The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-17
BLAMES NAVY
YARD OFFICIALS
Or. keans Believes They We're
at Fault in Releasing Morse.

Yesterday DR.. George F. Keene. super
intendent OF the state hospital for the
insane, spoke in vigorous terms OF the
action OF the navy yard officials in per-
mitting william s. Morse 70 come to
this city after their promise not 10 do so.
He believes they are very much at fault
in discharging him from the service,
knowing all the circumstances as they
did. Had the Charlestown navy yard Of
cials held to their agreement the murder
would not have happened
Morse came here oct. 90" said DR.
Keene eve knew OF his attentions 10
Mis- Toombs. and we knew the record
OF his family. He has a brother at East
Berlin. Conn. and a mother In the Mid
dletown. Conn, insane hospital.
ION Feb. 10 two men, a master at
arms and petty officer. came here in
response to our notification TO the
Charlestown navy yard 10 take Morse
away. Secretary Wightman OF the state
board OF charities and corrections had
written To the navy yard setting forth
fully and i'm detail the circumstances
Of Morse's case. his unwelcome atten-
tions TO the girl and his record. While
the men from the navy yard were here
/ was in telephone communication with
the yard and they wanted Morse re-
turned. / was assured that he would
be put on the Wabash. the receiving
ship and later transferred to a war
vessel for long cruise. where he would
have no chance of creating disturbances.
The officers brought irons for guarding
Morse, II necessary.
"On these assurances I let him go. He
was suffering from melanchola. and I
dftBHet-then consider him safe man
TO be at large. Yet under the conditions
the navy yard would surround him with
he would he all right. Miss Toorfbs
mother later visited the hospital and
seemed better pleased that Morse had
gone away than TO have him I'm the hos
pital here"
Morse was released from the state hos
ptal I'm January under a system or par
ole naugurated here two or three years
ago by Or Keene and underwater inmates
OF the state hospital for the insane who
have very considerably improved In con-
dition and seem likely under favorable
circumstances to make stll further i'm
provement are allowed 10 leave the hos
pital under restrictions.
"In the case OF Morse. his condition NJ
the time he was released in January on
parole was very good" SAID DR.. Keene.
There was no apparent reason to be-
lieve that there would be ana return of
his previous condition. He said he had
given the girl up and that nc would keep
away from her one OF the men from
the barn who had made up a purse for
him signed his parole bond and said the
men had n Job In Boston for him.
"He had talked OF the girl when here,
and had said that he had bought furni-
ture and hired house. The young wo-
man came out several times TO see h.m
while he was here and her mother came
also. Some OF his fellow carmen said
they would get him out OF the state and
would see that he did not return.
He did not belong In this state and
had "A settlement In Connecticut. ana
might have returned there at any time
m thought advisable by Agent Wightman
OF the board OF state charities ana cor
rections under the state laws. which give
the agent OF the board the power 10 send
out OF the state any insane person belong
ing In another state. Having settle
ment in Connecticut. the legal obligation
10 care for Morse was on Connecticut,
not on Rhode Island"
Medical Examiner Perkins said yoster-
day that the AUTOPSY disclosed the TACT
that probably only one OF the bullets
fired into the body OF Miss TOOmbs was
sufficient 10 cause death. That was the
one that went almost directly through
tho middle OF the heart Each Of the
four bullets struck the young woman in
tho back. Present at the autopsy were
Drs. Terry, Pcgram, Crooker. Williams
The funeral services will be- held to-
morrow afternoon az o'clock from tre
church on Bellevue avenue. where Miss
Toombs was bound at the time Of the
murder.