Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-04-01
MAT MORRIS.
Interesting AscOunt of His Capture.

Interesting Account of His CaDture-
The Little Rock Gazette has the fol.
lowing readable account Of the incidents
connected with the capture of Express
robber Mat Morris, in Texas:
The first clue was obtained at Dexter
No, where Morris was known, and where
IL was ascertained that he had purchased
and shipped horses to Texarkaua. De-
tective Cornell followed Morris to Tex
arkana, where he was well known, and
where be operated last April as boss
OF a gang Of fakirs Cornell at last got
on the right track, aud followed his man.
who sometimes was known as Mason,
and at others Lanare. The pursuit was
intricate and desperate, for the fugitive
had not left a stone unturned to conceal
his flight. Like a sleulh-hound, the de-
%tective, step by step, followed him to his
hiding place in the mountains at the
head Of Red river, zeal the Indian Ma
tlon, m hundred and ten miles west of
Sherman, into Cooke county. In this
county the detective,
DISGUISED AS A STOCK RAISER,
iound that Mat Morris had married the
daughter Of a widow lady, where on a
ranch, with his bride, far away from civ
lhzation, he was enjoying his honey.
moon. Returning to GAINESVILLE, the
nearest settlement, as q ranchman. he
secured the services Of a couple of cow
boys to aid him in purchasing stock
Nearing the hut occupied by Morris.
they met his brother-in-law to whom
Connell stated be wished to buv stock
DE was taken to the hut, at the foot of a
MIL, where he met Morris face to face.
The robber failed to recognize him.
and after some conversation, the detec.
tive pulled his revolver, placed it in the
lace OF Morris, who quietly threw up his
hands on being warned that the slightest
movement would cost him his life. The
~suddenness OF the action surprised the
entire party, and the prisoner agreed to
quietly surrender. Morris wife now
came forward and agreed to surrender
$3.50 for the release Of her husband.
The prisoner was preferred to the cash.
aud as Cornell expressed it, his com
panions would have murdered him to
secure the money. After many difficult
ties, the detective and his prisoner ar
rived at Texarkana. At this point Su-
p%erintendent Willis and Route Agent
Agee Joined the officers. At Texarkana
the party remained Wednesday night.
and during their stay, through the efforts
of Mr.. Agee, who proved himself skillful
as a detective,
ASTOUNDING REVELATIONS
were brought to light. 1t was ascsr-
tanned that during a recent visit to that
place Morris passed himself off as an
uncle to the wife Of Mr.. Davis, proprie-
tor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, and be-
fore leaving presented to the lady a
valuable set of jewelry. After securing
this property Mr. Agee turned his at
tention in another direction and found
that Mr.. ]. W. Hall, city marshal of that
place, and put up" a bogus telegram on
Morris, and, in detective p%arlance.
shook him down. to the tune of $1,000.
after which he made his way to the fast
nesses Of Western Texas without further
mOlestation. The officers "bluffed" a
confession from the lips Of Mr.. Hall that
he received the money on the 18th of
last February, and after some discus
zion Hall turned over several hundred
dollars, four mules and harness to
match. AS soon as this business was
concluded Hall was released, and the
posse with the prisoner left for this city,
arriving here Thursday afternoon. Su.
perintendent Willis and Mr.. Agee re.
NAMED in town, and the detectives and
the bird proceeded at once to Memphis,
where Morris is now peering through
the CRATES. A short description of Nor
rls may new be in order. He is, in
every sense Of the word. a desperate
and criminal, and is now forty-seven
years of age Twenty of those years
were passed, however, in the prison dun
geons of'Kentucky and Missouri. He
Is i've feet six inches in hight, with hair
and beard prematurely gray. His ad-
dress is very pleasant, and to the unac
quainted would readily pass for a we'll
to. do farmer.