The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-28
JAN |. MORRIS
KILLS HIS WIFE
AND HIMSELF
Member of Well Known Fam
lily Carries Out Double Trag-
edy in 0rpheum Hotel.
WOMAN DIES INSTANTLY
WITH SMILE ON LIPS
SHE WAS DIVORCED WIFE OF
WILLARD BEAN-oNLY
TWO SHOTS FIRED.

With a single shot, fired from a re-
yolver the muzzle of which was pressed
into her left cheek, Jan L. Morris in
stantly killed his wife and then turned
| the revolver upon himself In the sui
eide he placed the muzzle Of the gun in
his mouth and, although the bullet
ranged upward through the skull, the
murderer fingered for nearly four hours
before suCcUmbing to his self-infiiCtcd
wound.
The double tragedy occurred last
night in room 81 of the OTpheum hotel,
13S South State street, about 1:4O
O'Clock. The woman died instantly,
while the man, although not reSaiHing
consciousness, survived the bullet
wound until 11.25. when he died at ST.
Marks hospital, after his removal from
the emergency hospital. to where ne
was taken Immediately after the shoot
| ing.
Owing TO the wide acquaintance Of
the principals, the news of the murder
and suicide spread rapidly through the
city last night.
Jan Morris, the husband. was the son
tof the late IsadOre Morris, a retired
merchant of Bingham, and who of late
years resided in Salt Lake I'D to his
death about two years ago. The wo-
Z
Dee Felts, was the former wife of VIII
/ lard Bean, having been married to him
in 1899, and divorced in August, 1908,
/ then marrying Morris in Reno, New
Sept. II.
Borders on Insanity.
The motive for the double crime is at
| tributed to d mental condition bordering
an insanity through extreme jealousy.
[ Many Of the learned facts last night.
/ however, in conjunction with the past
| life of the couple, tend to CorrObOTate
/ the theory that in a measure at least
| the murder and suicide were premedi-
1 tated. During their short married life
Morris has on several occasions as
Sauited his wife, once even dragging
her through the streets OF Reno with
/ blood streaming from her wounds, on
/ one occasion, in the presence Of her lit
I tie boy, he fired three shots at her, one
/ of which grazed her temple. and has
/ repeatedly threatened to. Kill her and
/ commit suicide, detailing, I'm fact, the
program which he carried out last night.
/ The tragedy Of last night was the
climax to the domestic events of at
/ least the past two weeks. After their
marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Morris operated
the Elk hotel in Reno. On March
they arrived i'm salt Lake and regis
tered at the OrpheUm hotel. From the
| time Of their occupancy of the room at
| the Orpheum, the annoyance Of the
family jars and squabbles was such
/ that about two weeks ago the Iandlady,
/ Mrs. u. Z. Bartlett, felt compelled to
! order Mr.. Morris from the house. He
/ left then, and a few days later Mrs.
Morris stated that she was going to
Idaho, but still kept her room.
/ Last Thursday the couple returned
and, with a happy smile, Mrs. Morris
/ informed Mrs. aBrtlett that her hus-
/ band had followed her to Idaho; that
J they had made up and that they were
not going to have any further trouble.
| She pleaded that her husband be per-
mitted to return to the hotel, and Mrs
/ Bartlett gladly assented.
/ In the two days the man and wife
seemed to be perfectly happy and
! peaceful, 50 far as outward appearances
Continued on Page 2.