Bio

John F. Morgan lived in Jackson County, West Virginia, during the late nineteenth century. His exact birthdate is unknown, but he was reportedly about 22 years old when he was executed in 1897. He was known locally and was described in historical accounts as a handyman and a friend or acquaintance of the Greene family.

Before the murders, Morgan had been connected to the household of Chloe Greene and her family. Historical accounts state that he knew the family well and had spent time around them before the crime. 

Morgan’s life became nationally known after the killing of Chloe Greene and two of her children in the Grass Lick area of Jackson County. The case moved very quickly through the courts. He was arrested within hours, indicted the next day, convicted the day after that, and sentenced the following day.

Murder Story

On November 3, 1897, John F. Morgan attacked members of the Greene family in the Grass Lick area of Jackson County, West Virginia. Historical records state that Morgan used a hatchet and killed Chloe Greene, Jimmy Greene, and Matilda Pfost. Another daughter, Alice Pfost, was also attacked but survived. She escaped and alerted neighbors, which helped authorities learn what had happened.

Morgan was arrested within hours of the murders and taken to jail in Ripley. The case moved through court extremely fast. He was indicted on November 4, 1897, tried and convicted on November 5, and sentenced on November 6. His defense reportedly included claims of insanity, but the jury convicted him.

Before his execution date, Morgan escaped from jail. He was free for two days before being recaptured. The escape increased public attention around the case, and large crowds later traveled to Ripley to watch the hanging.

On December 16, 1897, Morgan was publicly hanged in Ripley, West Virginia. More than 5,000 spectators reportedly came to witness the execution. It became known as the last public hanging in West Virginia.

The public spectacle surrounding Morgan’s execution caused strong criticism. Soon afterward, West Virginia passed a law banning public executions, making the state one of the early states to end the practice.