Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-03
'SH[RCLIFF' IS MORRIS
Noted Criminal Proves to Be a
Member OF a Marshall
County Family.
Bold Diamond Robbery Brought
Him Into Prominence a
Few Years Ago.
His Name Is Sherman Morris
and His Home is at
Melbourne.

The recapture OF Frank shercliff by
Kansas City officers, as told in the Des
Moines dispatches on the first page OF
his issue, gives the T.-R. the privilege
of divulging the real identity of the
prisoner. which has been now to a
very few in this county for some time,
but could not be made public without
violating a confidence. He is a Marshall
county mar and his family is well
known.
Shercliff came into prominence
thruout the country ten years ago by
holding up a Northwestern train alone
and unaided and securing SIS, 900 worth
Of diamonds. While he has Travelled un-
der many aliases, his true name is
Sherman Norris, and he was reared on
a farm neal Melbourne. His father was
the late William Morris. and his broth
ers, w. H. and Homer Morris, are
prominent, well-to-do and respected
farmers and stock raisers of this coun
ty. Shercliff's real identity has been
kept a well guarded secret for many
years, until he violated his parole a few
months ago, and then 1t became known
to only a few of the officers n others.
The story of Shercliff's crime is told
today by the T.-R.'s Des Moines COZ :
respondent elsewhere in this issue. He
was % years Of age when the bold rob-
berry Of which he was convicted was
committed and for which he was sem
fenced to a term of seventeen years in
prison, after a trial in the courts at Lo-
gan, Harrison county. He was sem
fenced in September, 1898, but as he was
a model prisoner the ~sympahties Of
Governor Shaw were enlisted and Nov.
%, 1900, he was paroled.
At the time of his arrest and for sew
eral years after he was imprisoned the
mother and brothers at Melbourne did
not know that Sherc!iff, of whose dar-
ing deed they had read, was their rela-
tive, who had disappeared from their
lives and trace OF whom had been lost.
When they were informed of the fact
the blow was a severe one, but they told
Morris, was paroled, he was ordered to
remain in Omaha, which he claimed
then as his home. The young man evil
IDENTIFY desired to become a good citizen
and keep out of trouble, as he request
ed the governor to permit him to come
to the home of his brothers in this
ty, in order to enable him to keep away
from his former associates. His moth
er in the meantime had married a man
named Evans and had removed to
Gainesville. Mo, which is now her home.
Shercliff's request was granted and he
came here last winter, soon after his re-
lease one year ago, and Sheriff Shoe
maker was requested to ook after the
conduct Of the young a Shercliff
frequently called on the sheriff, and at
one time made the request that the off,
GER. as soon as any crime was commit
ted In this vicinity, Immediately deter
mine his whereabouts at that time as he
feared he would be accused Of crimes of
which he was not guilty.
Shercliff suddenly disappeared last
summer, and on failure of reports from
him being received at the governors Of
fee, steps were taken to revoke the
parole and effect his capture. Sheriff
Shoemaker was instructed to spare
neither trouble nor expense to locate
and bring the man back. Recently trace
of him was secured In a small town In
Missouri. near Kansas City, and officers
in that vicinity were on the lookout for
him, resulting in his capture at Kansas
City, as told in the dispatches.
Morris is considered one Of the
smoothest men ever sought by an Off
Ger. While here on parole he seemed a
different being almost every time he
came In contact with the officers. He
was really a DR.. Jekyll and MI. Hyde. 1t
Is probable Sheriff Shoemaker will be
delegated to go to Kansas City to secure
Norris, and that he will be compelled to-
serve the balance Of his seventeen-year
sentence.