The evening times., 1899-04-24
JEALOUSY PROMPTS
MURDER AND Suicide
Double Tragedy in the Noun
tains Of Maryland.
The Terrible Revenge Of a Rejected
SuitOr.
Crime Committed in a Public Road.
Young WOman's Futile Pray
ers for Mercy.

Vile, Frederick county, Saturday after
noon. Edward Morgan shot and killed his
fathers stepdaughter. Miss Orpha V.
Harshman, prepOssessing young lady.
seventeen years Of age, and then. turning
the revolver upon himself. ended his own
life with four bullets.
Morgan was twenty-four years of age
and the son of Jacob Morgan by his first
wife. Miss Harshman's mother was mar
ried three times. her present husband be-
ing Jacob Morgan. Wolfesville. near
where the double tragedy was enacted, is
about eighteen miles northwest of Fred
erick City, In a mountainous region.
AS soon as the news was received Sher
if A. NJ. Patterson, with Deputy Samuel
Rowe, Coroner Thomas ii. Turner and DR..
Ira ]. McCurdy visited the scene. A spe-
cial car was started out for the party at
o'clock yesterday morning over the Fred
erick and Hyersville electric road. At
Myersville conveyances carried the party
to Wolfesville, six miles distant, and the
following facts were obtained:
The family had been living happily and
contented until about six months ago.
when Mrs. Morgan observed that her hus-
bands son was paying what she consid-
cred too much attention TO her daughter.
She rebuked him for his devotion, as We
as did her daughter. who said his constant
attentions were causing her much annoy
ance and were distasteful to her. The
more she resisted the stronger became
his attachment to her. and, believing that
paternal objection was the great bar
rier to his happiness, he finally urged her
to elope and be married.
The young lady resented the proposition
and demanded that he should cease his at
tentions or she would leave home. Seeing
that she was determined in her purpose, he
told her that unless she married him she
would never live to be the bride of an
other. This threat did not have the desir-
ed effect, but on Sunday last she apprised
her mother of it, and On Tuesday she Or
dered him to leave the place and seek an
other hCme. The loss of his sweetheart
and being driven from his fathers home on
her account angered him very much. On
Wedne sday he went to Hagtrstcwn and pro-
ceeded tc drown his sentiments in drink.
He purchased a revolver. and. taking sew
eral bottles of whisky with him. returned
to Wolfesville to carry out his threat.
He fingered about the neighborhood un-
Ill Saturday afternoon. He learned that
the young lady had intended going to spend
Sunday with her married sister at Garfield,
two miles east. Being fully satisfied of
| this, he went out on the lonely road one
| mile east of Wolfesville, and. drinking a
great deal of the whisky. he hid behind a
clump of rocks and bushes in ambush for
his victim. All unconscious of danger. the
young woman came down the road about
o'clock p. III. As she arrived at the
rocks Morgan sprang out and called upon
| her TO offer up her last prayer, as her time
| had cCme. He at the same time thrust a
| revolver in her face. She begged him TO
spare her life. but to no purpose. 1t is
| said that. finding her p!eadings were fruit
| less. she summoned all her courage and
| attempted TO strike the weapon from his
hand, when he quickly placed it to her
! temple and fired, the bullet entering the
| right side of the head and passing out on
the left.
In attempting TO ward off the weapon
| the sleeve of her dress took fire from the
powder and was burned off, as well as a
| portion Of the dress over her bosom, un-
der which her arm lay when she fell. Her
arm was badly burned and her bosom
| scared from the fire.
| Feeling satisfied he had killed her, Nor
gan then placed the revolver to his own
head and attempted to send a bullet into
| his brain. but the leaden missile struck
! the righ; cheek bone, and glancing. came
| out of his eye. He then fired 4 bullet into
| his left leg. Finding these two ineffec-
| tual. he placed the barrel of the revolver
against his abdomen and emptied the two
| remaining chambers into his bowels and
! fell over by the side of his innocent vic
tim.
Miss Harshman's screams and the pis-
tol shots attracted the attention of Mrs.
Kline and her son. who live some dis
tance across the hill. They hurried 10
the scene and gave an alarm. The son
went in search of aid. The young girl was
still alive and fingered for about half an
hour. when she expired. Morgan was also
alive, but at times unconscious.
| DR.. Lamar. who was summoned, rem
! dered what aid he could. but it was found
| that the man was beyond recovery, and he
| died at II o'clock from internal hemorr-
hages. Both the bodies were taken to the
home of their parents and prepared for
burial.
When Coroner Turner arrived yesterday
| morning he found that Justice Warren
feltz. OF that locality. had empaneled a
I; jury during the night and they adjourned
to await the result of the injuries.
Miss Harshman was buried this morn
ing, and the funeral of Morgan will take
place this afternoon.