Killed in the discharge of duty

- The Hutchinson Herald 9/4/1880: Harry Morgan, of Nickerson, a conductor on the A. T. & S. F. railroad, was shot by a laboring man on the train, while near Ellinwood, last Tuesday. The train was going west, and a party of men were on board en-route to New Mexico, for the purpose of working on the road. They seemed to “feel their oats” considerably, and a squad of them were on top of one of the coaches conducting themselves in a noisy and beastly manner. At the command of the conductor they all came down and took their seats inside the coach except one Montgomery, who engaged in an altercation with Mr. Morgan, and being requested by the latter to put away a revolver which he had drawn, commenced cursing, and placing the muzzle of the weapon close to Mr. Morgan’s person, pulled the trigger. The ball lodged in the upper abdomen, making a severe though not necessarily fatal wound. The would-be assassin was placed in jail at Great Bend. There was considerable talk of lynching.

- The Argosy 9/8/1880: Shooting of Conductor Harry Morgan

- The Argosy 9/22/1880: Death of Conductor Morgan
Sunday morning last a gloom was thrown over our city by the report of the death of Conductor Harry Morgan, whose death occurred at quarter of six on that morning. He had, apparently got along so well ever since he was shot that everyone supposed he would recover… Mr. Morgan was 37 years of age. He had been in the employ of the Santa Fe railroad for five years, a resident of Nickerson over a year and served his country four years during the war. He was a passenger conductor on the railroad and enjoyed the confidence and stood high in the estimation of the officers of the company, and was an honored and highly respected citizen. He was a loving and faithful husband and leaves an equally loving and faithful wife to mourn his loss.

- The Hutchinson Herald 9/25/1880: M. J. Ruddy’s hearse was taken to Nickerson Tuesday afternoon, to take the remains of conductor Morgan to the cemetery.

-1880 Nickerson, Grant Township, Reno County, Kansas Federal Census: Harry Morgan age 30. Married. Conductor. Born in Maryland. Parents born in United States. Ella Morgan. Wife. Age 23. Married. Keeps house. Born in United States. Birth place of parents not listed.


Harry Morgan
Wildmead Cemetery
Nickerson, KS