Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-19
WHEN It GOT TOO HOT
He SHOUTED FOR HELP
Body Was Badly Burned From
Waist Line to the Top OF
the Head.
CONDITION is CRITICAL
pscial Dispatch to Every Evening

@RcNkti plSIntth " ifNAS
Georgetown, April l9.
Ollie Morris 10 wears old, Of Mills
,oro. who murdered his father last We'd
nesdav was almost cremated in his cell
IN Georgetown Jail this morning, presum-
,bIv IN an effort to end his lie. de Is
IN n critical condition. As he IS not iuiiy
conscious. his reasons have not been
learned.
Morris was the only occupant of the
iail He was locked IN the steel barred
cell and. though morose, as he has been
ever since he was arrested, he seemed In
his usual condition when Paul Johnson,
tbe sheriff's son, took him food this morn
inr Nothing more was thought OF the
prisoner until about 10 O'Clock when he
aroused everybody about the jail by
shouts of fire Smoke began to MI the
huildingat about the same time and 1t was
found that Morris cell, with the prisoner
locked in, was IN flames. Morris was
hastily gotten out and taken INTO the
iail yard, where he was placed under the
care of DR. Joseph b. Waples, Jr.
The entire body above the waist line
was l,sdlv burned, some of the hair being
of the head and great patches OF flesh
having peeled from the back and other
1arts OF the body. His hips, left hand
md arm were burned. He seemed TO be
.emi-conscious and unable TO talk. At
loon it was said his condition was such
hat the outcome was uncertain.
BEDS WE'RE PRED.
When the cell was reached by those at
fracted hv the prisoners shouts il was
ound that the four mattresses in the cell
aad been piled up and were IN flames.
The presumption was that Morris had
jp some way managed to obtain FIRE from
a stove, which is in the corridor, aoout
our feet from the door. unless he had some
matches but this has not been learned.
IL Is thought that he started the flre
himself and with the hope OF burning
himself to death. but when the flames be-
eame too hot for him he changed his mind
md called for help. Morris was found to be
lndressed.
The prisoners shouts also resulted IN
a FIRE alarm, which brought the town hre
apparatus and the flames were eAtin-
giIished before they caused much damage
to the building. The beds were destroyed,
but not much else.
After receiving medical attention Morris
was taken back 70 the cell and carefully
guarded. His life would probably be en-
,iangered if an effort was made TO move HIM
to a hospital.
DECLINES TO EAT.
The prisoner has eaten scarcely any
thing since he was locked up. As a result
ne has become weak and emaciated. He
has little to say and has very few visitors
Tie acts morose all the time and ls sorry
spectacle. The funeral OF his father, whom
he murdered, took place yesterday At
Nillsboro. but the young criminal was
kept locked up there.
FUNERAL oF DERRICK MORRIS.
speciai Correspondence of Every Evening
Laurel, April 19.-Derrick B. Morris,
ne 6s-vear-old farmer who was murdered
bv his son Ollie. last Wednesday evening.
was buried yesterday afternoon IN Careys
cemetery, about mile from the Morris
home al Martins old mill Over
1000 people attended the funeral, which
was conducted bv Rev. Lewis ". Wells
of Mllsboro at Careys church. The
church could contain only a small part
oi the crowd which passed through the
church after the ceremony TO view the
body in the opened casket.
The widow and mother had recovered
sufficiently from her breakdown Saturday
to attend the funeral Ollie Morris, the
narricide. was not allowed to leave his cell.
as il was feared that popular sentiment
might lead to violence against hIn.
Neither his mother, his brothers nor his
1s-year-old sweetheart. Mrs Georgia
Lewis Foskev. cause OF the disagreement
which led to the murder. have yet been 10
see him, vet he seems 10 have recovered
somewhat from his sleepless condition OF
the first two days.
Many Of those who attended the funeral
went later TO the carriage shed at the
Morris home, TO see the carriage in which
the murder was committed. 1t shows
many effects OF the death struggle between
father and son. The cushions and curtains
are torn, the top is practically wreck and
the seat and body are caked with dried
hlor.r