LAWRENCE MORRISSEY

Hunt for Driver of Death Car
Brown County Man Victim of Vampire Driver Near Wayside
Lawrence Morrissey, 56, father of five children, and a former Franklin farmer,
was struck and fatally injured late last night at Wayside, Brown county, by a
hit and run driver.
Today District Attorney Clarence Dorschel, Green Bay, aroused at the many reports
of hit-and-run drivers in Brown county, offered a $25 reward for information
leading to the arrest of the motorist who ran down and killed Morrissey last
night as he was returning to his home near Wayside, after a visit at the Emil
Meulman home in the village.
Inquest Ordered
A jury was impaneled at Wayside today by Coroner Orlen Miller to sit in at an
inquest, providing clues are discovered.
The body of Morrissey was found by Gordon Zahn, Cato, and Miss Lillian Borchardt,
Route 3, Greenleaf, as they drove along Highway G in the former’s car. Zahn told
authorities he believed Morrissey was still breathing when found. The injured man
was dead when a physician reached the scene.
From the position of the body Morrissey is believed to have been walking into the
traffic when struck. There were bits of broken headlight glass on the highway and
Morrisseys cap and a wisp of hair was found on the road about 30 feet from where
the body was found indicating the Wayside man had been thrown forward by the
impact.
Suffered Skull Fracture
Examination of the body showed Morrissey suffered a fractured skull, two broken
legs and severe internal injuries.
Morrissey, who lived a short distance south of Wayside with his wife and three
children, left the Meulman home in the village Friday night at 10 o’clock to walk
to his home. He was struck when within 100 feet of his door.
It was more than an hour later that Zahn drove by and found the injured man.
Mr. Morrissey, who is an uncle of Attorney General James E. Finnegan, Madison,
operated a farm in Franklin, this county, for many years. His widow is the former
Rose Ledvina of this county.
Survivors are the widow; a daughter, Louise, employed in the teachers’ employment
bureau, Madison; four sons, Joseph, a student at the state university, Madison, John,
Michael and Thomas, at Wayside; a brother, Prof. Goff Morrissey, former superintendent
of schools at Chilton, Wis.; two sisters, Mrs. Hintz, Reedsville, and Mrs. Finnegan,
Milwaukee.
Son Attended School Here
Joseph Morrissey, a son of the dead man, was a brilliant student at Lincoln high
school here. He completed the four-year high school course in two years. He is
completing an engineering course at Wisconsin university.
Funeral arrangements were not completed today.
Manitowoc Herald Times, June 13, 1936 P. 3
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AUTO VICTIM’S RITES TUESDAY
Search For Hit-and-Run Driver Is Continued
Funeral services for Lawrence Morissey, 57, former Franklin farmer, fatally injured
Friday night by a hit and run motorist near Wayside, Brown county, will be held
Tuesday morning from his home in the town of Morrison, Brown county.
Services will be held at 9:30 o’clock with Father Roland Ahearn of the St. Patrick’s
church, Maple? Grove, officiating. The body was moved to the Morrissey home near the
village of Wayside Sunday.
Mrs. Morrissey, who was visiting her children, Louise and Joseph, in Madison when her
husband was killed, returned Saturday morning.
Hunt Vamp Driver
Mrs. James E. Finnegan, Milwaukee, wife of the attorney general, is a niece of Mr.
Morrissey. Mrs. Dora Borcherss, Escanaba, Mich., is also a niece.
Meanwhile Green Bay authorities continued their search for the driver of the car that
ran down Mr. Morrissey as he was walking toward his home on Highway G after visiting
friends in Wayside Friday night. A $25 reward has been posted.
It is considered likely that the death car must have been considerably marked by the
impact, and probably was taken to garage or shop for repairs.
Manitowoc Herald Times, June 15, 1936 P.2
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[Lawrence Morrisey/bur. 6-16-1936/died at Morrison, WI/cause: skull fracture etc. as
results of being run over by car]