New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-07
MORRISON'S WIFE FORGIVES
SHE CONSENTS TO REMAIN WITH THE
MAN WHO KILLED HER SUCCESSOR.

MAN WHO KILLED HER SUCCESSOR.
MOUNT VERNON POLICE WATCH THE PRO-
FEssoR OF LANGUAGES. BUT NO STEPS
ARE TAKEN TO PROSECUTE HIM.
Alfred Morrison, the professor of languages at
Mount Vernon who recently shot and killed his
wife and was acquitted of all blame for 1t by
a Coroner, who believed his story that he nred
at her in his sleep by mistake. thinking her to
be a burglar is now charged with having had
another wife living when he married the woman
he shot. This might have been regarded as a
possible motive for the shooting had it been
known to the Coroner at the time or the IN
quest especially as it appears that exposure
of Morrison's alleged dual life by his first wife
hanging over his head and threatening TO
fall on him at any moment Morrison married
his second wife under the alias of Wood, and at
one time assumed the name of Osborne though
for what purpose has not been discovered Many
persons believe he is not of sound mind.
Mrs Lillian Gordon is the woman who says
she is the Professors real wife. Her maiden
name was Archer, and she tells the police that
he married her in Jersey City on November D.
1881, under the name of Frederick H Gordon
He lived with her until 1888. when he left her
and went to Mount Vernon There he taught
languages and visited her occasionally at her
home No. 1856 Thrd-ave.. in this city, where
she worked as a dressmaker. He sometimes
gave her money, she says, but not much, repre-
senting to her that he was only earning pare
living in Mount Vernon. Not long ago she heard
that he was living with another woman there'
and taxed him with it, but he assured her tnat
he true to her and offered to take her up
to Mount Vernon some day and let her see for
herself that he was living with no other woman
He never took her. however. but kept postpon-
ipo bar x-tai ground another every
time she referred to 1t. Mrs. Gordon declares
1t was not until she the accounts of the
shooting accident in the newspapers that she
learned of his perfdy. She knew that he passed
under the name of Morrison in Mount Vernon.
Mrs Gordon's story, however. is contradicted
in some important particulars by Morrisons s
aunt who says that each wife was aware OF
the existence of the other for some time before
the shooting.
MORRISON RAVES LIKE A MADMAN.
Morrison was seen at his home No. Z Rich ave.
Mount Vernon, yesterday. He was walking the
floor. pulling at his hair and acting like a luna
tic He shook like a leaf. and several times
was compelled to hold onto something to keep
from falling. He declared that he was crazy
and that his father and mother had died from
softening of the brain, and that the same fate
awaited him. When he spoke of his wives ne
always alluded 10 No. 2 the one whom he
killed, as MY darling wife," and to No. i as
my wife"
"It is all true" he said. "and all this on top
of the death of my darling wife"
II don't know how it all happened" he con-
tnued II en- crazy II 1 am not crazy now
l will soon be. I cannot stand all this. Since
that terrible tragedy TO my darling wife I have
not been myself. Even before that awful night
1 was not happy I had constantly the awful
dread of exposure The strain for years was
awful. 1 tried to get divorce from my wife.
but she refused to separate from me- she
wanted money l then tried to get divorce
from my darling wife She, too refused to
leave me- Oh how I loved, loved her with all
the fire in my SOUL but knew it was wrong
for me to lead this double life 1 did not love
my first wife, she was so jealous. 1 saw her in
New York every week gave her money"
Morrison then told of his first marriage. He
said he met Lillian Archer when she was eigh-
teen years old. He loved her at first sight, and
they were soon married. 1t was not long before
he found out his mistake, he said as his wife
was unusually jealous. Then he left his first
wife and went to Mount Vernon, changing his
name to hide his identity.
Soon after going there Morrison met his sec
ond wife. In speaking OF this he said:. TT was
love at first sight We were married eight years
ago. All the time 1 lived with my darling wife
and tried to buy off my wife, but she refused
to release me. She is mean and cunning. Last
Christmas gave my darling wife piano and
my wife fifty cents That is how little I thought
of my wife Our child. Flora. is eight years old.
We adopted her five years ago. Her dead
mother was a friend of my darling wife. oh. I
am crazy, crazy. They want me to go TO an
asylum
At this point Gordon began to rave about his
darling wife" and the tragedy.
Now that I have been found out 1 suppose
they will say that murdered my darling wife" "
he added. THAT is preposterous. did not
murder her to get rid of her. 1 would not
have murdered her. I killed her in a night
mare
LOCKED UP AND RESTRAINED.
Morrison then became so excited that his aunt.
Mrs Amelia Cohen, led him to a ROOM where he
was locked in and a coachman with him
to restrain him from hurting himself His shot
gun revolver and were removed and a
search of his pockets brought TO light pocket
knife which was also placed beyond his reach.
Mrs Amelia Cohen, of LarchmOnt. is Gordon's
aunt She is we'll to do. and has retained ex-
Judge George C. Appel to defend her nephew.
Mrs Cohen said yesterday: The only thing l
hope is that my nephew will die within twenty
four hours. He is bound to die from softening
of the brain, and hope his death will be speedy.
| know but little of his double life. 1 do not
know who wife No 2 was before her marriage
I did not know that he had two wives until
four years ago when 1 came here to live.
then went TO Mrs. Gordon in New-York and Of
fered her any amount to get divorce. She re-
fused to release her husband. She knew he had
another wife. So did Mrs. Morrison know 'sof
Mrs Gordon. For years doctors have been