Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-07-09
ESCAPED JAIL AND RecAPruaeD
Joseph Morrison Makes Another Break
tor His Liberty.


Joseph Morrison. the convicted chicken
thief, sho ~As GA Monday last sentenced 10
TIE lonia Hoase Of Correction for fourteen
months, l. still IN jail, but Will probably be
taken - prison 10 -sisy. Yesterday afternoon
his wife, with her baby visited him at the
jail. and they were ALLOWED 10 occupy the
ladies cell at the east end of the hall on Tie
second door directly above the Campau street
entrance. IL the ab,enoe of Sheriff
Kinney and Turnkey Platte, Circuit
Court Messenger Charles IA. lAbOy
acts Ia their stead Al O'Clock last night
LAbby took the Keys ani started 10 lock
up" He went up stairs 10 transfer M0rri
son back 10 the main part of the jail. As Es
opened the cell Morrison said: We'll, Char
ley, / suppose this Is the last night for me
here Il don't kLow" said LIBBY, ''wbeth-
er they intend 10 take you away TO morrow or
not" After a moments pause ise continued,
Il would, honestly, rather die "a night than
20 there for year, and picked up his shoes
which lay on the hoor as If ready 10 20 out.
Before he started he put his arm around his
wife, kissed her aud the baby, and Libby,
not wishing 10 witness the scene, (said lt
made him feel kind o. curiousj turned
away and stepped back from the cell door
few feet As he did so Morrison darted out
OF the cell and Jumped over the banisters 10
the hOor below and ran out al the Campau
street door. Libby sprang 10 the head of
the stairs and came down al about two
jumps but when he reached the lower floor
Morrison was out IN the street. he ran in
among the lumber piles IN the rear of the
New Era block anu made his way across To
Waterloo street, closely followed by Libby,
who lost sight of him several times bot man
aged TO follow him. On Waterloo street he
ran south, crossed the railroad track directly
point of the cow-catcher he went over.
When he reached Fulton street he turned to-
ward the new bridge, intending, as he after
ward stated, to jump into the river, but Lib
by. who lost slightly at the railway crossing,
gained on him so rapidly that he saw that he
would not be able 10 reach the river and he
jumped down the vmbankment in the rear
of the old rink site. Libby jumped after him
and caught him few rods farther down the
river. Morrison was completely exhausted
and marched back to Jail bewalling has hard
luck and declaring that he would rather die
than To leave his wife and baby and go 10
lonia. 1t was long race and Libby
was pretty well winded. He says he
thought Morrison intended To jump
into the river, but he thought
of what the Sheriff would say if the prisoner
escaped and had resolved to jump In after
him. Libby deserves big credit mark for
recapturing the man in the dark. lie Is but
IA boy 20 years old. small for his age. but il
is doubtful that any other officer in the city
could have done as well as he did in tnis
case. Mrs. Morrison went home immedi-
ately after her husband left the Jail, believ-
ing that he had certainly made his escape.
Libby says "she is lovely looking woman
and has lovely looking girl baby, which
was born about the time Morrison was ar
rested last winter. Morrison Is fine look
ing man, too good to be caught stealing
chickens"
Ii will be remembered that Morrison Is
the man that sawed his way out of Jail and
escaped with Lorenzo Payne in April last
and was recaptured near Ligonier, Ind, by
Sheriff Kinney.