Habersham County GaArchives News.....Morris jailbreak 1887
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Jacqueline King Fammaw54@aol.com  July 12, 2005, 11:02 am

Unknown Newspaper 1887
MURDERERS BREAK JAIL
Locking up their keeper and walking out to freedom.

Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 22, 1887
Habersham County is just now the scene of unusual commotion caused by the 
escape of three murderers from the county jail.  For several years the county 
had been in a bad financial condition.  The funds were misappropriated, and it 
seems if prisoners when once arrested, could not be held. The citizens held a 
consultation and decided to purchase a safe in which to keep the money, and one 
of the most modern steel cells which are warranted to keep the most 
obstreperous prisoners within.  Both plans were duly perfected and the people 
felt they were safe.  The safe has already proved a failure, and just now the 
steel cells are objects of suspicion.  While the jailer was feeding the 
prisoners at noon the cell gate was opened and the prisoners came out.  As they 
approached the gate to re-enter Bob Morris gave the jailer a shove and he was 
within.  The lever was pulled, the gate locked, the prisoners gathered up the 
jailer’s revolvers and stepped out into the air.  After calmly surveying the 
surroundings they took the big road for the mountains.
	When the citizens awoke to what had happened great excitement 
prevailed.  The jailer was confined in the cell, and as the prisoners had 
carried away the key it was impossible to release him.  About 100 men were 
quickly organized into parties of 25.  In about half an hour the party headed 
by J. W. Bigham sighted one of the fugitives secreting himself in a brush 
heap.  When Bigham rode up he found that it was Bob Morris.  Raising  his 
Enfield rifle, Bigham ordered him to come out.  Morris did so, but not to 
surrender, for he raised his revolver to fire, when his pistol hand was shot 
through by the discharge from Bigham’s rifle.  Thus disarmed, he was led back 
to jail.  In his pocket was found the key, and with its aid the jailer was 
released, after six hours’ confinement.  The other prisoners are still at 
large, but are being pursued to-night.
	The excitement over the escape is intensified by the prominence of the 
prisoners.  On Nov. 2, 1885, Jasper Henderson was murdered while at the house 
of his brother-in-law, Ben Dodd.  Some one fired upon him with a shotgun loaded 
with buckshot, 13 of which took effect in Henderson’s back, some 2 or 3 
entering directly over the spine and killing him instantly.  The body had been 
dragged a distance of 150 yards to the woods, literally tearing the skin and 
clothes to pieces, and then robbed.  Soon after the gun was fired Robert Morris 
stepped into the door and said: “I has killed Jas Henderson, but I did it in 
self-defense.”  Morris fled the county soon after, but was captured by a 
detective in Alabama, near the coal mines, and brought to Clarkesville for 
trial.  The trial was watched with unusual interest.  Judge J. R. Brown 
sentenced him to be hanged on April 16.  Morris laughed when the sentence was 
announced.
	William Sisk was a well known farmer of the county.  He resented the 
presentation of a bill by his shoemaker, Robert Parker, and shot hm dead as he 
approached his house.  The most brutal murder of the three was committed by T. 
G. Justice in Towns County.  He was a noted moonshiner.  Mr. J. B. Goddard, 
aged 70 years, a retired lawyer, fell under the displeasure of Justice on the 
11th of January. Justice saw Goddard crossing one of his fields.  He seized his 
shotgun, and firing at Goddard the latter fell with the load in his head.  
Justice ran up to the dying man, broke the stock of his gun by striking him, 
and then picking up a sharp stone, deliberately mutilated the body in a 
shocking manner.
	A rumor received here late to-night is to the effect that the hunting 
party is on the trail of the murderers. 


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