The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-03-21
MORRISON PAYS PENALTY.
Continued from page l.
his place in the chair.
Have mercy. Jesus take

The sentence was never finish
The great straps had been
buckled quickly while he prayed
and Father Price had knelt in
prayer close beside the chair
with a crucifix within the range
of vision Of the prisoner. The
attendants had passed the word
that all was ready to the switch
board operator. At 1919 clock,
just exactly two minutes after
Morrison had left his cell, the
big lever of the switch was
thrown over. The lips clenched
and the word of appeal framed
upon his tongue never came. The
great body became rigid and it all
was within the fraction of a sec
>ond and without the slightest
sound.
When strapped in the chair
.Morrison~held to his Cross, but
it had fallen almost to his knee.
AS the current shot through his
body, the witnesses saw the arm
slowly contract, the Cross in a
firm grip being raised to an up
right position and as high as the
heavy straps would permit. I'm
til the current was withdrawn
the Cross remained in this posi-
Z ton.
Eighteen hundred volts were
shot through the body for five
seconds. Then the voltage was
reduced to 200 volts for a half a
minute ndagain 1900 volts went
through the body for about three
seconds. The reduction was
made again and then once more
came the terrible 1900 volts, each
time the powerful curren passed
through the body the form be-
coming rigid and with the lesser
urrent relaxing somewhat.
%%*&
Speaking Of the request of
Walter Morrison for a statement
to the public, Father Price, who
was his spiritual adviser, gave to
The News and Observer the fol-
lowing statement:
walter Morrison said to me,
| wish to make no pubic state
inert except to say that | grieve
greatly over the evils have COM
mitted in life and whatever in
juries / may have done against
my fellow men, and | pass out of
this life trusting in the mercy of
Him who died for me. -"
Continuing his talk about the
condemned man, Father Price
said:
Walter Morrison did not seem
to me to realize fully that death
awaited him until he saw the
officers take Henry Spivey from
prison. When that occurred he
broke down and wept piteously
and several times afterwards or
visiting him l found him in tears
weeping bitterly and pitifully. HI
was like child in my hands, ane
his prayers fer mercy to Coo
seemed almost pitifully simple
and sincere, and humble AM
contrite. On Thursday after
noon baptised him in his eel
and yesterday l spent the who'll
morning in his cell up to the tim
sof his execution, saying Hol
mass for him, hearing his con
-fession, giving him holy com
smumon aud endeavoring to pre-
pare him by fervent prayer fc
his death.
within an hour of his deaf
he told me that he was not onl
resigned to die, but that in
sense he was glad to die an
thanked God for his death at Il
present time. He said that /
felt prepared to die now, ar
that if he lived longer he migl
die in circumstances in which /
was not prepared, and so lose h
soul. He seemed to feel gre
affection for his father al
mother and sister, who, he sal
had written to him and he ask,
me to write to them and t
them that he died happily, he
in his last hours he had embrac
the Catholic religion and be
baptised and felt at peace wi
Cod"
Morrison's Crimes.
The first to suffer the des