The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20
ROBERT NORRIS
RESTING PLACE
Evidence That He Did Not
Die in Prison but OH
Farm in New Jersey
NO TRACE OF HIS GRAVE
Interesting Facts Concerning
Last Days of a Great
Character of the Revolution

u
/ relative to the location Of the grave OF
Robert Morris and my references indi-
eating the historians reconsideration OF
this great revolutionary character has
| impelled me to make Acknowledgements
of gratefulness. Most Of the letters
came from teachers and a few from
Librarians. and they entertained the
idea that Morris was buried at White
! marsh. Md. few Of the writer's were
of the opinion that he was buried in
Virginia, the exact spot not known TO
them. 1t afforded me pleasure to learn
of the deep interest manifested and all
seem to indicate a desire TO assist in
awakening thought regarding the sacri-
fcing element in the nature Of<Morris.
Three of the writer's are direct descend
ants Of Norris and stated that for years
they have sought the grave Of their an
[ cestOT; one of these gentlemen has
kindly sent me records indicating the
I character OF his search. and IL is sur
prising how very little is recorded con-
cerning the last days and death OF the
venerable colonial Another kinsman
/ generously forwarded a copy Of the New
York Herald dated September q. 1891.
I This sheet contains a most interesting
account of the effort made by the paper
to locate the grave and devOtes a long
article. embellished with ten illustra-
/ tiOns, to this interesting theme and in
PRODUCES the fact that his real place OF
/ burial is a matter Of doubt.
DEATH PLACE IN DOUBT.
Permit this extract:
-Four years ago. or about that time,
a law was passed by Congress to reim-
/ burse to the heirs Of Robert Morris the
/ 81 500 900 which was due him, with in
! terest, now amounting in the neighbor-
/ hood of IS. .O00, 900. The heirs have been
\ active. and some interesting discoveries
\ have been made, among the facts es-
/ tabHshed beyond controversy being the
following
| Robert Morris was born in England
/ in 1874, but did not die. as related by
( history. in a debtors prison in Philadel-
/ phia, but on a small farm in the neigh
/ borhood of Farmingdale. n. J.. in 1926.
/ twenty years later than recorded in his
tory. During the last years OF his life
he was cared for and devotedly nursed
/ by a granddaughter named Mary Hur-
ley. now QS91) living with her own
! granddaughter at Toms River n j.
| His history just previous to coming 70
( Farmlngdale no one Is able to give.
/ The fact of his reticence concerning
those previous years and the entire ig-
norance OF the family on the point may
suggest the probability of cOllusiOn
from some quarter while he was in
prison. The fact that Robert Morris
/ grave cannot be found in Christ
\ Christ. Philadelphia, and that there
have never been any heirs coming for
ward to claim him, would all go to IA
vor the theory that some one in prison
permitted him to escape and allowed
| him to live in secIusion at Farming
dale. This is enough to account for
/ the family ignorance and great dis
| crepancy in historical accounts of his
! DEATH
SIGNATURE AS EVIDENCE.
] The same article says that Morris
/ signed his name in a family BibIe-the
/ Bible having been published in 1910
four years after his supposed death.
/ The New York Herald then goes on to
/ relate;
The signature from the Bible is from
a tracing, as Mrs. Hurley positively re-
| fuses to let the Bible go out OF her
/ hands, guarding it with jealous care"
/ This matter goes TO prove that the
life and affairs of the "fnancier Of the
| Revolution" are not clearly registered
/ in history.
/ Another gentleman wrote: My knOwl-
edge of Morris comes from The Lives
! Of the Signers Of the Declaration OF In
/ dependence, issued in 1920 by JOhn San
/ derson Of Philadelphia and finished by
/ Robert Vain, and as I do not see the
\ names of these among those you quote
! I have taken the liberty 70 send to you
i the words of Mr.. Vain. which bear up
\ on his (MOrris) death, together with
the reference in foot note TO Gardens
/ Anecdotes page 337, and reads as fol-
lows:
The great and good man is sunk
/ into the tomb on the Sth Of May, 1906.
in the 73d year of his age. The memory
of a man Of such distinguished utility
/ cannot be lost. and while the recollec-
ton Of his multiplied services are deep
" engraven in the tablets OF our hearts,
let US hope that the day is not distant
| when some public monument recording
| tho most n1Omentous occurrence Of his
life and characteristic Of national feel
ing and gratitude may mark the spot
where rests the body Of Robert Nor
ris'"
IN the nations literature the career
Of Robert Morris is disregarded and his
I grave forgotten. AS a nation we have
shown no special fostering care for the
! memory of him who, next TO Washing
! ton. should claim our heartiest graft
tude. This does not reflect our highest
national sense of patriotism. The re-
establishment of Morris in our hearts
and books would proclaim to the Twins
| descendants Of this great man our graf
itude for him who in the darkest davs
of the Revolution was the keeper OF our
destiny-B. j. Cignand in Chicago
Record Herald.
.ss
quarter of an hour. 1t is pleasant 10
note that these two brave men lived so
many years after their narrow escape.