The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-24
HHIDFORKILLING NORRIS
Coroner's Jury Finds a Verdict
Against Saruel Mcdonald.
Details of the g'rasedy Related by
EyeEgftaesses Funeral services
over the Remains of the Victim al
the New York Avenue PresByterian
chureh-The Murderer's Condition.


Auditor Of the Treasury for the War De-
paFtment, who was shot by Samuel W.
Mcdonald on Saturday was held at the
Sixth precinct station BY Coroner Nevitt
at II o'clock this meraIns The jury coa-
sisted Of George W. Jeeesson. jane r
Smith. J. f FlefsehhaesF. HarFg FsIls.
tehn H. Justice and Z. BrannaB.
The first witness called as Br Diz-
-, the ambulance physician feora thc
Emergency Hospital He testified that BE
had responded to a cali rom Seventeenth
and r Streets north west about z,5e O'Clock
Saturday afternoon. Fss fcaaz NJ Morris
lying OF the floor O lss sfaee IN ths wind
er Building. He vas siead, s1s tie BODY
was still warm.
Or. William y. Fisher was next heard.
and testified that he had performed an aIi-
topsy on the body Of Morris at Spesre-s
undertaking establishment about O'clock
Saturday evening. Death had been caused
by a guushot wound in the breast lust to
the right OF the median line. The bullet
had severed the main artery from The
heart, and the sack containing the heart
as wei as the entire abdominal cavity
was filed with blood. Morris left leg had
also been grazed by bullet The palm Of
his right hand was cut by . ball, and one
OF his fingers was marked by the trigger
Of the pistol, which evidently had snapped
while Morris Was trying TO turn the wea-
pon away from himself
William @ Eldridge who lives at 3z2
G Street northwest, testified that about
2 O'Clock Saturday afternoon he was sit
ting IL the Auditors room facing Mr..
Morris, while using the telephone which Is
located on the latter's desk. Mr. Morris
was signing his mail and Messenger
Wilkes was blotsIss the signatures Mr.
Eidridge finished with the telephone and
was waiting 10 have AIr Morris sign an
official money order when he hesrd the
latter say. How are you. Mac?" he
turned and saw Mcdonald in the doorway
leading into the hall Mcdonald said.
Il want Je see you, and Norris replied:
Well" Mr. EIdridge asked Morris TO
sign the money order, and after his doing
SO EldFidge went into the adjoining room
and remarked TO his clerk Sam Nc
Donald Is in the other room" Just as he
sat down al his desk. the messenger.
John NilkSs. passed out Of Ar. Morris
Office through the law board room into
man were talking IL low tone possibly
q dozen Tsr1S being spoken Imm5ii1te-
" following this segfiirg was heard aud
Eldridge Jumped TO his feet Then = PTS
tol shot rans. through the room Witness
rushed for tne door leading 10 The AU-
>
sax Morris running toward him
Mcdonald WIS right behind Morris, the
witness continued, and catching him by
the shoulder. turned him back, ard
pulled him back into he Auditors room
As Mcdonald seized Morris. the latter
said: Hes trying 20 Kill me. Disarm
hina.- BY this time the two men were
just in front Of ths desk where Morris
chair had stood before It vas knocked
over Holding Norris with one hand, Nc
Donald placed the revolver te Morris
breast anc pulled the trigger. Morris
threw up has hands and sank 10 the floor
An attempt was made TO stop 3cD0n-
aid the witness stated but he broke away
from EIGridge and CHM. and turning the
pistol to bis body, fred The shot ap-
pesred TO have no effect on him, for ne
walked steadily out Sf the DOOR. Mr.
EldFiege ran into 5she hall, and shouted.
Stop that msE.''
Mcdonald stopped at the door leading
10 the street and raising the pistol gain
asked who would stop him. WaJchzisn
Cssick took hold of him. but was struck
in the head with the butt of the descend
ing weapon. That was the last that the
witness saw OF Mcdonald. Morris did not
utter a sound after the shot was fred
In reply to question 4roHa the Coroner,
Mr.. Eldricge stated that personally lie
knew very little regarding the relations
between the Two nEA- MOTIFS rarely
talked about people, even though Mr. Ei-
bridge was quite intimate with him He
had however asked the witness IN the
early part OF the year what kind OF a
man Mcdonald was. Late he told the
witness that he was disguised with the
way Mcdonald had been acting and vas
going to recommend his dismissal He
did not think that Mcdonald was under
the influence of HGuor-at least, his votSe
and step did not indicate IL
The Coroner then asked what, IN the
opinion of the witness. was the cause OF
the trouble ana the reply was it began
when the board Of examiners visited Nc
Donald's Office, who was then disbursiag
officer for the Office of the Auditor for the
War Department. TO look into his ac-
counts Mcdonald was away at the time
and the safe was sealed until his return
to permit of his being present at the ex-
animation
Lurtin H. CHM. of 1919 NJ Street north
west, a clerk in the Office Of the auditor
was the next witnes. He said he vas
seated in the room of the law board, sat
urday afternoon, and the first intimation
he had that there was any trouble was
seufHsng in the adjoining room, followed
almost Immediately by a shot As be rose
to his feet he saw Norris and Mcdonald
| IN the doorway and saw the latter FIRE the
second shot. Morris was running into the
room with his back toward its occupants
Mcdonald caught him and turning him
around shot him IN the hand He then
pulled his victim back into the other room
and fred the fatsi shot Morris sank 10
his knees beside his desk without uttering
a sound Almost Immediately Mcdonald
! turned the weapon on himself and fred.
Sergt Daniel Sullivan testified thar he
was on Seventeenth Street Saturday sf-
teYnoen IN company with Policeman
Evans. They had passed the Winder
| Building and were rearing Pennsylvania
&venae when Policeman Evans stopDes
| 10 speak to some one. The sergeant had
gone but few PAGES when hatless man
ran out Of the winder Building and cried
building and found Mcdonald sitting en-
a bag Of ceEaent with a pistol in one hand
and an open pocket knife in the other
| They saw that his condition was critical
and sent him to the Emergency Hospital
IN an Adams Express wagon in charge
| Of Bicycle Policeman Cass. The witness
then told how they had taken charge OF
i the office pending the arrival OF the Coro-
ner-
Policeman Charles A. Evans thought It
! was about five minutes past when he
/ heard the cry of murder and eorrooor-
ated Sergeant Sullivan IN every other par
| ticular He further said that after ar
resting Mcdonald he asked him What he
had done and received the reply Il did
/ it and I suppose I'm done for
The weapon was produced and is a
81 caIibre Forhard & Wadsworth revel-
| yer CT recent design. It IS a six-sheoter
and one Of the cartridges remained unz
/ fired The others we're all accounted Tor.
| Dover Davis, a grey-haired eolored mes