Original story found on eji.org.

Patrick and Charlotte “Lottie” Morris lived in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana and were married with a 12-year-old son. On the night of January 12, 1896, a mob of twenty white men gathered around the Morris’ home because, Mr. Morris, a white railroad hand, and his wife, a #black woman, were an abomination in the community’s eyes. Not only were the two married but they had the white community did not appreciate the fact they were operating a gathering place and a hotel for black people.

The mob first attempted to burn down the Morris’ home around 11:00 that night to no avail. Mr. Morris discovered the fire and put it out. At midnight the mob was setting a second fire, and this one could not be contained by Morris. The couple attempted to get out of the front door of their home, but the crowd began shooting at them. #Charlotte Morris was shot at the doorsteps and #Patrick Morris was injured by a shot to the leg.

Patrick Morris Jr, the 12-year-old son managed to escape out the back door. The mob crowd saw him and shot out into the dark but missed the young boy. Patrick ran to a neighbor’s house and hid under the porch of the home through the night.

The following morning, the community members found that the Morris’ home was destroyed, and the body of the Morris’ were inside the home on the bed. A coroner later discovered that the bodies had been decapitated. However, no one knows who or when the bodies were decapitated. It is believed after they were shot their bodies were dragged back in the home and decapitated by the mob and then set ablaze.

source:

http://www.eji.org/

http://www.strangefruit.org/morris.htm