Morgan jail inmate charged with setting fire to mattress

Eric Fleischauer, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
Updated ·1 min read
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Jun. 22—An inmate in the Morgan County Jail on Friday used an e-cigarette battery to catch his mattress on fire, according to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, forcing the evacuation of nine other inmates in his pod.

John Allen York, 33, of Cullman, was charged with second-degree arson, according to court records. According to an investigator's affidavit, the evacuation was necessary because of the smoke in the pod but no inmates were injured.

York in 2019 was charged with escape after he allegedly climbed over a security razor fence to exit the Lawrence County Jail. After about a day, he was apprehended a quarter mile from the jail.

— eric@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2435