The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-01-12
JULIA MORRISON.
The Actress Tells Her Version OF the
Chattanooga killing.
She Declares That Leiden Had Pc
cuisd aud In-uitrd Tier Be-
YOnd Endurance.

CH ATTANooGA, Jan. 5.-The case of
Julia Morrison, the actress, charged
with the murder of Frank Leiden on the
Opera ,,uus5 stage in this city Sept. ",
1899. was resumed in the court this
morning Miss Morrison appeared at
tired in black d 'es5 and sat with her
attorneys.
The first witness called to-day was w.
J. Patterson, stage manager of the local
opera house. who testified TO the killing
Of Ieiden by Miss Morrison. He stated
that Miss Morrison had not changed her
dress to appear in the play booked for
that night and IN which she was the
leadiag lady. That at the request Of
Leiden he had found her and warned
her that it was time for the curtain to
rise, and the company was waiting for
waiting for her. She then went to the
stage from the lower toilet-room by a
back stairway, leaching the stage exact
" at the point where Leiden was stand
ing to superintend the lights and rails
ing of the curtains.
Before she reached the top of the steps,
and while she was within three feet of
Leiden, she began firing and shot three
times, the first one glancing the top of
Leiden's head. the other striking him in
the face at the side of the nose. After
he had fallen to the floor she advanced
two steps and shot him while he lay on
the floor, the bullet penetrating the
neck and ranging up. tie died from his
wouncs in few minutes. Witness had
not heard Miss Morrison and Leiden
quarreling, but Leiden had told him
that there was an unpleasantness be-
tween them.
At the afternoon session of the court
She defense began the examination of
witnesses, and Miss Morrison, the priso-
ner, was the first introduced. Miss Nor
rison's testimony was exceedingly sensa-
tional, and she frequently requested the
court to permit her to put some OF
Leideu's Language addressed to her in
writing rather than REUTER- the words.
She said:
my name is Julia Morrison. | am
an actress. | was born, to the best of
my knowledge, in Kansas. My parents
died when / was an infant, and | have
known only foster parents, whose name
was Dale. | was married to Mr. James
by Justice of the Peace in Memphis
under the name of Rosaline Dale.
afterward learned my zeal name and
was again married under my right nau.e
in Louisiana"
She continued, saying in substance
that after she joined the Mr. Plaster
of Paris" company, Leiden was very
friendly until he found that she was
married and that her husband would
accompany her on the road From the
time he found that out he began his
systematic persecution. He had made
improper proposals to her and insulteC
her frequently; had frequently corrected
her in her lines without cause; that ht
frequently called her foul names, anC
had persisted in his course of abusing
her until she lost all control of her
self.
On the e-ening of the shooting shC
stated that Leiden had gone to the tollet
room While she was SICK and had Offered
an indignity which she told to the court
and which Is unfit for the prints.
She says that when he did this SHE
lost control of herself and that wher
she wen5 to the stage by the rear stair
way, Just as she reached the top OF thu
steps, Leiden apr cached her with al
appraised cain in his hand as if to STRIKE
her and called her a fou! name. Sh,
stated from that moment she had nt
memory of what happened; that the
time between that moment and Whel
she found herself in the station HOUSE
was blank in her mind. Explaining
why she had the pistol on this partlcu
lar evening, she stated that she Away
carried pistol in her bosom.
On cross examination she stated tina
she had borne Leiden insults until sh
had learned that she was to be sup
planted in Atlanta by another woman
and that then she had become desperate
At TINS point the Judge adjourned
court until tomorrow, when Miss Nor
rison will be Subjected to a rigid crOs.
examination.