The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-18
MORRIS WISE TAXES LIFE WITH PISTOL Was for Long Time Employed
 At Courthouse BESP0NDENCY THE CAUSE While Seated in Chair at Home He Fires Bullet Through Heart
 and Dies Within
 Short Time.
BESPONBENCY THE CAUSE

Morris Wise, formerly employed as bailiff of the circuit court, and at one time inside warden at the county jail. shot and almost instantly killed himself yesterday afternoon at about ? o'clock at his residence. 2402 Avenue F. There were no witnesses to the shooting. but the case is clearly one of deliberate suicide, Wise having carefully opened his shirt bosom and fired a bullet from a g caliber Colts special revolver into his heart. He was rushed to St. vincent's hospital in the ambulance of the Mewbourne X Span Undertaking company, but lived only a few minutes after being placed on the operating table.
 The first intellig ence of the suicide was had when the lady who occupies the up- stairs rooms of the Wise residence heard the groans Of the wounded man. She states that she had just entered the house and had gone ur stairs when she heard Wise's groans. Wise was seated in a Morris chair in his room, she states. when she entered and was apparently at ease It seems that no loud report was heard, Wise havins pressed the muzzle of the weapon tightly against his breast be- fcre firing, thus muffling the sound of the discharge.
 An ambulance was immediately called when the serious nature of the wound was discovered, but the effort to save the injured mans life was of no avail. He probably would have died on the way to the hospital had not one of the ambulance attendants held him in a sitting posture throughout the trip, in this manner stanching to some extent the flow Of blood. It was found at the hospital that the bullet had penetrated the heart and life was extinct in a few minutes.
 The remains are being held at the un- dertaking establishment of Shaw & Sons pending the announcement of funeral ar- rangements Interment will probably be in a local cemetery
 The dece5 seq is survived by wife, Mrs. Rosa Wise, and several daughters. He had for years been connected in some capacity with the courthouse, having for merly held the position of inside warden at the county jail and some three months previous that of bailiff of the circuit court He was about 55 years of age at the time of his death and had been a resident of this city for a number of years.
 Dependency and i'll health are consid- cred the causes of the suicide, Wise hav- ing for several months been out of sorts. He was being attended by Dr. W. P. Me- Adory at the time of his death, having been confined to his room with sickness for ab-ut a week previous.
 No warning of his intention to take his life had been given out by the suicide previous to the shooting. Mrs. Wise. who is employed in local dry goods store. left him yesterday morning in apparently good spirits. and the news of his death came as a shock to her.
 Chief Deputy Sheriff Lucien c. Brown was appointed by Coroner Brasher to hold the investigation. The only conclusion ar- rived at was one of deliberate suicide. The weapon used. g Colts special. is in the possession of Deputy Brown.
 It later developed that Wise had bor- rowed the revolver with which he took his life from one of his neighbors Satur- day morning. He stated at the time that he had seen a number of suspicious look ing negroes prowling about the two houses early Saturday morning, and thought he might have need of the weap- on. In one of the pockets of the dead man's clothing was a note addressed to the Rcigfibor, saying. You can get your gun from the coroner"