The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-03-06
Man Who Murdered Mrs. Morgan,
Near Gaffney, Tells of
HIS HORRIBLE CRIME.
The Jury Returns Verdict Of Guil.
ty and tho Judge Sentences the
Prisoner to be Hanged on Friday,
March 2e-Harris Asks Everyone
TO Meet Him In Heaven, Alter Be
ing Convicted.

At Gafney On Thursday in the
Court Of General Sessions Tom Har-
ris. alias Tom Childers, was convic-
ted Of the murder OF Mrs. Horten-
sia Morgan on November 20.5 1906.
and sentenced to be hanged on Fri
day, March 20. s.
Mrs. Morgan, an aged widow, liy-
ed alone on the crest Of a hill about
two and half miles from GaRney.
She was brutally murdered about
midway. her throat being cut from
ear to ear, and her person robbed
of large sum of money.
Great interest has been manifest
ed in the case and the Court House
was packed very soon after the
doors were opened. A great many
ladies were present. Harris appear
ance had greatly changed.
Several witnesses testified to see
ing Harris at and near the oldlady's
house on the day OF the murder.
The testimony was strong against
the man and there was not shad.
ow of a doubt Of his guilt. Before
the murder he had very little mon
ey, and when arrested S726 was
found on his person, which he said
he won gambling. y
While confined In jail Harris con-
fessed TO three people that he COM
mitted the murder and described
his terrible crime. Harris said that
he and his wife and two children
came from Grover, N. C. His wife
and children stopped at Blacksburg
and he went to Gaffney. He then
went out TO Mrs Morgan's and ac-
cording to his own confession here
is what transpired.
When he got to her house, he
found her sitting on her front porch,
approached her and pretended to
want to rent farm. She told him
all her land was rented. She got up
to go in the house, asking him to
stay for dinner. He replied that he
did not care for any dinner, follow
ing her into her room.
She stepped to the bed to get a
paper and he walked up behind her,
caught her by the throat, choked
her down on the bed, took his knife
from his coat pocket and cut her.
throat. after which he waited in her
room ten or twenty minutes until
she died.
After this he searched cupboard
or safe for her money. Not finding
1t. he searched her person. Finding
her money tied around her waist
in pouch or sack, he cut the string
from her person, took the money
from the sack and threw the sack
down at the door.
He then walked back to the road
and walked back to Gaffney, going
to store and buying new suit Of
clothes, overcoat, grip and pair OF
shoes, and expecting to get on train
No. II Of the Southern Road and
go to Atlanta, Ca, and from there
to Memphis, Tenn, never to return.
He says no one else than himself
had anything to do with this murder
either directly or Indirectly. He fur
ther states at the time he commit
ted the murder he had $40 of his
own money, and, thinking it would
not be sufficient for his needs de-
cided to rob Mrs. Morgan.
The jury after being out a very
short time returned q verdict Of
guilty. During the entire time the
the Judge was making his pre1fm-I
mary remarks Harris stood chewing
wad Of tobacco. After Judge AL
drich senteced him to be hanged on
Friday, March 90, Harris exclalm-
ed, Everybody meet me in Heaven"