Billups worker saw dark sedan by Stanley Nelson - posted Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 @ 2:38 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  An employee at the Billups Station told the FBI that on the night Frank Morris' shoe shop in Ferriday was set on fire that he heard what sounded like a pistol shot and seconds later saw a dark-colored car pull out of the alley and turn left toward Vidalia. These were among the few clues the FBI obtained when agents arrived in Ferriday during the investigation of the fire that killed Frank Morris and destroyed his shoe shop along Hwy. 84. The fire was set on Dec. 10, 1964, and Morris died in the Concordia Parish Hospital four days later after being severely burned all over his body. The Morris case is one of many the FBI never solved but may re-investigate. FBI documents provide some clues as to what happened on Dec. 10, 1964, but the Billups employee, like others interviewed following the crime, is not identified. The employee told FBI agents that he was on duty on the night of Dec. 9, 1964, when the fire occurred. "He informed agents that things had been relatively quiet on that evening and shortly before 2 a.m. December 10, 1964, he had heard what sounded like a pistol shot in the vicinity of Morris' Shoe Shop," according to the report. "Almost immediately after this a car came out of the alley next to Morris' Shoe Shop and turned left heading toward Vidalia." The man said he could "describe this car as dark in color and a late model sedan." Moments later, the Billups employee said Morris "came running toward gas station from direction of (his) shop." Morris was on fire, the man said. When Morris arrived at the gas station, the Billups witness said "two Ferriday city policeman drove to the station." They took Morris to the hospital in their police car. The employee said Morris made no "protest whatsoever upon seeing police officers, walked directly to police car and entered (the) car under his own power." FBI agents noted that a "five (fuel) gallon can located at scene of fire inasmuch as close associates of victim and people who were in shop have been unable to identify it as being present before. Interviews of close associates and neighborhood investigation continuing."