The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-13
A RAZOR ENDS Two LIVES
Charles MOrehiser Kills His Wife
and Commits Suicide.
A Shocking Tragedy Near the SOL
dIers' Home-Thc Woman Murder
ed While BENDING Over Her Bnby
--The Details of the Crime.

diers' Home-Thc Woman Murder
ed While BENDING Over Her Bnby
The Details of the Crime.
Mrs Margaret Morehiser was bending
over the bed where her seven-mOnth-old
baby lay last night when without a word
of warning her husband. Charles II.
Morehiser drew razor from his pocket
Hnd slashed her throat from ear to ear.
From the gaping wound the blood gushed
forth and literally baptized the infant as
she lay there laughing and cooling. the
mother turned and ran into an adjoining
room. where she fell dead at her father
feet The crime was committed shortly
before o'clock last night at the home OF
Patrick Ford, the old gatekeeper at the
Whitney Avenue entrance to the Sol
diers Home grounds.
Morehiser saw his wife fall and then
closing his razor. left the house. ran
through the gateway down Whitney Ave
nue. to Brightwood Avenue and thence to
the grocery store of John Green. in Mar
shall Street His hands and clothing
were covered with blood as he
rushed excitedly through the store to
the kitchen in the rear. Mr.. Green, OBJ
serving the mans peculiar actions fol-
Ioved him to ascertain the cause OF ms
peculiar conduct.
BEFORE he could make an enquiry
Morehiser. without an explanation salu
..Good-bye" and then drew the blaue
across his own throat Mr. Green selzed
the mans arm in an attempt to stay
the deed. but withdrew when Morehiser
turned upon him and tried to cut him
with the weapon. Before the grocery
man could summon assistance Morchiser
had again drawn the keen steel across ms
throat He then threw the razor upon the
floor. and with the blood streaming from
two CHASTITY wounds, ran out the store AS
wildly as he had entered. His strength
sustained him until he had reached Steu-
ben Street a block below, where he feil
helpless to the pavement.
In the mean time a crowd of excited
people had gathered, and the police at
No. station were notified of the tragedy.
An ambulance removed the man to Freed
mans Hospital, where he died a few
minutes after being placed upon the oper-
;Tting table.
Morehiser was 81 years of age and for
the past month or six weeks had been an
inmate Of the Soldiers Home. He had
served for five years in the Sixth Cavalry
and upon heins discharged from the army
nbout thirteen years ago he returned 10
Washington. HI was engaged in several
different pursuits and for a time was the
proprietor of "A barber shop on Bright
wood Avenue, near Marshall Street.
About two years ago he was engaged as
wardmaster in the Soldiers Home Hos
pital and served there untn about six
weeks ago. when he was discharged. 1t
was during the time that he was thus
Employed that he became acquainted with
Margaret Ford the daughter Of the old
Whitney Avenue gatekeeper She was
20 years Of age when, in October, 1899.
they eloped to Alexandria and were mar
ried by justice of the peace. When
they returned home her parents We're
deeply incensed and insisted that they
should Ice remarked by a clergyman.
Rev. DIR. Green. Of Alexandria. performed
the second ceremony.
Norehiser and his wife went to live in
n cottage on Whitney Avenue just out
eide of the Soldiers Home grounds. He was
much older than she and they did not live
happily together. Upon several occasions
he assaulted her and she threatened TO
rause his arrest. After their baby "a girD
was born last July Mrs. Norehiser told
her husband that she intended to leave
him because of his cruelty. He declared
both her and the baby. On New Years
day she left him and returned to her IA
Tiers home. He followed her and crea-
ted disturbance at the house. Sew
eral times afterward he visited her and
tndeavored TO induce her to live with him
again. s;he declined to do so. and he re-
fused to provide any support for her or
the child. Last Saturday she asked him
for money to procure something for the
babe and he told her he had not vet
drawn his pension. and that his papers
were at the Soldiers Home. In the even
ing he went to see her and exhibited the
t5l Of pension money which he had just
drawn. but refused 10 give her any Of it,
Shortly before o'clock last night he
went to the lodge and asked to see his
wife. Mrs Ford his mother-in-law, told
him that he could not come in the house
because he had treated his wife cruelty.
and upon several occasions had created a
disturbance there. He did enter, however
and talked with Mrs Morehiser while her
mother was in an adjoining room with
the baby. which lay asleep in her car
riage. When the infant awoke Mrs
Morehiser carried the little one into the
room where Morehiser was sitting and
placed her upon the bed. Mr. Ford. the
old gatekeeper, was reading his evening
paper in the adjoining room, and neither
he nor his wife heard any of the convcrsa-
tion which passed between Morehiser and
their daughter. In fact, MOrehiser was
Eullen and talked but little. His wife
stood bending over the babe when he ap-
preached her from behind and drew tl.
razor across her throat. She uttered
q feeble cry and. surning ran into the ad-
Joining room and fell dead upon the floor
The child lay rubbing its tiny hands in
her mothers warm blood as Morehiser
stood looking for a moment upon his
helpless offspring as If meditating whether
not he would also take the life of the
little one. His courage seemed to have
failed him. however. for he closed the
weapon and ran out of the house without
attempting to innict any injury upon the
babe.
MIR. and Mrs. Ford sprang to their
daughters assistance, hut could render no
aid. The old man had started toward the
Soldiers Home To procure assistance
when he heard the screams Of his wife.
and. fearing that Morehiser had made an
assault upon her he rushed back to the
lodge The murderer had left. however.
and was running down Whitney Avenue.
Michael Hackett aud his wife and Mrs
bridget, as well as several other neigh
bors living just outside the grounds