New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-23
SKETCH OF THE LIFE
lillian ia & X 3 . ~ =,
EXECUTED At CHICAGO, ILL,
FOR THE MURDER OF ROMAN MORRIS
Ftem Tae CAleaso Pre...

PENNSYLVANIA. His early home would seem % nave
been thnf,ess and cherries one giving 'he iamuy
bur lew Of the luNurrs, and often scarcely the COM
font. Of life in the small low cAbnin which bis infancy
ard early childhood 70 the aye OF seven years, wee
passed. -.,
di,nrroiptcd un struggling with harish p aud MIS-
fortunes 70 which he turned not bold elastic ani con-
ouering will but q disposition which, long before the
birth of the subject OF our sketch, had become over
cast with morOseness and dependency. Ihough MOI
man Of vicious or immoral habits, he was wholly
untitled 10 any Ltaence tor goUd upon the mad
of an an bilious and lively boy. To the faults OF the
ron the unbebdinc temper OF ne SIRE gave weight
ard rfueBce bis after years which they he'd never
pajred under circumstances more favorable Tor iher
eradication.
Of the father in all points where her dferen. tempers-
nent nigh have remeded the defective influence OF
the he adj of the family upon the spirit and training Of
the boy Long accu.tomed to meet the fierce ebulii'
tons of temper the part OF her husband, with
dssinulation and estire yielding TO his will III
ey.ryibng young William SION e ,rncd that decep-
,inn was The easiest aud readest way 20 carry n.
points with his father, either to gain some coveted
era or avoid q threatened penalty. Thus, between
hi. stern harsh father, aud an iDjudicous, gentle
he took the hrst step IN the career 81 che-
lying. -
eor then III. full corn in the Ear. The human hear.
never achieves viaipy at single leap from virtue to
vice The first scp had been taken by William
| Jackson wien he became pcrsisten,y and by habit
liar The decepti.n first practicet To gain him
*, mption from punishment, or to purchase some
,oyeed good The next natural step 70 talsehood ia
theft and here he soon became adept. William
| soon became practiced thief. He frequently stole
small sums of money from his father and grew adroit
| in approprlatng Whatever lie chose III ths way 10
| make his own. sos
of which the initiative had been clearly taken. In
| his own language, be " became great liar that
faI.eLood was more Natural than Truth lie grew
reckless with and no longer confined his thefts
20 the f. W pennies stolen from Bis father, the sweet
meats rifed from his mothers stores.
AT the age of fifteen home became irksome 20 him.
HIS father not only gave him no sympathy but met his
Loyish waywaIdness with Incorporating harshness.
The boy on one occasion yielded to the temptation to
help himself sl5 the contents of his fathers wallet
with which he fed from home in the night DE edan
idle and vagrant life for few weeks, and at the end
Of that period glad To return 10 his home where
anxiety for bis safety had well nigh oblerated the
anger reused by his theft.
fissolute and vagrapt YOUTH until, at the age of
eighteen with what seems to have been dawning OF
really use full ambition in his mind he became An ap'
prentice 10 carpenter to learn that trade hi3 four
wears apprenticeship spent within few miles OF
his home where he passed his Sabbatns and this Pc
rod OF his life, according to his own statement seem.
to have been marked with nothing unusual or extra
ordinary though his habits of theft grew upon him.
and he frequently stole from his fellowworkmen and
those about him money and such articles of small value
az pleased his fancy, without, however, mourning
posure or public disgrace.
There is period of bis life concerning which the
prisoner maintained reserve which added the more
force TO the few words dropped upon the point. In
his manner of even lefty reverting 10 the crcum.
stance that be had never married, but had loved"
was revealed many pages of his history. The vail
be did rot raise; nevertheless, in the emotion the
theme always awakened in his otherwise almost pas
sOnless air. told that at one time the nobest sentiments
of bis nature had been awakened. Her he loved was
worthy but lie COME ssed his vices severed her from
him, and since then dreary blank had shut him out
from the love OF his species. -
From lS49 10 1854 jackson was wanderer With
no Ties TO any place save that which should furnish
him the Ieadiest TO purchase the life of dssipa
ton he coveted, he visited the principal toms ana
cities in the Western and Southern States, generally
following his trade as house carpenter II does not
appear from his confession that during this period OF
FIVE years he became openly criminal, and he
declares he was never before under arrest.
In Jaruaiy 1854, the wanderer returned 10 the
home in InciaDa, where his parents still resided.
10th were in feeble health and few months after
his return the father died Early in lsJ5 the mother
iolo~,d him, and in his own language, he was
without a friend or relative known 10 him. in the
"widc world" Soon after, he once more resumed a
stroiling life and worked for time carpenter in
the southern part Of this State.
On Thursday, July 3lst, 1856, among the hurrying,
busting throrg of our busy city was stranger who
had come hither with scarcely well defined purpose,
a silent, friendless aud lonely man.
u 0n st Ss Gable Ad wa aiG aa
Deaib street, TO 60 to Waukegan. He drove di-
rec,y to that place. and that afternoon negotiated for
the sale of the team. ,
The purchaser manifestng suspicious that all
was not right, Jackson left the town with the horse
and buggy he aveIr, to return them 20 the owners
in this city. But pursuit had been already inst'
tuied and on that Sabbath, IN the afternoon, by the
road aiding to Liberyville, through wooded region
he was followed and his motions watched by Sheriff
Munson of Lake County Some four miles from Wau
kegau jackson got out of the buggy, taking with him
The care supposed and believed to be the same pro-
in don ne N he Ia he
rIsonerD. Then for the first time observing that be
was pursued, he left the horse and buggy in the road
and conu enced precpltate flight through the neigh
boring woods.
ON Monday morning, August 4, Roman Morris,
harmless and irofensive man, Frenchman, was
found dead in the road mile and half from the
village OF Liberyvle, in Lake County in this State,
the be ad of tie deceased bearing several fatal wounds
apparently inflicted with some blunt weapon. A blow
on the back of the head had completely dissected the
flesh from the skul, and the right SIDE OF the face
Just below the lobe of the ear had fractured the Jaw
and the conclusion of the blow resulted IN the fracture
Of the left jaw also. The neck was found dlsocated
between the frst and second vertebra Of the spinal
column ard the physician who made the ostulorten
examination, DR.: Wardner, that TINS dl'locs'
ton was caused by the blow on the side Of the face
and I'll Roman Morris must have died instananeou-ly
from the effect Of that disocation The proof salts
factoriy demonstrates that he was murdered man
hat he was struck without warning and died without
a struggle. Who was the murderer
Attention was ut once directed to the fugitive horse
lief. and vigorous pursuit commenced. On the
following Tuesday night jackson arrested at
Wilmot, Wisconsin, % miles from Lbertyvile. Ii
was shown in evidence that he bad on Sunday night
walked 10 miles, reaching Hamesville by daylight, and
continuing inme diatey without stopping TO Antioch
and thence to Wilmot after few hours rest. The
heavy cane was still in his possession and in his
pocket, the dumnDg proof of guilt, knife to
have been the property of the Inflated Morris.
In Waukegan Jackson had given his name as David
Jones. Witnesses positively testify that after he
III III. "a. roaH ba ,yas ;,;raJ ,, ,ba