Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-20
Sourual altS Gorrier.
Saturday Morning, August 20. 1881,
General B. A. Morton.

i6nGESeA ID. As MAOIUOAs
 His FamiIy-The Astounding Develop ments.
 The arrest of General Morton, concerning whom further particulars will be found on the first page, is thus detailed by Judge Bird sal. In his call on Mrs. Morton, August 13, she showed him letter from the General dated at Cincinnati about August 4. It stated that he was gone West on business connected with his Cool Mountain railroad and that he could not give the time for his return East.
 A friend of his named Benjamin F. Adams would be in Lynn, Mass, August IS. There were some things which he (the GeneraD wanted, and he asked Mrs. Morton to send them to him. It struck Judge BirdsaIl as singular that the General going West should want things he was in need of sent to Lynn, Mass. Besides Lynn was good place for swindIer to operate from if he had designs upon Boston and vicinity. Accordingly he told the Pinkertons of what he had learned, and of his surmises, and the result was his arrest The Judge said he did not care to have this published, as he wanted the Pink
 
 The General, Judge Birdsall says, is an ac- complished railroad engineer. He received his education at classic school in Elmira, NJ
 Much sympathy is felt in town for Mrs. General Morton, where she is known, and for the daughter. Mrs. Morton and the daughter-an adopted daughter-have been living at Mrs. Kennedy's PAP York street, for some time past. Acquaintances speak of both in terms of esteem and sympathy, and say that they fear the ladies will be rendered ill by the news as they have been utterly unable to sleep or eat since it came. The health of the daughter, never very firm, was being undermined by the con- tinued worry and excitement of the last few months. The girl was neither daughter of Mir. Morton nor Mrs. Morton, but child by adoption, and was born in one of the first families of Kentucky. Mrs. Morton denied herself to all visitors and was utterly de- pressed and sick. They formerly boarded for year in fashionable boarding house on Olive street, corner of Home Place. People who lived there with them speak of them and say that they always had favorable opinion of the General, and much esteem for Mrs. Morton and daughter. The daugh- ter was visited by fine young lady while re- siding there who came from the South and was teacher in an institute there. Mrs. Mor- ton called her sister, and it was the impress sion that the visitor was her sister. General Morton was entertaining and rendered him. self agreeable in society and in conversation, l and with his wife and daughter attended sev- eral of the sociables given by the Grays at their armory. They were also guests at va rious private parties held at the boarding place, and others which were given in the vicinity. The General was kind and atten- tive to wife and daughter, both of whom he seemed very fond of. The wife was a lady of agreeable and handsome figure and was very tastefully and elegantly | dressed, and fine diamonds were 8 portion of her outfit. The daughter was ! then young miss, who discovered a reiec- tive mind and keen discernment, and was l sprightly, bright and very intelligent. The l General was a muscular man, of imposing person, well dressed, hair well turned to gray, was good talker, and decided and | He was boisterous and outspoken among men and was not altogether popular, and his ! loud style" and his frequent anathemas o1 churches repelled people who otherwise | would have taken to him. A careless, inde ! pendent way, coupled with a free expendi ture of money and his striking personal ap pearance, made him a much noticed man. He was, however, regarded by many with distrust and suspicion He
 l f and at various of our leading stores and his credit was fully established as good. He was | at one time president of the Ethical Union 1T this city, and delivered lectures before that body which were energetically delivered and l were quite striking in their way. He wrote articles for the papers, some of which were printed, others of which were rejected or l account of their extreme views. Judge l Birdsall, who resides at Westport, who | knows the prisoner and has been bondsmar for him, had confidence in Morton until late ! ly that he was an honest man. He had hin as an expert in railroad case, in which he was counsel and the General a witness fol the Central road. He was also witness 1T the Ashtabula case, and saved the Lake Shore company thousands of dollars. The Judge saw him in July, 1879, apparently perfectly helpless. It looked as if he would never re- gain the use of his lower limbs. The Regts ter says: He said he had met with acci dent, he'd been upset in stage coach 1T Kansas on the 30th of the month previous year after that he was arrested for forgery on Mofat & Sargent, of Joplin, Mo, tht forgery having been committed July 5, 1879 Judge Birdsall, in answer to pleadings from Morton, was moved to aid him. He became his bondsman and Morton was released from jail and came on East apparently in very poor health. Judge Birdsall said he was SC confident of Morton's innocence that he was preparing for his defense. He saw hin again and all appeared to be right, and or the Fist of July Morton called on the Judge again. This was the day after he had mar ried the Richmond lady. Two of his wivel were in the vicinity at the time. The Judge had his attention called to articles in tht New Haven Register connecting the Genera with forgeries and various other crimes al ! well as the Richmond marriage, which oc cured July 20. The Register says of the de ! noument as follows:
 said he had called the previous day, knew that der those circumstances it impossible for Morton | and Marvin to be and the same subse quently learned that Morton had obtained two draft l on Spencer, Mast Co.'s Albany banking house.
 wrote them asking them to give me the particular Thay wrote reply that induced me to call at thu I New York house on the 12th inst. There saw MT | Graves, the manager of the Albany branch. H | showed me a draft from the First National bank \ A copy of the draft is given elsewhere.
 | EtI looked at the indorsement," continued Judg