The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-11-28
FOUL MURDER.
An Aged Widow Who Lived Near
Gaffney Robbed
AND HEB THROAT CUT
Tie Crime, Which Was Most Shock
iDgly Brutal 0se, Was Committed
About Midday Toa Harris,
Wondering Character Ar.
rested On Suspicion.

Wondering Character Ar.
rested On Suspicion.
! A dispstch from GsRney to The
News and Courier says that section
vas again the scsne OF most shock
Ing crime. On Tuesday OF last week
between - and l O'Clock, at her home
on the c1sst Of q hill, two and half
miles from Gafney, and overlooking
the town, Mrs. Eortsnss Morgan, an
aged widow, living all alone, was muir
dered and robbed. Her throat was
cut from esr to ear and several hun
| dred dollars stolen frem her person.
As the citizens were returning froC
thsir dinner the news spread that Mrs.
Morgan had been murdered and she
sheriff and the chief Of police with the
blood hounds went to the scane, but
they had net been gone long before
one Tom Hsrlis was poinsed out se
the depot as man sssn st Mrs. Nor
gan's Just before the crime vas coD-
nitted. Several good aud substantial
men identified him as having been
seen on the porch Of the house IS they
rarssd coming to town.
Harris wss arrested b, Officer Coyle
sac Dsputy Marshal Phil ps Ofh3e:
holman csme up and they sooa HaT,
,ts to the city prison where be was
searched. Ga his person was found
large knife, very sharp and bloody, anc
10 two rolls was found s726 10. Ooe
roll OF bills was wrapped Id white
rag very much Is q woman voulc
wrap 1t. The other roll had been
wrapped in the same way, but the
vrsppings were gone. The rag which
seemed to have been wrspped around
this last roll vas found between the
house AMI Gsfney.
Harris, when asked how much MOD
az ne had, said that he had ao' u
5000, s12e lsss tran he really hsd. Il
addition TO the money and knife there
we're found on his person stains OF
blood, about his hands, and on biz
breast there was bruise.
Your correspondent visited the
scene OF the crime and found Mrs
Morgan on her bed in pool OF her
own blood. Hsr throat wss cub from
ear TO ear and her clothing bad beeo
turned up AMI two cloth bags contain.
ing the money, which was attached
tv her waist, had been out of and
thrown TO the floor. The roon had
been ransacksd, the cloehing thrown
about the floor. From inquiry OF the
neighborS the following facts were as
csrtsined:
Mrs. Morgan lived alone In her
house OF the top OF the hill, but spent
her nights with tenant on her place,
because she was afraid Of being muir.
1ered. Between II and II o'clocR
Mrs. Webb saw her about the plscs.
hanging out clothes snd feeding ths
pigs. At O'Clock Ms. Webb had &C
engagement to 90 with her to see 3
neighbor. After waiting some time
1ver the appointed hour she went to
the house to see what bad become Of
Ter. She looked in the windoR and
saw her Oh the bed with her throat
cut. She gave the alarm and soon
crowd haG gathered.
Harris was seen going to MIS-. Nor
zsn's near to IL O'Clock. Hs ssked
scme people along the road how far 1t
vas to her house. BE was ssen IN the
porch talking to her while She was
sewing. When be came to town after
she murder the nrst thing he did Was
TO buy suit Of clothes snd an over
coat.
Later Tuesday afternoon bis broth
er>in.lsw, Jim ChildresS, who works
AZ one Of the mills here, but who had
been away for some time, returning
TO GaGasy Tuesday morning with
Harris, was arrested as knowing
something OF the crime. Childress
worked with MIS-. Morgan this fall,
picking cotton, and knew Of the repora
chat she carried nonsy on her person,
When arrested be was on his way to
Blscksburg, whsre he was to join Mrs
Harris, who was qaiting there for her
husband to return. It is thought that
Ohildress knows 8 great deal about the
affair, as Harris Was q stranger In the
community.
Harris Is s man Of medium sizs, OF
low order Of intelligence, with sandy
whiskers over bis face. AS 8 boy be
was considered wild. Runor has 1t
that be was at Forest City, N. O.,
shout three weeks ago working in
! ratll, but he says that he came here
| from Groves, N. C. Three years ago
he lived at Hickory Grove, where ne
was known as preacher, having been
ordained by the Baptist Church.
Another runor has it that he was q
Holiness preacher. Anyway, he askeo
the officers to look in his suit case and
get him bis Bible. When asked where
be got so much money be said that hs
Isbored and made it, but afterwards
said thst he made 1t By labor and
gambling.
1t is thought by many that II Hai.
r!s killed Mrs. Morgan he Was hirec
to murds, her? There are those vhc
believe that the killing OF Mrs. Nor.
ysn was tae execution Of a deep laid