The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-07-10
FOUL MURDER.
Aged Widow Who Lived Near
Gaffney Robbed
AND HER THROAT CUT

lbAiF oteteh WV 's
About Midday. Tom Harris, q
Wonde log Character Ar.
r.stcd On Suspicion.
A dispa. Oh from Gafaey to The
News and Courier says that section
Was again tae scene Of 9 most shook.
Ink crime. o Tuesday Of last week
between IL an | l O'Clock, at her home
oo the crest OF a hill, two and q half
mites from g. iney, and overlooking
the town. Mr.. Hortense Morgan, an
aged widow, living all alone, was null
dsred and robbed. Her throat wa
cut from ear to ear sud several hun
d,ed dollars sto)en rem her person.
As the citizens were returning from
thsir dinner the news spresd that Mrs,
Morgan had been murdered and the
sheriff and the ohisf Of pcl.cs with the
blood hounds went to the sosne, but
they had n + bsen gone long before
onn Tom Harris was poinSed out at
tho depos rs a man $3.50 az Mira. MOI
CAMS just befoys the crime was COM
mitted. Several good aud substantial
men identified him az having been
seen on the ro,ch ot the house - they
aSsd coming 70 town.
Harris wa arrested b. O61csr Ooyle
and Deputy Marshal Pa ps. On GER
aoilman CINE up and they took Har.
rts to the city prison where he was
searched. o. his person visa found .
large knife, very sharp and bloody, and
In two rolls was found s726 10. One
roll OF bills was wrapped III white
rag very much as q woman would
wrap it. The other roll had been
wrapped In tho Same way, but the
vrappipgs wore gone. The rag which
seemed to have been wrapped around
this last roll was found between the
house AMI Gaffney. +
Harris, when asked how much mon.
ey he had, said that he had about
5000, s126 less than he really had. In
addition to the money and knife there
we're found on bis person stains OF
blood, about his hands, and on his
breast there was Z bruise.
Your: correspondent wished the
scene of the crime and found Mrs.
Morgan on her bed In Z pool OF her
Own blood. Her throat was cut from
ear TO ear and her clothing had been
turned up xn1 two cloth bags contain.
ing the money, which was attached
to her waist, had been cut of and
thrown to the floor. The room had
been ransacked, the clothing thrown
about the floor. From inquiry Of the
nsighbors the following facts were IS
certained:
Mrs. Morgan lived alone In her
house on tho top Of the hill, but spent
her nights with . tenant on her,place,
because she was afraid of being mur.
dered. Between II and IL O'Clock
Mrs. Webb saw her about tho place.
hanging out clothes and feeding the
pigs. At 1 O'Clock Ms. Webb had N
engagement to 60 with her to see =
neighbor. After waiting some time
over tho appointed hour she went to
the house to SEQ what had bsoome Of
her. She looked in the window and
saw her Oh the bed with her throat
cut. She gave the alarm and soon q
crowd had gathered.
Harris was seen going to Mrs. Nor.
gsn's zeal to IL O'Clock. He asked
some people along tho road how far it
was to her house. He was seen in the
porch talking to her while she was
sewing. When he Came to town after
the murder che ftst thing he did was
to buy q suie Of clothes and IN over
coat.
Later Tuesday afternoon bis broth.
er.in.lsw, Jim Ohildress, who works
at one of tho mills here, but who had
bsen away for some time, returning
TO Gafney Tuesday morning with
Hirris, was arrested as knowing
something OF the crime. Ohildress
worked with Mrs. Morgan this fall,
picking cotton, and knew Of the report
that she carried money on her person,
When arrested he was on his way TO
Blacksburg, where he was to join Mrs
Harris. who was sailing there for her
husband to return. It Is thought that
Ohildress knows 8 great deal about the
affair, as Harris was . stranger In the
community.
Harris is a ma Of medium size, OF
a low order Of intelligence, with SANDY
whiskers over his face. As a boy he
was considered wild. Rumor has II
that he WAS at Forest City, N. O.,
about three weeks ago working In &
mill, but he SAYS that he came here
from Groves, N. g. Three years age
he lived at Hickory Grove, where he
was known as q preacher, having been
ordained by the Baptist Church.
Another rumor has 1t that he was q
Holiness preacher. Anyway, he asked
the officers to look in his suit Case and
get him his Bible. When asked where
he got 30 much money be said tina, he
labored and made it, but afterward!
said that he made ii by labor ano
gambling.
1t i. thought By many that II Har'
ris killed Mrs. Morgan he WAS hired
to murder harp There are those WHIT
believe that tbs killing Of Mrs. Nor
gan was the execution Of q deep lait
3 plot to put the aged lady out Of thu
. way, and that Harris was the too
secured to do the bloody work. Thu
officials Of Gafney are now at worl