European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 9, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Balm of forgiveness a  associated press f or More than iwo years. Frank and Elizabeth Morris of Hopkinsville ky.,dedicated their liver to punishing the Drunken Driver who had killed their Only child. Devon by hatred they monitored his every court appearance followed him to the county jail of make sure he was serving his weekend sentences and watched his apartment to try to catch him violating his probation. We wanted him in  mrs. Morris said we wanted him dead " Tommy Pigage the Young Man who caused the  crash still gets a lot of attention from the Morrisey they drive him to Church twice a week and often set a place Lor him at their dinner table. Unable to find satisfaction through revenge the couple recently decided to forgive Pigage and try to rebuild his Lite along with their own. The hate and the bitterness i was feeling was destroying  mrs. Morris said. I needed to forgive Tommy to save  sine the Morrisey made their decision to befriend him Pigage 26, has joined their Church quit drinking and become an Active lecturer Lor mothers against drunk driving. They be Given me a better life he said. They be made it much easier for me to live with Mysell and forgive  Pigage said he started drinking at 16 and that alcohol soon became a problem. I just could t let it  he said. I lost several jobs because of it and the last couple of years i would just sit Home with a  Pigage said he knew he had been drinking too much at the party he attended before the Accident dec 23, 1982. Nevertheless he refused friends oilers to drive him Home. I said no i la be All right " he was Only a mile from his Home when his car strayed across the Center line and hit an oncoming car driven by 18-year-old Ted Morris out visiting friends after his first semester away at College. Morris died Christmas eve morning and Pigage was arrested for murder after his blood alcohol level registered almost three times the amount required to be legally intoxicated. The Morrisey first saw him at a preliminary hearing a few Days alter their son was burled. We wanted to take a look at him and see what they d do to  said mrs. Morris 40. We wanted the worst to  added her husband 44, a United parcel service Driver. They were expecting Swift Justice but had much to learn about How courts work. The grand jury handed them their first disappointment reducing the murder charge to second degree manslaughter. Pigage pleaded innocent which infuriated the Morrisey and trial was postponed again and again. Every time it would be delayed i would get More upset and my hatred Lor him would grow mrs. Morris  disappointment peaked last october. 22 months after the Accident when Pigage changed his plea to guilty and was Reed on probation. We Felt like everything that had happened was to his Benefit not the victims Morris said. Although Pigage was not imprisoned the terms of his five year probation were unusual enough to get statewide  show Pigage the carnage Drunken Drivers can cause circuit judge Edwin White ordered him to watch an autopsy performed. Ride with an ambulance Crew on a no Frank and Elizabeth Morris have adopted Tommy Pigage left the Man who kitted their 18-year-old ton. Emergency runs and work As a Volunteer in a Hospital emergency room. He was ordered to spend one night in jail every other weekend and mrs. Morris made sure he complied. I d go by the jail myself and make sure he was there she said. By this time i did t Trust  Pigge was Alto ordered to Stop drinking and to share his experience with High school students at Madd lectures. Mrs. Morris by then a Madd Leader was there last Winter for his first speech at the Trigg county High school. I wanted to hear what he had to say. I really expected him to say that it was t his fault that it could have happened to  she said. But he did t say that. He got up and referred to himself As a murderer. He said he had received a very Light sentence and that he should be in prison. He was accepting responsibility for what he  mrs. Morris was touched. He looked just like n Little whipped Puppy she said. I actually Felt sorry Lor  she went backstage alter the lecture but her sympathy evaporated when she smelled liquor on his breath. She later drove by his apartment and saw him drinking a violation of his probation. The next time Pigage checked in with his probation Counselor his blood alcohol level was Over the limit. He was ordered to begin serving a 10-year jail sentence. Mrs. Morris visited him behind bars to say she wanted to help him Stop drinking. I Felt it had already wiped out one very special  she said. I did t want to see it waste his  it was not an easy meeting. I was scared to  she recalled. I wanted to avoid them. I was so  Pigage said. I knew they hated  monday september 9, 1985 mrs. Morris continued to visit Pigage in jail and while ordered that he could be released to the couple s custody Lor Church and other outings. On one visit. Pigage wept and threw his arms around Morris begging to to forgiven. Returning irom a Madd meeting one Day Morris stopped by the Little River Church of Christ where he serves As choir director and baptized Pigage into the Church. Pigage spent three months behind bars before defense lawyers asked that he be freed again on probation. This time the Morrisey were in favor. I feel like he has taken a real about face in his  Morris said. He s on the right track  Pigage. A tobacco warehouse worker still spends alternate weekends in jail and makes speeches for Madd and other groups. I Tell them How much damage they can do to both lives the family that loses somebody and also their  he said. I Don t think people realize what they re playing with when they drink and  the couple see Pigage several times a week now and have also befriended his parents who applaud his turnaround. My mom jokes that they be adopted me he said. Mrs. Morris admitted she had transferred Many of her maternal feelings to Pigage. I figured i was t Able to help Ted anymore maybe i could help Tommy she said. For his part. Morris said it had been easier to forgive Pigage than to build a relationship with him afterwards. I knew god required me to forgive Tommy at some Point he said but i could have dropped it after that and probably would have Felt More comfortable. But i Felt that forgiveness required me to go the second mile and see what i could do Lor  the stars and stripes Page 13