The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-28
Begged to Take the Boy.

GnlIETG0 7. /
her take the boy.
Then Thursday. when she returned.
she called me by telephone and said she
wanted to see me, but ] thought IL best
not to meet her. She told me that she
was going to return to POCa tCllo. Ida.
the next night to care for a rooming
house there run by her friend, Miss Tina
Young, while the latter was away, but
that she wanted Morris to think that
she had gone back to Reno.
knowing what / do Of their life. which
is public knowledge, ! am not surprised
at the outcome. 1t was only what We
who knew expected. It is deplora Die,
though, because she was a good girl
Morris Mentally Unbalanced.
Morris own life during the past year,
and especially the incidents of recent
days, show that he was mentally unbal-
anced or at least Of warped moral fibre.
About q year ago he sold out some
mining interests held by him in Fairfield.
New. receiving $40. Shortly afterward
he was taken sick in Reno, suffering
mainly from an acute attack of insomnia,
and then he began a pace through the
saloons and gambling halls that rapidly
Consumed his small fortune.
Since his recent return to Salt Lake he
has followed the haunts of the night
hawk constantly asserting that his old
trouble of insomnia was again upon him
and that he couldn't sleep Of nights. In
the last few days he CaShcd two checks
for go each at the Cullen hotel office
and a check for a lesser amount at the
bar, all Of which have been found to be
worthless.
Yesterday afternoon about o'clock ne
was met on the street by one Of mis- near
relatives, who says that Morris had 4
wild. hsggard look.
That Morris. however. had contemplated
with the cunning of q deranged mind. his
crime. IS evidenced I'm his purchase yes
te-day of q revolver and also q box OF
strychnine and a small tin Of coffee.
Yesterday Morris entered the store OF
the Western Arms company asking 10 IN
spect some revolvers. he stated that ne
had been commissioned by friend AT
Rawhide New. to purchase one. and after
a selection asked that he be permitted t.
paw for It on Monday. so that the friend
could either approve the selection Of re-
iect the revolver. Morris appeared IA
tioual and there was nothing in his de-
meauor to have aroused suspicion in the
mind Of the clerk. although II Is recalled
that he drew out a photograph Of his
wife and showed 1t to the clerk
Brothers Statement.
About O'Clock I'm the evening. while
NJ T. Morris. a brother. was standing
on Second South street. Jan Morris. il
company with his wife and another wo
man. passed. Jan stopped, while the wu
men went on, and asked the brother tC
go to the Eagle Club saloon to have Q
/ drink Instead they went to McPhee'
buffet. ana the OCCufTtUte tEftF. MNtff
reflected the state Of mind Of the prin
/ cipaI In last nights tragedy, is best toll
/ in NJ. I. Morris story:
when we went into McPhee's, jar
J said to me:
. Nose, I've bought gun I want yo'
/ to see
and lust then someone called me off {,
one side and I left Jan. When l wen
/ hack he seemed huffy. and when
! asked him where the gun was be said:
| "'Oh you didn't want to see it and
wrapped il up again.
1 ..Then all of a sudden he said to me:
d" DO you like coffee? and he pulie'
1 out this little tin.
Il told him Sure and he said if
| aid ne would get me all ] could use a
the time ! didn't think anything of Il
| because Just a little while ago he sskea
/ me II I had all the table linen ! wanted
/ that he could give me lots OF IT. I natur
/ aIfv supposed that If he was closing on
the hotel IN Reno he had lots of stuff
/ like that.
/ NV supposition now Is that he had go
| that coffee and intended TO put tn
/ strvchnine. which was found on him. in i
II I think in an insane way he had his min
/ made tp to do what he did. but he wa
/ undecided whether to commit the dee
/ hx shooting or DoisoIi.-
+ "Its hard TO account for the thing. w