The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-28


Jealousy raging in her soul was evil
IDENTIFY the conviction of the last jury.
On December IA, 1900, a hung jury
| encouraged the aged father of the de-
PENDANT to such an extent that he re-
garded his daughter practically free
woman when she was released on bail
OF $4,000 on Christmas day.
The second trial, however, with Its
sentence, pronounced July 6, 1901, Of
nVe years at hard labor and close con-
fnement was regarded unjust by the
brokenhearted parent. Jessie served
but two months in the state peniten-
tlary and was released on the day the
appeal for a new trial was made.
The verdict of % years in the state
penitentiary a the next trial with
Judge Aikman's singing remarks that
the sentence of life imprisonment would
have been justified, was followed by
the supreme court confirming the low
er courts verdict. Judge Pollock of
the supreme court left small hope in
the heart of the jealous woman who
for love had killed her rival as he
pronounced the crime a savage butch
cry, a crime appalling to the mind and
shocking TO the sensibilities.''
And so Jessie Morrison was led away
to a murderer'S cell in the state peni-
tertiary and the crime of that June day
was buried partly in the SILENCE of the
convention-loving people of the west
ern town.
The story of that crime brings out
many emotions which course through
the woman's heart, whether she be in
Kansas or in the south, where violence
and impulses are expected.
Jessie Morrison, killed for love of
man, and the man, a tall, pretty young
fellow, a clerk in a local country store
called the Racket was regular small
town beau, a member of the town band
and a regular curled hair darling.
Love in a Racket Store
At the trial it developed that Castle
had been engaged for year and half
to the girl Clara Wiley, also daughter
of a judge, who was to become his wife
with such tragic ending to her rom
ance-
In the Racket store, where he gazed
across the counter and told the farm
ers' daughters that the blue ribbons
he sold them were not half so blue as
their eyes there came to work as clerk
the daughter of Judge H. M. Morri-
son. A friendship sprang up between
the new clerk and Castle. To what ex
tent their intimacy went was not told
at the trial, but the daughter of the
Kansas judge, who was three years
older than the pink-cheeked clerk, ev-
identity regarded the love lightly given
her by Castle as a thing too binding
to be carelessly tossed aside.
Castle at the trial testified that he
had tried to break off with Miss Nor
rison in March preceding the murder,
but that she would waylay him and
threatened him, that if he would not
see her he would regret it.
In spite of the alleged threat, which
must have taken on the last wall of
lOve-harassed woman to the extent of
pleadings, Castle led Miss Clara Wiley
also his senior by two years, to the
little home as his wife.
That Castle, like so many men in
whom the sex superiority reigns SUI
preme, enjoyed the rivalry of the two
women, was without doubt and it was
considered as quite possible that ne
told his wife, with unctious rolling of
the words, the unrequited passion Of
Jessie Morrison. His self-contentment
and the cheap pleasure of the man who
relies solely upon his superior mascu-
in the jealousy of Jessie Morrison
which he little thought was bursting
into murderOuS fury.
Jessie Morrison. enraged and humil-
lated by being tossed aside without so
much as an explanation by her lover
after the marriage, but he jerked away
from her and threw her Off
A terrible and heart breaking thing,
no matter how unromantic the stage
setting in life's drama. to do to a
woman who loves.
Jessie Morrison, the quiet, pale lit
tie woman, who had known no more
violent emotions than the church So
cial and the town dance and the
band concerts with the mild affaires
turned under the lash of scorned
devotion into a wild and primitive
woman of. vengeance
No one knows the horrible red which
flashed before her minds eye that day
she went into the brides house and left
her lying there horrible thing to look
upon, with her throat and face sIashed
by the murderous razor.
And that razor belonged to the
young husband taken. in fact,
from the Racket store, where he
worked.
Jessie Morrison had in her soul the
workings of the dramatist, hideous as
was her crime. Turning from the house
she announced, 81 have killed Mrs.
Castle; 1 did it in self defense"
NeighbOrs rushing in found the bride
covered with blood, her throat gashed
so horribly she was unable to speak
With her last efforts she wrote. 'Jes-
sic Morrison killed me-"
That was the tragedy behind which
worked those overpowerirg emotions
love and Jealousy. jessie Morrison was
sent to the state penitentiary for TWEEN
ty-five years. Mrs. Olin Castle, the
ten DAYS bride, lies in grave of
little Kansas churchyard her romance
ended so frightfully, but ended with
none of the terrors which have pur-
sued the love-crazed murderess.
All For Love of Man.
And the mantle man for whom
one woman was slain by another
driven to extremes by her overpower-
ing love? The man-married another
woman and lived happily ever after
in California
A worthy subject for love-crazed
woman, gripped by the grand passion,
to mediate upon.
In the train of that curly-haired
blonde clerks false smiles came muir
der and despair-an aged father
broken heart, two families marked by
the horror of bloody murder-one
woman's life given. another's life ruin
ed, and the man the cause of it all
why of course the man smiled lightly
mad looked into the eyes of another
woman and sped away.
If Jessie Morrison has bitter