Donald Morrison was born in 1858 of parents who were cleared from the island of Lewis. They subsequently resettled on a small farm near the town of Bury in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The family were Gaelic speakers and Calvinists like most of the Scots in the townships. The small homesteads carved from thick woodlands didn't provide an adequate living for the new settlers and many were forced into debt (see a "Nameless Poem" by John Graham for a first hand account of life in this community at that time).

At age 20 Donald went west where he got work as a cowboy, acquiring the skills necessary for the task he became good with guns and horses. In the mean time Donald's father Murdo mortgaged the farm to Lt. Col. Malcom MacAulay (who's family had been cleared from Baille Neacaile, Uig in 1840 when MacAulay was 6 years old). Unfortunately Murdo Morrison was illiterate and the terms of his contract were not properly explained. Donald sent money home in order to pay down the debt but his father failed to get receipts and the notary claimed that the family hadn't paid some of the money owing. MacAulay started eviction proceedings. Donald, furious, returned home and hired a lawyer to fight on the family's behalf but the lawyer was in league with MacAulay to defraud the Morrison's of their property. The farm was subsequently sold to a French family. Shortly thereafter the house and barn were raised to the ground by fire and Donald was held guilty. The bailiff appointed to arrest him proved unable to do so and an American gunslinger named Lucius "Jack" Warren was hired to bring him in dead or alive. One day they met on the main street of Megantic, Morrison being the quicker draw shot Jack Warren dead. The price on his head was then raised to $3000.00 but the Scottish community continued, as always, to shelter him even at the expense of some being arrested for doing so.

Donald Morrison remained at large for 10 months all the while parties of police, detectives, jail guards and soldiers hunted for him. He said he would not surrender until justice was done and his parents had their farm returned to them. A deception was devised and a judge promised to redress the family's plight if Donald surrendered and told his side of the story. Under a truce a meeting was to be arranged at his families cabin to discuss terms. Upon arriving Donald was ambushed, shot in the leg and taken into custody. He was tried in Sherbrooke, Quebec in October of 1889. The sentence was 18 years hard labor for the manslaughter of Jack Warren to be served in Bordeau prison. In May of 1894, suffering from tuberculosis Donald decided to end his life with a hunger strike. Friends and supporters organized a petition calling for his early release and the order was granted and signed by the Minister of Justice on June 16, 1894. He died four hours after his release in the Royal Victoria hospital on June 19 at 3:00 pm.

Donald Morrison is buried in the Gisla cemetery, the town of Marsden, Quebec.