Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-01-28
BILLY MORGAN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
OF this CITY, MEETS TRAGIC end
MYSTERY SURROUNDS THE, CIR
CUMSfANcES OF HIS DEATH
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING IN
BACKYARD OF HIS HOME.

The entire community has never
been more stirred by any sad event
than by the shocking news of Sunday
morning that Billy Morgan, bright
and popular high school boy, had been
found dead in the backyard of his
home, an empty pistol by his side and
a bullet wound in the temple that
would seem to indicate suicide. The
absolute lack of motive for such an
act on the part of a healthy, jovial-
natured boy with pleasant home
life and not privation or disappoint-
ment in the world, has dispelled such
view from the minds of many peo-
pie. Billy was fifteen years old, was
enjoying life, and while he was
thought to have been a bit eXtrava-
CANT lately with suppers and cars for
his friends on two occasions, when
attending out-of-town games of the
Fitz-Hi team, he was not without re-
sources of his own to make good his
expenses above the. allowance sup
piled, as he often took turn at
clerking and at the time of his death,
a nice sum was lying by in his drawer
of his own earnings. The fact that
he had his uncle's pistol without Mr..
Troupe's knowledge does not imply
any serious design on his part, it is
too common trait among young
boys to like to carry a pistol, and
some people think that it was in the
act of secreting this weapon before
he should enter the house that by
some mischance it was accidentally
discharged into his head. The shoot
ing occurred about / :15 a. M, ac-
cording to corroborating testimony
of several neighbors, though the muf
fled nature of the sound caused the
two women who heard it to think it
was a fuse or something at the rail
road station just in the rear of the
home.
Billy had enjoyed the evening with
q crowd of school friends paying for
a U-Drive-It car to Ashburn and ac-
companied by six or more boys and
girls together. They reached Fitz-
gerald about II 100 o'clock and at IL
he was last seen by boy friend
starting home, expressing the hope
that he would get in unnoticed. His
aunt, Mrs. William Troup, was, how
yer, waiting up for him as she al
ways did, being as devoted as his own
mother and having had sole care of
him for the past eight years, more
worried and more mystified by his
strange absence, Mrs. Troup kept
vigil the entire night through sitting
in the front part of her upstair apart
ment, pitifully unaware of the trag-
edy in the rear of the home. The
neighbors were first to see the pros
trate body of the boy. at late rising
time on Sunday morning and to give
the alarm. A coroner's inquest gave
verdict of suicide. Doctors as
serted that death had not taken place
more than three or four hours and
that the boy had probably lain I'M
conscious and still living for several
hours after the fatal shot.
Mr.. and Mrs. William Troup, who
have been the devoted guardians of
the boy for eight years, are heart
broken over the tragedy. Their I'M
usual care for their nephew has been
matter of comment and Billy
seemed to make equal return of af-
lection. His mother, Mrs. Sadie
Morgan, who holds a business posi-
ton in Tampa, was summoned and
other relatives from Florida arriving
Monday night. I
The funeral service s were held
Tuesday morning at II 100 o'clock at
the Presbyterian Church, Rev. E. S.
Winn, the pastor, being assisted in
the services by. Rev. S. C. Olliff and
Rev. Bruce Nay, of the, Central Meth
odist and Central Christian Churches.
Several appropriate scripture lessons
were followed by most sincere and
helpful talk by Rev. VIM. The
classmates and other high school pu-
pills attended the services in body,
the pail bearers being James Hale,
James Hayes, Frank Drew, Ryal
Moore, Ernest Hanger and Wadley
Kirkland. Interment was made in
Evergreen Cemetery.