The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-12-22

FATALLY
WOUNDED
Ed Morris Shot in Pur-
suit Of Negro
Thief

Ina running fight about $3.50 o'clock
last night III which tho officers were
trying 20 capture q negro, south OF
town. Deputy Sheriff Ed Morris was
dangerously il not fatally wounded.
The affair was the outcome OF The
theft OF lot OF bacon from the Rock
Island freight train Monday night.
Early yesterday morning the office
OF the company here received a mes
sage from Conductor Wells, from Dun
can, stating that after leaving here
Monday night one OF the cars of his
train, loaded with bacon, had been
broken open and large quantity OF
the meat taken out: almost simulta-
neous with this information came the
report that the section crew which
had gone south OF town to work had
found lot OF bacon, evidently taken
from a moving train-as 1t was strewn
along considerable distance and
thrown out In the weeds
The sheriff's office was at once com
municated with and Undersheriff
Yearta and Deputy Ed Morris togeth-
er with two Rock Island detectives
Mcdonald OF Ell Reno and Dickinson
Of Fort Worth--were put to work on
the job.
Feeling certain that the parties who
got the meat out OF the car and hid IL
In the weeds would sooner or later
call for ii, the officers went down in
the vicinity expecting to watch for
them, but when they got in sight of
the place they saw wagon in the
distance moving in the direction of
town and as a freight train was pass
ing at the time, they thought the driv-
er of The wagon had perhaps been
frightened away and was returning
to town empty About this time the
officers eepied a negro gathering up
and sacking the meat; they partially
surrounded him, Yearta and one of
the railroad detectives being some
what southeast OF him and Morris and
the other detective rather on the
northwest Of him. AS the officers
closed In OH the negro, who had just
sacked two large sides Of bacon, the
negro dropped his meat and started in
a northeasterly direction, the officers
gaining on him as the chase went on
When within 20 or 80 yards, Yearta
shot at the fleeing negro; the latter
falling to stop, Yearta fired a second
shot, some of the other officers now
shooting also. The weeds were
very dense and high so that it was
difficult to distinguish one from an
other as they closed in and It is sup
posed that bullet intended for the
negro struck Officer Morris.
Il. f.11
went to him and found that he had
been shot in the head, the ball enter
ing near the base OF the brain and
coming out over the right eye.
At this time Morris called to his
companions and said that he was shot
His companions went to him and
found that he was critically wounded
the ball which struck him in the back
near the hip having penetrated the
upper region OF the bowels
An ambulance was phoned for and
brought both wounded men to the city,
taking Morris TO his home 621 South
Fourth street. and the negro TO ward
in the city Jail. City Surgeon Vann
dressing the wounds Of the negro, who
proved to be VIII Thorp, while the
family physician Marrs was called to
the Morris home.
All that medical skill could do was
done for the wounded man but from
the first his suffering was intense,
never recovering apparently from the
shock and little hope for his recov-
cry was entertained
Thorp. DIR. vann states, might posi-.
bly, recover.
Thorp had been arrested for similar
thefts before and even at this time
had In his pocket when searched at
the Jail last night a bank book which
had belonged to Or. Vann's wife.
That the theft Of Monday would
have proven profitable II not detected,
Is Illustrated in the fact that l6 big
sides OF baeon-each weighing per-
haps so pounds have been recovered.
Some OF this was found at the house
OF another negro today, the officers
having tracked him by his wagon, aud
as q result Of this later find three
more negroes have been arrested and
are now in JAIL
As the Daily Express goes to press.
1t is reported that Officer Morris is
dxfno