Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-28
PREACHER IS HANGED
Rev. q. E. Morrison, Wife Muir
derer, Expiates His Crime.
A COLD BL0ODED VILLAIN
Last for Cola Stamped the Mark or Cnln
Upon Him. A Peculiarly AtrociouH
Murder. On the Gallow. He
SaTs:"L Am Innocent
tBN Teluorapl1.l

by Telcgraphl
DALLAS. TlcNAS. OCT. 2..-l;cv. G..
f. Morrison was hanged ~ /. o'clock
today 1T Vernon, Texas. for wife 1nu,-
Ger.
He met his death resigncdly On the
Sc;iifol'l he said to the select party
OF twenty witnesses permitted at the
executions
Il am innocent circumstances over
which had no control have placed me
IN this position. 1 have taken my trou-
Die IN priEat" to God | admit that |
nave acted inaiscreetly. | have don"
no worse. however. than hundreds Of
men VINO stand high in the religious.
social business and officials circles Of
your state. | have done NOTHING TO
confess. am in the hands OF nv Max
er. RE knows am innocent"
M"rrisons neck WAS broken and his
death appeared to be painless
THE HISTORY OF HIS CRIME.
The crime for Which Rev. G. +. Nor
lson paid the death penalty was the
poisoning OF his Wife. in October 1897.
IN" motive for the crime was 10 rid
himself Of Il pretty. amiablc, loving
VIE. i'll order TO marry Il lady possess
"a OF means. one hundred thousand
dollars Of which was in cash.
MORRISON married his deceased Wife
about l. years ago. At one time they
lived in California. hen in Oklahoma,
territory, from Which place they moved
T." Panhandle. Tex, where the crime
VAS committed.
He was born and raised in Illinois.
and went to school at Carbonla lc.
There he became acquainted with Miss:
Anna Whittelscy. who subsequently
j\aS.
IN August. previous t. the poisoning
or his Wife. in October. 1897. Morrison
met Miss Whittelsey. his schoo! days
sWeetheart. aScertained her financial
condition and made offer of marriage.
HE POSES AS 4 WIDOWCR
lie pretended that his Wife had been
dead eleven years: that he had quit
preaching. had been successfully cnsag-
go IN III" cattle business for eight
years and owned a ranch near Hig-
gins. Tex.
On his return to Texas he began Il,
correspondence With Miss Whittelsey.
ursinG his proposition of maria sc.
stating that he had foE~, number OF
Years intended to come to her when he
r"uld 40 50 honorahlS and he believed
ne could now see the time. The state
mcnt Was made one month before, III.
death of his wife
HE BROCHURES POISON.
re procured strSchninc for the os-
t"nsihlc purpose of poisoning animals
Whlch. ne said. We're catching hiS
chickens. On the day previous he had
procured a box Of quinine with empty
capsules. ON Friday night before her
death. Mrs. Morrison Went TO The per
f"Tmance given BY the Swiss Bell Ring
rfS. leaving Morrison at home who said
he had to prepare his Sunday sermon
IN" next morning he took tht strych-
nine back TO the druggist telling him
'hat ne was afraid t" use it for fear he
would poison his neghbors' chickens.
The package had been opened
HE breaches ON DEATH
sunday night h. preached and allua-
cd IN 4 pathetic manner to the parting
with loved ones at death.
About 10 o clock that night he called
Oh his nci"hhors 70: assistance. an
nnuncin- the serious illness of his wife
she was found in paroXysms and
snasrls. He DELAYED sending for a doc
tor. who arrived after the Wife
death. Meantime he had kept up his
correspondence with Miss WhittclscS
writing her q letter TWO days before
the death of his Wife and the day after
her burial. asserting his love in M,
most lavish terms
HE IS DISCOVERED
IN the latter letter he announced the
death of his brothers. wife and noti
fed her OF his early visit to Topeka
On his return from Topeka ne was
arrested. held a few days. was released
on bond and fled. About three months
thereafter he was arrested in San Fran
cisco returned TO Texas was tried
with Miss Whittelsey as the main
prosecuting witness. and given the
death penalty.