The Washington weekly post., 1899-12-12

IN t3uldEuie iV cents FUitH VI NeAhAASs
The druggist asked him whether ne
should put IL up into capsules.
NO" answered Morrison. give me the
capsules l viii fill them myself.
on this visit to the drug store Morrison
told the druggist that his chickens we're
being bothered by polecats and coyotes.
and asked the druggist to loan him gun
with which to exterminate them Drug
gist Cahart offered him double-barreled
hammerless shotgun-the ideal nrearm
for the purpose designated. Morrison said
he preferred a gun with the hammer ex-
posed. The druggist offered him shot
gun Of that description.
"No." said Morrison, 'I think n small
rifle would be best for my purpose.
shotgun scatters too much
The druggist produced Marlin rife.
No" said Morrison, that carries too
heavy load. / might hurt some one with
it in shooting at the varmints. Haven't
you pistol?'
Yes. I've got one back here you o2n
have" said the druggist. starting for the
rear OF the store.
We'll. never mind" said Morrison. 'Tn
ceG again"
Morrison had not expected TO find so
weIl-stocked an arsenal in the drug store
and had intended. when the druggist ran
cut of firearms, to ask for strychnine. He
dation for another visit to the drug store
three days later.
Il want some strychnine to poison those
polecats and coyotes" said Morrison 70
the druggist on October 5:
Here's a bottle OF it," said the drug
gist. Use what you want of it and bring
the bottle back"
NO" answered Morrison. ''you pour
me Out what you think will be a bait
The druggist poured out about eight
grains, tied ii up in a newspaper, ana
Morrison left with il.
Morrison now had all the materials for
his purpose. He proposed to fili some OF
the capsules he had obtained on his Tor
mer visit TO the drug store with the
strychnine to substitute for the strych-
rne he had used the quinine he had
bought. and then to return the package
TO the druggist as though II had not been
opened. with statement that he had
decided not to use II.
That same evening Morrison found Ia
vorabe occasion to perform unobserved
| the pharmaceutical operation he had PLAN
red. A company OF Swiss bell-rfngers had
made a one-night stand in the town and
| complimentary tickets had been sent TO
| the minister and his wife.
1T would not be seemly FOR minister
| to be seen at the entertainment he told
his wife. 'It is. perfectly proper for sou
| to 90. however.
Thst night Morrison filled the capsules.
| the druggist a package. Il thought had
| better not use the strychnine," he said
II might poison some of the nelghbors
| dogs"
The package locked as though it had
not been opened since IL left the store,
| and the druggist put II back into the DOT
| tie without examining IL.
| Morrison now wrote letter TO Miss
| Whittlesey. telling her that the wife OF
his cousin, Guy z. Morrison, was very
sick.
After the Doctor Left.
| One other precaution Morrison took He
| knew that if help came to his wife
promptly enough after the fatal desc had
been administered her life could be saved
He had had a conversation with Dr. car
| ter, the only physician in Panhandle,
| some time before, in which the latter had
| told him that he would start on snort
| trip out of town on the evening OF sun
| DAY. October 10. This knowledge COM
pleted Morrison's arrangements.
| On the fatal day, Sunday, october 10,
| Morrison preached two sermons TO MS
| congregation. The one at night was on
| the text. "The wages Of sin is death
Had his congregation known then what
il found out later il would have been In
tensely interested in that sermon. That
1
he might take his wife home and kill her.
The sermon forms one of the interesting
| PSYCHOLOGICAL features of the case. There
| are two interpretations of IT. Some claim
that Morrison in that sermon weighed the
| consequences of his proposed crime; that
he preached il more to himself than 10 ms
| CONGREGATION. Others claim that Morrison
nresched II In order to remove any sus-
picion as to his guilt in the death of his
| wife by the picture he himself painted OF
the inevitable doom that lay in wait Tor
the transgressor of law, human and di-
vine
Which ever Interpretation Is accepted,
the picture Morrison drew that evening as
he looked his crime in the race was Ferl-
fed last Friday. when Morrison shot
through the scaffold trap at vernon,
| Texas.
Morrison cut his sermon short and dis
| missed his congregation at $50. pleading
that yis throat troubled him. He and ms
! wife together with several nelghpors'
walked home. Mr.. and Mrs. Morrison en-
tered Morrison came out again about >
O'Clock, went 10 the station. asked the
right operator there whether Dr. carter
had left Panhandle, received an affirma-
tive reply and went back home.
On what plea Morrison indueed ms Wiz Le
to take the deadly capsule Will never be
know. About 10 o'clock Morrison Knock
ed AT the door of the home of Prof. Pol
lard his next Ieighbor. and asked MIN 70
GO for Dr. Carter: that Mrs. Morrison
was very sick He also called in Mrs. Hill
when they arrived Mrs. Morrison was N
commissions. They lasted for few min
utes. and then Mrs. Morrison regained
consciousness
Hill asked her. did you take some
"Don't talk to her. Mrs Hill; It disturbs
her" Morrison interposed.
| Have you given her anything: MIS-.
nc "GiVen ven rer te anything? No" answered
Morrison.
''Has she taken anything"
Nothing except a quinine capsule. 1
saw her filling 1t when | went out 10 me
barn 70 look after my horses"
Mrs Morrison went into another con-
| v;II.,on while they were talking and Prof.
Pollard returned with the information tina:
pr Carter w2s not in town.
''A[y God. what shall We do! exclaimed
Morrison, wringing his hands.
Death of Mrs. Morrison.
Finally boy was put on a horse by
Morrison and sent to Claude. fifteen niles
: distant, to- bring doctor
| Mrs Morrison. who was suffering In
: tensely. reyained consciousness occasional
~. as Is The way in strychnine poisoning
Rubbing or exciting a strychnine victim
/
Morrison regained consciousness, witnesses
testified at the trial. Morrison would rut
his face on hers. kiss her. and chafe ker
hands. apparently in great distress. Mrs
Morrison kept telling him to leave hei
alone. ard peisons present also protested
but he persisted until CONFUSION re
CURED.
At midnight Mrs. Morrison died. Abou
3 o'clock DIR. Warner. OF Claude. arrive,
at the house. Dr.. Warner inquired care
: fully the symptoms which accompanied
| Mrs. No-rison's aila.ent.
Did her muscles contract Did shs
) cllch he- fists and throw her head backy
} | he asked
Nothing OF the kind" answered sTorri
J son.
: WAS she conscious at intervals durin,
her afffiction?"
. NO. not al all answered Morrison
! About -four years ago she had kidncy
, trouble. ana since that time doctors kay,
r frequently warmed me that she would ~;