John Morrison was born around 1858 in North Carolina. Morrison worked as a laborer and resided in New Hanover County, North Carolina. Morrison was charged with larceny on April 1, 1878, and sentenced to two years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. Morrison was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 2636. Morrison's race was noted as “colored.” Morrison was twenty years old when he was arrested. Morrison was noted as possessing no formal education, meaning he could not read or write at that time. During his incarceration, Morrison was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. He was discharged from the railroad on January 27, 1880.