
PREACHER TO BE HANGED:
Rev, 6. e. Morrison Convicted OF
Poisoning His Wife.
He DECEIVED AN INNOCENT WOMAN
Into Promising 70 Marry Him and
Then Freed Himself from His
wife with strychninc.

Fort Worth. Texas, September 2T.--Thc
murder trial OF Rev, G. E. Morrison, pastor
OF the Panhandle. Texas. Methodist church,
oame to an end today at Vernon. by the
jury returning a verdict OF murder Ia The
first degree and assessing his punishment
at death. Morrison was charged with ad-
minlstcrng stryehGine 10 his wife after re-
turning from church on the night of octo-
Der 10. 1897.
The Jury was ont about four hours
On rendering the verdict BY the clerk,
Morrlsons sister screamed aloud and could
b. acard all through tho building. while the
scene moved Morrison but little II any.
The verdict seems to meet with almost
universal approval. but much sympathy Is
oppressed Ter The sister. who has been by
nus sida ever since the case began week
ago today.
Morrison was the pastor Of the Northern
MetHodit church az Panhandle Texas. Ac~
cording to tie testimony his wife SANG in
the church choir AMI was IN apparent good
hehii; she was taken violently III shortly
after they returned from church which WAS
about 10 p. m; her sickness was soon fol-
lowed with convulslona ana ,spasms, she
DYING IN about TWO hours. This was on the
10th of October, 1897. The remains were
Inferred on the 18th OF October On the 10Th
day cf November following the body was
oNhumed the stomach and Other parts re-
moved and sent to the professor OF tnxocol-
ogy at the state university al Galveston
Tor analysts III which traces OF strychnine
We're found
According to tho evidence, Morrison was
III the meantime arrested NJ topeka Kan,
by the chief OF police, aud hoi for forty
tNh a..
that State not permitting detention longer
without sufficient grounds. which at that
time were not forthcoming Later on II.
NJ steel, the chief OF police at Topeka wds
wires by Texas officers to rearr, Il Nor
rlsor. and hsd several Gouslnd copies Of
MS photographs sent out to diftcrcn, parts
of the country.
Ahoul this time Steel swcar he received
letter from Morrison from ST. Louis, stat.
INK that by the time this letter reached
him that he tMorrson) might be dead.
Steel kept persistently hunting for his man.
II chg him through Illinois, Nebraska,
Kansas aud Colorado to Fort Worth, TeXas.
ana finally arrested him at Los Angeles
Cal, about April |, 1898.
Morrison was brought back to Panhandle,
hut secured change Of venue from that
place to Vernon fAc states evidence waS
that Morrison was soon 10 marry a Mis-
Annie Ntitlesoy OF Topeka. Ka". She
2cFtltying on the stand to that effect A
Letter IVES read which WAS dated few
days before hs wlfes death, and aidrcs cd
to Miss Whiitlesey by Morripon, stating
tlNt he would soon &Nvn hts arrangements
made TO hn with her. and then they would
g't married, Anotder letter was read from
MORT on 20 Miss WAttlcgcy whlcA stated
THAI The wife Of his cousln Guy y. Morri-
son had just died. and chat he would soon
be with her.
All the letters read were ftfl 81 loving
names. All the l,tttrs that M!ss Whittlc-
rey received from Morrison we're either
mnilcd on the train or from Higgins Toxas
Miss Whlttlcsey testiiod rho though, this
strange. and asked Morrison whl' was the
reason, that ne replies taat he wnt In the
cattle business and That be was on tho move
all the time and good part OF his time
was spent al Higgins that the depot agent,
being his friend he wrGie most of his lot
,crS ct the depot and had the agen; man
tfrm for him that this satisfied her. as his
many letters read stated a, different tlmes.
addressing her ae his darllng TINT he wa
braniing cdttle aud was awful tired but
never got too tired to write to his darling.