The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-29
NEW LIGHT SHED
ON TROUBLES OF
MORRIS FAMILY
Continued from Page I

return to Salt Lake with him and then
she was TO come back to Pocst ello to re-
main with me while ne went to Denver
TO close up his deal there, ana get ready
for the TeODening of the house They left
for Salt Lake and that was the last /
heard of them until ! got the telegram
last night saying that he had killed her. -
After the excitement aroused by the
tragedy those most intimate with the
principals were able yesterday to talk
more clearly regarding the earlier events
of the evening.
Morris had returned to his room. No. So
Orpheum hotel. at about { O'Clock Satur-
day evening. His wife was in the room
at the time of his arrival. and shortly
after that a woman friend. occupying an
adjoining room, dropped in to find them
chatting pleasantly. This friend was in
the room occupied by Mr. aud Mrs. Morris
until within few minutes of the tragedy
About f.45 she returned to her own room
for the purpose of telephouing TO her
mother and left Mrs. Morris standing at
the dresser arranging her toilet. while
Morris sat near the window. While she
was teiephoning she heard two sharp
cracks or rather what seemed to be raps
on the wall. Although realizing that the
noise came from the room occupied by
her friends. she did not cOmpre bend or
grasp the possibility of the situation until
the cry rang out in the hallway that
there had been shots fired.
Without Word of Warning,
The statement Of the friend supports the
theory that the act OF Morris. while ap-
psrenuy of sudden impulse, had yet been
Dremeditated. and that the shooting was
not the result Of - violent quarrel or
even sudden outbreak Of anger. No loud
words were spoken. and no sound issued
from the room other than the two pistol
shots. 1t is the theory that, with barely
word. II any. Morris had arisen from his
chair. walking deliberately to the side of
his wife, shot her down.
r Is 4fHe
but little hidden in the fact, known to
her friends. that the wemsn bore the
secret grief that she had given up her
former husband and two children for a
man whom she feared would some day
kill her. With almost prophetic vision she
foresaw the end Of life. and in a way
tried to escape what she seemed to real
ize was inevitable.
Bruised. beaten and threatened with
her life were the incidents Of what
should have been her second honeymoon.
Tales freely told relate how Morris not
only maltreated her. but. as pastine
held a revolver to her head. sending bull
let's whistling past her ears as she COW
cred under the fear that he meant to
carry out)his threats. II was not until
their arriTal in Salt Lake on March 8
that Mrs Morris revealed the true state
of their married life to friends. and her
confessions were forced by the marks and
bruises about her lips and face.
Morris Became Morose.
At the same time what had formef ly
been regarded as accsntricities on the
part of Morris drew attention in DIFF
ferent light. In an instant Hc v-ouid
change from the grave TO the merry and
from pleasantly to hatred and barely
mOrOso mature. and was found roaming
the streets in the carly morning hours
complaining OF insomnia.
Later Developments have shown that
N-a, sr-.- in faaA al
that at Ieast several worthless checks
had been issued by him. The theory now
IS that. harassCd with these financial
worries and also labOring under 2 be-
lief. or perhaps deiusi0n. that he had con-
tracted tuberculosis. and driven by the
haunting thought that he had reached
his ropes end, he determined to end his
own life. and at the same time made good
his oft-repeated statement that Gussie
would be left for no other man
ChiIoren's Side Pathetic.
No less pathetic is the fact that the
two little children OF the woman
Paul and PHYLLIS Bean. are still unaware
Of their mothers tragic death. Nor viii
they learn il directly for some time to
come at least. and then only to hear that
their mother died What now seems
strangely pitifui is that the mother en-
deavored. using the little nine ear-old
chap IS an intermediary, TO return to her
former husband. Willard Bean. and re-
gain her family by forsaking Morris.
Paul has been and is the chum of his
papa. Since Mrs. Morris returned from
Reno she had the little fellow spend a
night with her. and it was after that
when Paul, with the precocity Of youth,
told his father that mamma didn't want
him to marry again. that she wished papa
would rent house and that she could be
the housekee pcr and take care Of them
all. With the same precocity, little Paul
seemed to realize the danger Of his moth
er. and in his boyish way told how Jan
had fired bullets at his mother and had
struck her.
In other ways Mrs. Morris had recently
evinced her desire TO secure a separation
from the man for whom she had given up
her first husband and her children.
Although her mother and other relatives
had been tslcsraphed to. up to a late
hour last night no reply had been re-
ceived. and the remains of the woman are
still lying in Evans mortusTy, with no
arrapae ments made for the funeral.
Should the family rCnouncC her. Mr. Bean
will see that the body Of the mother Of
his children is cared for
The body OF Morris is lying I'm O-pon-
nells mortuary. and the funeral is ex-
pected to be held Tuesday. The inter-
snt. however. viii be private. and none
except members Of the family viii attend
the services.