The record-union., 1899-10-28
The Former Minister Executed at
Vernon, Texas.
Hanged for the Deliberate Murder Ct His
Wife Two Years Ago.
Met His Fate Resignedly, Declaring
His Innocence to the Last-Mor-
rison's Neck Broken by the Fall,
Death Appearing to be Painless.

Death Appearing to be Painless.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. pa special to the
''Post-Dispatch" from Dallas, Tex.s
says:
Rev G. f. Morrison was hanged ar
u o'clock noon to-day at Vernon, TeX.s
for wife murder. He met his death re-
signedly. On the scaffold he said to
the select party of twenty witnesses
permitted to be present at the execu-
tion
Il am innocent. Circumstances over
which / had no control have placed me
in this position. / have taken my
trouble in private to my God. l ad-
NIT that 1 have acted indiscreetly.
have done no worse, however, than hum
dreds of men who stand high in the re-
ligious, social, business and official cir
cles of your State. 1 have nothing To
confess L am in the hands of my
Maker. He knows 1 am innocent"
Morrison's neck was broken by the
fall and his death appeared to be pain
less.
VERNON (Tex), Oct. 27.-The crime
for which Rev. G.. r. Morrison paid the
death penalty was the poisoning of his
wife in October, 1897. The facts show
that for deliberate fiendishness they are
almost without parallel in the annals
of criminal Jurisprudence. The motive
for the poisoning was in order to rid
himself of a pretty, amiable, loving
wife, in order to marry a lady pos
sessed of large means, $lOU,OOO or
which was in cash.
Morrison married his deceased wife
about seventeen years ago. AT one
time they lived in California, then IN
Oklahoma Territory from which place
they moved to Panhandle, Tex, where
the crime was committed. He was
born and raised in Illinois, and went
to school at Carbondale. There he be-
| came acquainted with Miss Annie
Whittlesey, who subsequently moved
with her parents to Topeka, kas. In
August, previous to the poisoning OF
his wife, in October, 1897, Morrison met
Miss Whittlesey, his school-day sweet
heart, ascertained her financial condl-
ton, and made offer OF marriage. He
! preterdef tnat his wife had been dead
eleven years: that he had quit preach
| ing, had been successfully engaged IN
the cattle business for eight years and
his return to Texas he began a corre-
spondence with Miss Whittlesey, urg-
ing his proposition of marriage, stating
that he had for number of years IN
tended to come to her when he could
do so honorably, and he believed he
could now see the time. This statement
was made one month before the death
| of his wife.
He procured strychnine for the os-
tensible purpose of poisoning var
mints" which, he said, were catching
his chickens on the day previous he
| had procured a box of quinine with
empty capsules. On the Friday night
before her death Mrs. Morrison went to
| the Swiss bell-ringers, leaving MOTIF
/ son at home, who said he had TO pre-
pare his Sunday sermon. The next
| morning he took the strychnine back
| to the druggist, telling him that he was
| afraid to use it. for fear he would
poison his neighbors' chickens. me
! package had been opened. Sunday
night he preached, and alluded in a
pathetic manner to the parting with
| loved ones at death. About 10 O'CLOCK
that night he called upon his neighbors
for assistance, announcing the serious
| illness of his wife. She was found In
spasms. He delayed sending for a
doctor, who arrived after the wifes
death. In the meantime he kept up
his correspondence with Miss Whittie
sey writing her a letter two days be-
fore the death of his wife, and one the
day after her burial. In the latter ne
announced the death of his brothers
wife and notified her Of his early Visit
| to Topeka.
On his return from Topeka he was ar
rested, held but a few days, was re-
leased on bond and fled. About three
months thereafter he was rearrested III
San Francisco, returned to Texas, tried,
with Miss Whittlesey as the main pros
ecuting witness and given the death
| penalty.
TWO MORE EXECUTIONS.
ST. LOUIS. Oct. GA special to the
"Post-Dispatch" from Austin, Tex,
says: Samuel Watrous, one of the
murderers of G.. w. Engberg and his
wife. was hanged in the jail yard here
to-day. Watrous said he was going
| to heaven.
A special to the 'Post-Dispatch
from Dallas, Tex, says: Walter Ford,
who cruelty murdered his sweetheart,
Lucinda Moore, at Waco, in June. 1898,
was hanged in that city to-day. He
died without faltering, saying he was
going straight to heaven.