Smith County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Saturday, October 8, 1881
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 8, 1881
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Morris approached a crowd of drunken men in front of Andy Harper's Saloon in Lindale. He attempted to get two of the men to quit creating a disturbance. Three brothers, Jesse Starnes, Pleasant Starnes and Warren Starnes, and Bob Billips [aka: Billups] were in the crowd. Billips and one of the Starnes brothers told Deputy Morris he could not arrest them. Pleasant Starnes then hit Deputy Morris in the head with some object. Morris was then able to cut Pleasant Starnes with a knife. Deputy Morris was then shot twice in the back and once in the foot with a pistol. Morris died from the gunshot wounds and blows to the head. All four suspects were indicted for murder. Jesse Starnes was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to five years in prison. Pleasant Starnes was found not guilty by a jury. The charges against Warren Starnes were dismissed in January 1884, at the request of the Smith County District Attorney. Bob Billips was never arrested and tried for the murder of Deputy Morris.
Morris was survived by his wife, Sarah, and three children. He is buried in the Morris Cemetery, Smith County, Texas.