The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-11-02
A ulNISTk r HANGED.
Convicted OF Wif--Murder-Storyo OF the
Crime.

Crime.
DALLAS, Tex, Oct. 27.-Rev. G. E.
Morrison was hanged at IL o'clock
to-day az Vernon. Texas, for wife
murder. He met his death resign
.dly. On the scaffold he said to the
select party of twenty witnesses per-
mltted at the execution:
Il am innocent. Circumstances
over which l had no control hav.
placed mo in this position. l have
Ia ken my trouble in private to my
God. admit that have acted in
discreetly. l have done no worse,
however, than hundreds of men who
stand high 10 the religious, social,
business, and official circles of your
State. l have done nothing to con-
fess. am in the hands Of my Ma
ker. He knows l am innocent.
Morrlson's neck was broken, and
his death appeared to be painless.
The crime for which Rev. q. E.
Morrison paid the death penalty was
the poisoning of his wife in October,
1897. The motive for the crime Was
10 rid himself of q pretty, amiable,
loving wife, in order that he might
marry = lady possessed of means,
500 900 of which was in cash. Nor
r.son married his deceased wife about
seventeen years ago. At one time
they lived IN California; then they
lived in Oklahoma Territory, from
which place they moved o the Pand
l., Texas, where the crime was com
mltted He was born aud reared in
Illinois, and went to school at Car
Dondale. There he became acquain-
ted with Miss Anna Whittlesey, who
subsequently moved with her pa
rents 10 Topeka, Kansas.
In August previous to the poison
ing Of his wife IN October, 1897, Nor.
rison met Miss Wnlttlesey, mis- school,
day sweetheart, ascertained her f
nancial condition, and made an Z # :,
of marriage. H. pretended that his
wife had been dead eleven years
that he had quit preaching, had beer
successfully engaged in the cattl'
business for eight years, and ownet
a ranch near Higgins. Tex. On hi
i return to Texas he began a CORES
, pond.nce with Miss Whit,l-sey, urg
ing his proposition of marriage, sta
ting that he had for d number O
years intended to come to her whel
he could do so honoraoly, and b.
lieved he could now see the time
This statement was made one montI
before the death of his wife.
He procured stryctnine for the os
tenslbIe purpose of POISONING ami
3 mails, which, he said, were destroy
r ing his chickens. Ga the day previ
, GUS he had procured a box of qriu
inc. with empty capsules. o. Fri
. day night before her death Mrs uor
! rison went to the Swiss B-ll-Ripger.
3 entertainment, leaving Morrison a
+ home, he having said he had to pre-
pare his Sunday sermon. The mex
morning he took the strychnine bac
D to the druggist, telling him that h
3 was afraid to use it for fear he woul
poison his neighbours chickens. III
, package had been opened.
Sunday night he preached, and a
luded In pathetic manner to tn
Q parting with loved ones at death
i. About ten o'clock that night b
q called upon his neighbors for ASST.
tance, announcing the serious Hines
of his wife. She was found in pal
oxysms and spasms. He delaye
sending for doctor, who arrived al
ter tn wife's death.
In the mean time, he had kept u
his correspondence with Miss Viii,
tlesey, writing her a letter two day
before the death of his wife and tn
o day after her burial, asserting hi
: love IN the most lavish terms.
j. In the latter letter he announce
the death of his brothers wife, an
notified her of his early visit to II
: polka.
On his return from Topeka he wa
= arrested, held q few days, was r.
/ leased on bond. and f d. About
months thereafter he was a1rests d i
q San Francisco, returned to Texa
I tried with Miss Whittlesey as tn
q main prosecuting witness, and give
: the death penalty.