The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-08
MISS MORRISON
TELLS Her STORY
Describes Thrilling Combat
With Girl She Slew.
SAYS SHE KILLED
IN SELF-DEFENSE
Explains Her Relations With
0lin Castle.

| son today took the stand in her own
defense and in a quiet, determined man
ner told minutely of her relations with
DIN Castle before his marriage, and
as calmly pictured the scene at the
Castle house during the bloody rough
and tumble fight with Mrs. Castle. She
proved an unexpectedly strong wit
! ness.
Miss Morrison approached the wit
ness chair pale and trembling, her
eyes rec from weeping, and began her
testimony with an effort As she pro-
ceeded she gained confidence and re-
lated her story without hesitation. She
denied most of the damaging testf-
mony adduced by the prosecution. She
. natly denied many of the statements
made on the stand by Olin Castle and
/ declared that he had tried to make
I Mrs Castle jealous. and that Mrs
castle had Haunted her husbands acts
I in her face.
On the day Of the tragedy. she de-
ciared. airs Castle had called her into
the house as she was passing had ac-
/ cused Miss Morrison of irving to
/ separate her and Castle and when she
denied II, called her a liar. Mrs Castle
nad, the witness declared emphaticalIy.
begun the fight, slashing her with the
--N@Nf- eoeNtAA anu again anu competing
lne defendant to attack her antagonist
in Self-defenSe
During her thrilling recital Of the
| two women rolling over one another on
the floor in their combat, ana IN an
her testimony Miss Morrison was di-
rect and positive. Not once did she
finch and al only one time during the
croSs-examinatiou did she shed a tear
It had been feared, even BIZ the de-
tense, that she would break down dur
ing cross examination
Inc state dld not succeed in making
her contradict any of the telling points
IN her testimony.
Faces Castle and Family.
As she testified she faced the
widower, Olin Castle, who, surrounded
by Mrs. Wiley, mother of the murdered
woman, Mrs Castle his mother. and
other members of the Castle and Wiley
families, occupied a front seat in the
court room.
The first part Of Miss Aforrison's
testimony conradicted much that
Castle had said on the stand.
Miss Morrison said she had known
Castle since July. 1897 when she be
gan to work in the racket store where
he was employed, and that she had
known Mrs. Castle for about six years
before the latter's death. During the
summer Of 1899 Castle had come to see
her at her brother-in-laW's house from
one to three times a, week and had
taken her riding frequently. He had
written her a letter while ne was at
Whitewater, and she had answered it.
She told about going to Excelsior
Springs last January, and of Castles
asking to come to see her on the night
before she went away.
Just before he left, did you tell HIM
you would fix him. ?" was asked.
Il did not" replied Miss Morrison
firmly.
Did you ever tell him you would fix
him, or use words Of similar impoTt?''
L did not"
she told of the interview in the
Racket store with Castle, who said on
the witness stand that she had threat
ened him.
She said she had asked him to return
her letters and things, and he had re
piled, You need not worry; nobody
has ever seen your letters and / guess
III return them"
Were either Of you angry?"
Il was not"
Did you use any expression or make
any threatening movement, or say If
you don't, you'll wish you had2"
NO sir
She denied urging him to keep his
promise and come and see her, or that
she had told him she was in trouble.
Describes Fatal Scene.
Miss Morrison denied having taken
any razors from the Racket store or
having had a razor or knife when, as
she passed the Castle house, Mrs.
Castle called her in After she entered,
she said Mrs. Castle fastened the
screen door behind them. Miss MOrTi
son said she seated herself upon the
lounge.
Clara sat down in front Of me-" said
she. and asked What do you mean by
following Olin around?' I said I was
,,Tben she said; You know you hate
me and I hate you, and / am no friend
of yours
Z rose to 60
she said: Don't go yet, Olin is cOal-
ing in a minute It's too bad for you 10
run after that poor boy I told her he
was the one who caused her TO be SO
bitter toward me.
she said. I know better. You tried
to separate us I said I had not and
she said. You are a liar
7 said: Don't call me a liar Then
we both rose up together.
The witness paused.
What was done then?" asked Judge
Redden.
My handkerchief dropped and I
stopped TO pick it up. She moved
quickly in the same direction and then
she cut me with the razor"
You had no razor. knife nor
weapon"
No. sir"
"'Then what happened2'
Roll on the Floor.
"She cut me twice with the razor
across my throat, said Miss Morrison.
Il grabbed al her and screamed. Then
Clara and l rushed together and she
threw me and I raised my knees to
protect myself, and she kept striking
me all the time. She fell over on me
and 1 got the razor away from her.
After tnat we rolled over on the floor"
Jess. Morrison told her story in d
clear, steady voice, without hesitation,
but she paused at the threshold of the
most bloody part of it.
Then what did you do2' asked
Judge Redden.
i cut her" answered the witness in
a conversational tone.
do you know how many times?'
mo, sir
DO you know what became of the
razcr?'
"She may have knocked it from my
hand or I may have dropped it.
Then Miss Morrison told of Mrs. Mo-