Saturday, July 25, 2015

William H. Morrogh - Murdered in Houston


William Henry Morrogh was a grandson of Alfred and Julia Burnett.  He was one of several grandchildren to suffer a tragic death.  William was born 28-Aug-1883 and is the youngest son of John A. Morrogh and Dorinda Burnett.

William was murdered in Houston, Texas on 11-Nov-1913, by his fiancée, a Mrs. May Belle Cox.

Apparently, William and Mrs. Cox got into an argument and she shot him several times with a small caliber pistol.   Mrs. Cox then drove herself to the police station and surrendered saying, “I killed Will Morrogh; I loved him better than I do my own life, but I had to do it.”[1]

The account in the newspaper tells that William was divorced, though this conflicts with the reported marital status on his death certificate. William was first married to Mabel Freeman on 26-May-1906 in Fort Bend County, Texas.[2]  After William’s death, Mabel did not remarry.

William is buried in an unmarked grave near his mother in Glenwood Cemetery in Houston, TX.

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Newspaper Account
William H. Morrogh Death Certificate
In vicinity of William’s unmarked grave; New Strangers Rest section of Glenwood Cemetery Photo by Michael Burnett 11-Oct-2014.





[1] Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX),  Tuesday, March 24, 1914,  Volume XXXIII  Issue 69 Page Ten

[2] Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013


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