Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-04
WOMAN REFUSED TO GO INTO IT
Enraged, He Attempts Her Life and
That Of Her Father,
J, A. SUMNER, LATTER, MAY. DIE
Morrison, Jealous, Proposed Double
Suicide to His Wife.
TRIED TO KILL HER WITH AXE
WOuId Have Succeeded but for Rat
In Her HRir--He BrOOded
over Trial for This
Assault.
A, SUMNER, LATTER, MAY. DIE
RED TO KILL HER WITH AXE
sandle Morrison. dead.

James A. Summer, probably fatally in
jured.
Mrs. Hattie Morrison will recover.
The failure of Sandie A. Morrison a mail
carrier TO induce his wife to join him in
a suicide pact, that his jealousy might be
appeased. followed by scenes OF bitterness
through a married life of seven years, ltd
him to suicide after an attempt at murder.
shooting Mrs. Morrison and her father.
James A. Sumner, at the Monadnock hotel,
Fifteenth street and Capltoi avenue this
morning.
Morrison died instantly after pressing
the revolver to his forehead and firing
bullet into his brain. Mr.. Sumner ia at the
point Of death with a bullet in his brain.
Mrs Morrison the wife, is suffering from
deep scalp wound inflicted by bullet,
but is in no immediate danger.
Walking from the Monadnock hotel In
company with his wife and her father
on their way to Justice Alstadts court
where their differences were to be adjusted
preliminary TO divorce. the murderous
frenzy overlook Morrison. Half way down
the stairway he wheeled with revolver in
his hand, he fired at his father-ln-law
The bullet took effect at the upper edge
of the right eye, burying itself In his BRAIN
but the wounded man did not stagger. Be-
/
fired, and Mrs Morrison fell with blood
flowing from a wound in the back of her
head.
| Then Shoots Himself.
Morrison paused an instant. looking back
at his victim, then raised the revolver to
| his head and fired into his temple. He
reeled down the street a few steps ana
fell dying on the sidewalk at the south
east corner OF Fifteenth street and Capitol
avenue. He was dead, with the revolver
1 still grpped in his hand, when the first
| man reached him.
Mr.. Summer, with the bullet which is
I threatenlng to end his life. braced him
! self and walked TO the street. Taking a
quick look about, he ran up the steps to
his wife, Mrs. Clarissa Sumner. who was
at their room above.
Hes shot us both--I must 60 for the
! police" he exclaimed
Mrs. Summer snatehed a towel from the
stand nearby and tied II about her hus-
bands bleeding forehead, wipng the
streaming blood from his face. He left
the room and started for the police sta
tion.
The alarm had reached the station and
the officer rushed the injured man and his
daughter to st. Joseph's hospital Willis
Crosby, coroner, took the body of Morri-
Seward streets.
His FOrtitude is Deceptive.
The extreme fortitude which Mr.. Sumner
displayed led to the belief at first that he
had not suffered dangerous injury. At
the hospital, however Dr. c. c. Allison
found that the bullet had entered Summers
brain.
At 2:3O o'clock Sumner was yet alive, but
his condition was declared to be highly
critical.
Morrison, the suicide. was a brother Of
Ed Morrison, member Of the police force,
Within three months Of their marriage
Morrison begged his wife TO enter a sui
eide pact with him
1T is the only way can be happy
with us both dead-then will know you
are mine" said Morrison.
The young wife consulted her mother
and 1t was decided that she should not
/ leave her husband at that time, fearing
that the alternative OF living with him was
| less direful than the possibilities II she
left him.
/ Morrison struck his wife in the head with
hatchet twice on Friday last. She suf-
fered deep wounds and but for the pro-
, lection of a heavy rat" worn under her
C pompadour she would have been killed at
l that time. She quietly went TO the family
$ physician and had her wounds cared for
= She sent for her mother who was staying
: with her at their home on Enmet street
k For Gods sake give me a warrant for
my husband, he wants to kill me and he'll
do II II you don't stop him." exclaimed the
woman in Judge Altstadts court Tuesday
morning. peace warrant was issued and
s before ]. c. Woods, the constable could
find Morrison he appeared In court. He
81 .
o'clock Thursday afternoon the hearing
= was TO have been held.
4 Fathers Fears Aroused.
$ Mrs Sumner feared for their safety fol-
r lowing the filing Of the complaint and took
e her daughter with her to the rooms Of her
I, husband, James A. Sumner. In the Monad-
" mock hotel
Three times Thursday morning Morrison
= called The plan was apparently in his
mind early In the day. When Frank BGx-
ter proprietor OF the Monadnook opened
the door for the early caller at o'clock
In the morning he saw Morrison reach to
his pocket where later he produced the re-
= yolver.
After a conference at the Summers
rooms, in which the whole family had
participated, Il was decided that Mrs
y Morrison should withdraw the complaint
l. in Judge Altstadt's court on the condition
q that her husband should allow her 10 peace
n fully take a divorce and the custody of
their two children. Clara years old and
n Daniel, years old
who will go with you 10 the courtY'
asked Isaac Sumner brother OF Mrs Nor
s rison, who had been her body guard for
the last five days I'm tired out; I've
not had any sleep for two days"
L Morrison smiled. Each day before when
ID he had called at tho Sumner rooms he
Is had asked them TO search him TO make
y sure that he had no weapons This day
he he was armed and said nothing.
Mrs. Morrison, accompanied bX her