The times., 1900-12-25
SAMUEL MCDONALD Held
The Grand Jury to Investigate the
Killing of F. H. Morris.
Result of the Coroner's Inquest A
Clerk who Saw the Auditor Fail
After Receiving the Fatal Wound
Gives Account of the Tragedy
-Assassfn's Condition Unchanged.

The coroner's jury which had beeI
summoned by DR.. hewitt to enquire intC
the circumstances surrounding the deatl
of Auditor Frank H. Morris yesterday
found Samuel Mcdonald responsible fol
Morris death and directed that he bt
held for the action of the grand jury
The inquest was conducted by Coroner ]
Ramsay Nevitt, and in the absence O
DR.. Glazebrook. DR.. William n. Fisher
assisted him. Assistant United States At
torney NJ. H. Bingham appeared in be
half of the District Attorneys Office.
The jury, which consisted of George W
Jefferson, James F. Smith, ]. T. FIeisch-
hauer. Harry Wills. John H. Justice. and
remains at Speare's undertaking estab-
lishment on F Street, and when DR.. Ne
witt entered the Sixth precinct police sta
tion on New Jersey Avenue at II O'Clock
the taking OF testimony was begun.
DR.. Taylor B. Dixon, one of the resident
physicians at the Emergency Hospital, was
the first witness called. He testified that
sponded to call from Seventeenth and f
Street about 2:S0 o'clock Saturday after
noon. He entered the Winder Building. and
going at once to the Auditors office. found
Morris on the floor. His heart had ceased
beating, but the body was still warm. He
found a bullet hole in his chest. with
powder marks on his shirt front, where
bullet had entered
DR.. William N Fisher. the acting deputy
coroner, testified that about 6 o'clock Sat
urday evening he performed an autopsy on
the body of Morris at Speare's undertaking
establishment Morris. he said was man
OF about l46 pounds, and was apparently in
excellent physical condition. Death had
been caused by a gunshot wound in the
hreast, Just 10 the right of the centre of
the body. The bullet had severed the main
artery leading from the heart had nene
trated the sack surrounding that organ.
and had embedded Itself in the wall Of ths
abdomen between the ninth and tenth ribs
William c. Eldridge.- whose room ad-
joins the one in which the tragedy took
place, was the most important witness
of the day. He testified that about
z O'Clock Saturday afternoon he was sit
tlng IN the Auditors room facing Mr..
Morris, while using the telephone which fs
located on the Iatter's desk Mr. Morris
was signing his mail and Messenger
Wilkes was blotting the signatures Mr..
Eidridge finished with the telephone and
was waiting to have Mr.. Morris sign an
ofncial money order when he heard the
latter say, How are you. Mace" He
turned and saw Mcdonald in the doorway
leading into the hall Mcdonald said.
I want to see you" and Morris replied:
Well" Mr.. Eldridge asked Morris to
sign the money order. and after his doing
so Eidridge went into the adjoining room
and remarked to his clerk: Sam Nc
Donald is in the other room" Just as he
sat down at his desk, the messenger
John Wilkes, passed out of Mr. Norris
office, through the law board room ipfo
the ball For about fifteen seconds tbe
men were talking in a low tone, possibly
a dozen words being spoken. Imneiiate-
~ following this scuffiing was heard aui
Eldridge jumped to his feet Then a ris-
toi shot rang through the room Witness
rushed for the door leading to the Au-
oltors room, bat before he reached ii he /
saw Morris running toward him.
Mcdonald was right behind Morris the |
witness continued. snd catching him BIZ
the shoulder, turned him hack. and
pulled him back into the Auditors room |
As Mcdonald seized Morris the latter
said: Hes trying to kill me- Disarm
him By this time the two men were |
just in front OF the desk. where Morris. /
chair had stood before it WAS Knocked |
over Holding Morris with one hand. Me-
Donald placed the revolver to norris. |
breast and pulled the trigger. Morris |
threw up his hands and sank to the floor |
An attempt was made to stop McDou- !
2 Ia, the witness stated. b.;t he broke away |
from Eldridge and CHM, and turning the
pistol to his body. fired The shot ap /
Pearcd 10 have no effect on him, for he |
walked steadily out of the door. Mr. /
Eldridge ran into the hall, and shouted. 1
Stop that man"
Mcdonald stopped at the door leadins
TO the street and raising the pistol again
asked VINO would stop him. Watchnan 1
Cuslck took hold of him. but was struck |
IN the head with the butt of the descend I
ing weapon That was the last that the
witness saw OF Mcdonald. Morris did not
utter a sound after the shot was fired
The witness knew very little regardin,
the relations that existed between Morris
and Mcdonald. He was personally NIT
mate with Morris and had rarely heard
hlm speak OF Mcdonald. In the early part
OF the year Morris once asked him what
ne knew regarding Mcdonald and later
on, aiter Mcdonald was said to have heen
stated that he Morris was dfs-
gusted with him and was going to racor,, |
mend his dismissal. When the exa,ninine
board, that had been directed to inyestI-
gate McDonald's accounts called at the
once Mcdonald was out of the city and
his safe was sealed up and the Inyestipo
tion was postponed until his return
Lnrtin r. CHM, of 1918 N Street north
west, clerk in the Office of the auditor
was the next witness. He said he was
seated in the room Of the law board Sat
uroay afternoon, and the first intination
ne nad that there was any trouble was |
Seuniing In the adjoining room. followed
almost Immediately by a shot AS he rose
TO his feet he saw Morris and Mcdonald
In the doorway and saw the latter fire the
second shot. Morris was running into the
room with his back toward its occuuauts
mcdonald caught him and turning him
around shot him in the hand. He then
pulled his victim back into the other room
and fired the fatal shot Morris sank 10
lis knees beside his desk without uttering
4 sound. Almost Immediately Mcdonald
turned the weapon on himself and fred.
sergt. Daniel Sullivan testified that he
was on Seventeenth Street Saturday af
ternoon In company with Policeman