The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-26
REV. MORRISON is CONDEMNED
He Makes a Wonderful speech Pre-
viOus to Sentence

He Makes n Wonderful speech Pre-
viOus to Sentence.
Guthrie, o. T., Sept. 25.-A man well
known in Oklahoma, and particularly in
western Oklahoma, has just made a won
derful speech in Texas to the court which
sentenced him to be hanged by the neck
October o. This was the Rev. G. E. Nor
| rison. Morrison, when asked to sly
| whether there was any reason why SEN
| tence should not be passed upon him,
arose and made a wonderfully spirited
talk. He was dressed in clerical black
and was calm throughout He declared
! that he had f1irted with another woman
| but denied that he had given his wife
strychnine. The court room at Panhan-
die, Texas, was overcrowded and the au-
! dience, despite their belief in the mans
guilt, were deeply affected.
| 1t will be remembered that Morrison
| was charged with the murder of his wife
by strychnine poison, on October 10, 1897
He was arrested in Topeka, and held as
long as the law permitted, and then re-
| leased by ex-Chief of Police Henry M.
Steele. Almost year afterward he was
| recaptured in California, taken back to
Texas. tried and convicted. He appealed
to tie supreme court, and the decision
was affirmed. Nothing now remains but
to execute the death penalty ON Octo-
Der q.
Morrison's speech was very long. He
said in part, addressing the court:
Il am aware that the circumstances In
the case were against me, and 1 also say
that have the conviction within my own
hot
wrong, and that 1 am innocent OF the
great crime with which I am charged.
''I did not get one of the witnesses who
was a material witness in the case, be-
cause her people had spirited her out Of
the state. and I could not obtain her
whereabouts until after the trial.
''She was the only one, the only woman
in Texas, in whom my wife ever confided
a secret of any kind, and she was the
only one who could have explained the
circumstances of the case. and 1 would
have proved by her that the wife of one
of my bitterest enemies had, at three diff
ferent times, threatened to place poison
in our barrel of drinking water. Had
succeeded in getting that witness IT would
have made material difference with the
evidence in the case.
81 will say for the warning of men with
families, to be true to your wife and
family and avoid Irritation with other
women, even though no harm may be in
tended.
''I had been out riding in a buggy at
Topeka on Saturday evening and had re-
turned and put the horse and buggy in
the stable. I went to the postoffice to get
my mail A man placed his hand on my
shoulder while there and asked me If my
name was Morrison 1 told him yes. He
said: You are my prisoner 1 asked
what for. He said: I guess you know
what for 1 said: I do not We went
from there to police headquarters. Chief
Of Police H. NJ Steel said: I have a
telegram ordering your arrest on the
charge of murder I asked where it was
from and ne handed me a telegram from
Mr. Holland. simply stating: Wanted for
murder I knew nothing of whom I was
accused OF numbering. I begged II. NJ
Steele to take me that night to Panhandle
City. He said he had no authority to DO
this. Even II he had, he had not a man
to spare to send with me. I asked him
to wire Mr. Holland to come after me at
the telegram myself al his own desk,
walked up the street with his detective TO
the Western Union Office and sent the
telegram myself
i remained there in the county jail for |
= hours. At 70 o'clock al night Mr.. Steele /
came to my cell IN the jail and told me 70 !
get up and come out. did no and went /
down into his Office and he said 20 ne: /
I have held you as long as the Kansas l
laws allow me IN hold a prisoner. I can 1
hear nothing from Texas (and at that 4
very moment he had a telegram In his /
pocket from Holland. saying Nothing /
against Morrison. turn him Ioose) saere- 4
fore do not believe you are guilty OF the 1
crime charged and am going 20 turn yoG 4
loose Now, what are you going 20 dor
I said: am going 70 start 20 Panhandle 4
City this night He said 20 me- You had
better not DO that ] have sEvtcss from
other sources 5esl5es from the ofHcers.
and the people down there are excited
You know What Texas mob is when IL
that condition: they hang a man and ask
no questions You had Better leave here
and 20 east untl this sxci;eueu: quists
down Il you wili go from here 70 81 /
Louis. then down into northern Georgia.
thea write ne whsrs YOU are I vii keep
yoa posted, and you need not fear that I
wi1 ever bStray you for The reward
He then took ne ao~a % BIS hot1ss
and. with his wfses scissors. he cut or
ms u1stzche. I said n him Al
nearly ogt - -sonsy.' ard ne gave ne s
In gold. I eft him ten times fhAt aruaars
o. 5sTe.-y as secarsty He tsea goax ne
:
ard showed ns whsrs the train xoosd 50 /