FRED MORGAN -- He Married His Niece - Mitchell Man Sent to Prison for Marrying Daughter of Brother
It took the jury in the case against Fred Morgan, charged with incest, fifteen minutes to find Morgan guilty. The penalty for the crime of which Morgan now stands convicted is a fine of $500 or a maximum sentence of ten years in the penitentiary. This case probably was the most hotly contested of any that was heard during the present term of court. Morgan, it was charged in the complaint sworn to by the defendant's own brother, Bert Morgan, had married the latter's daughter while she was visiting him in Colorado. The cermony was performed in spite of the protestations of the girl's parents. It was charged that for some time before the marriage ceremony was performed, Fred Morgan and the girl, Bernice Morgan, lived together as man and wife in the Colorado hotel. This charge, it was brought out in letters read at the trial, was made by the mother of the girl, in letters written to Fred Morgan. The latter in replies declared the charge was false and asserted finally that he intended to marry the girl, no matter what his family thought. The ceremony performed, Morgan, in a letter to relatives in Mitchell, declared he was coming back to this city and 'make things hot' for his relatives who had protested against his marriage. He made good his threat and returned to Mitchell last July, and it was while staying at the home of his mother in this city that the complaint against him was died and the arrest was made.
Contributed by Dena Whitesell - Aberdeen Daily News, December 27, 1918