The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-23
WASHINGTON OFFICIAL
IS ASSASSlNHT TED
2 4 Morris, Auditor Of the War Department, Is
Killed in His Office BY Samuel Macdonald.
Murderer Is His Former Subordinate and Brother Of W.
H. Macdonald, the Famous Opera Singer

of 81, 00C. He produced evidence which
tended 10 exonerate him from the
charge Of taking the money, and as
he Immediately made good he amount,
nothing further was done except Il
reduce his salary TO 81, 400 and trans1e.
him TO the office of the audi r Ter tn,
pOstOft1ce department where he was
employed at the time OF the tragedy
1t is stated that Macdonald had beer
a hard drinker at times and tflaS many
Of his misfOrtunes can be traced to his
source.
He has a large number Of +rienes.
however, who regard him as a man Of
many excellent qualities.
Now Fighting for life.
Macdonald was removed to the omer-
gency hospital, where tie doctors have
been busily engaged in trying 10 save
MS life He was bleeding profusely
from the gashes ne had made across
his throat, but it was fOund Oh exam
nation that the Jugular vein nsd not
been pierced and that Me wound was
not likely TO endangeT his iITe=~ The
bullet wound in the breast pToV(d to
be more serious. Tbe bullet entered
the left breast below the neaTt ard
lodged in the back between the ribs.
An operation was performed and the
bail removed. TIE DO eIo~s were hope
full the man would pull through unless
blood poisoning or JtE2r unfaN cradle
symptoms developed.
While Macdonald was in the han j.
Of the surgeons Il policeman sat lear
him and kept him under constant sur
veillance. Technically, he is under ar
rest and in the custody of the police,
but while the fight for his life s. gCIng
on there viii be 10 restrain beyond
surveillance. Owing II the critical ia
ture Of his wounds, the doctors have
not permitted him to b. seen TOR the
T1rpDen of Giving a sra taFg7an-
Story by the Clerk.
The desperate character of the strug-
gle between Morris and Macdonald is
disclosed by the stories of the officials
of the auditors office who we're near
the scene Of the tragedy. The auditor
sat at his desk signing the days mail,
when Macdonald entered and asked
for a few minutes private conversa-
ton with him. Clerks in the adjoining
office heard loud talking and MacDon-
aid was apparently threatening Then
they heard Morris turn in his chair and
come toward the doorway. Morris back
ed into the room, Macdonald following
q. few feet away.
The first shot had been fired just as
Morris lacked in It missed the mark
and was imbedded in the doorway. The
clerks, Mortified, stepped forward to in
tervene. But as they did so MacDon-
aid reached forward and grabbed Nor
ris by the coat collar and dragged
him back into the auditors office. Now
the men were breast to breast. There
was not time for the clerks to rush in,
and no one saw what followed imme-
diaJely thereafter, but two shots were
heard in rapid succession. It is evil
dent that Morris sought to grab the
weapon from his assailant. and that
his hand was over The barrel when the
second shot was fired. for his hand was
pierced, the bail then imbedding itself
in the wall. Macdonald then put the
and fired for the third time. This time
the bullet went to its mark and Nor
ris fell Iifeless.
The clerks looked in and saw Mac
Donald standing over his victim. As
they looked they saw him turn the
weapon against himself and fire. Then
he walked to the hall
Macdonald threatened the life Of
anyone who dared intercept him. 1t
was then that he struck Cusick, who
was in the hall and made an effort to
stop him. Going to the street he sat
down on a pile Of bags and drew the
penknife from his pocket and sIashed
his throat. Two police officers seized
him. He made no resistance, and was
taken to the hospital.
The body of Morris was Iifeless when
his subOrdinates reached his side. The
bosom of his shirt was powder marked
where the shot went in. showing how
near the weapon was held when the
fatal shot was fired