Evening journal., 1908-02-06
NO TRACE OF MISSING
ICE KING, C. w. MORSE
Friends Believe That He
Has Gone TO Europe and
Wall Street Wonders
How Much of His For
tune is Left.
HAD BEEN WORTH
TWENTY MILLION

BY THE JOURNALS Special Wire.
NEW YORK. Feb. 6-There is no
knowledge whatever of the where
abouts of c. w. Morse, the Ice King.
who has been missing :or several days.
His friends adhere to their version that
he has unquestionably gone to Europe
for a three weeks stay, and his
creditors think he sailed on the Kaiser
Wilhelm ii. Government banking Of
ficials appear to think, however, that
he may have waited for the Kroonland
or Noordam, which did not sail until
yesterday.
Anyway he is gone md Mrs. Morse
reigns alone in the Fifth avenue man
sion-already heavily mortgaged and
now under attachment. too, on account
of Examiner Hanna's ISABELLE claim
in connection with a Supreme Court
suit.
Wall street is wondering. in the
meantime. how much of Morse's
fortune is left. Six months ago he wes
head of the Ice and Coastwise Ship
Trusts. capitalized at 1927, 100000. in
control of a chain of banks capitalized
at Si0,000,000, and other corporations
representing millions more, and himself
rated as being worth S2O,OOO,OOO
Securities Deprecated.
The depreciation of his securities, the
piling up of suits and rendering CT
judgments for vast amounts. men
familiar with his affairs express the
opinion that his wealth must have dis
appeared almost completely as has its
owner himself
Though concerned in almost number
less big deals, it was as ''Ice King"
that Morse attained his widest cele-
brity. He engaged with his cousin.
II. F. Morse. in the Ice business at his
home town, Bath. Me-, on leaving col
1ege. branched out as n lumber dealer,
too, saw the advantage of owning YES
sells and soon had a fleet carrying Ice
and lumber plying between Maine
ports New York, Jacksonville and New
Orleans. Then he came to New York
and Interested Mayor Van Wyck with
him. Tammany began taking an in
terest in the stock and Morse suddenly
pushed up ice prices in the middle Of
the summer of 1898 from 30 to 60 cents.
This was a mistake. An investigation
followed, a reduction in price was
forced and the stock fell like lead. Van
Wyck had unloaded. SO had Morse,
clearing immense fortunes.
Hurst BY the Crisis.
There was a reorganization later and
Morse Is said to have regained control
Of the company. but was forced from
his positions during the recent financial
crisis. While the Ice Trust was at the
height Of prosperity, Morse began ac-
quirIng his chain of banks. Through
them he began acquiring steamship
lines and soon established the Consoli-
dated Steamship Company, capitalized
and bonded at 6O.OOO.OOO each. The
burden was too heavy for him and con-
tribute to his fall. He was interested
also with f. Augustus Heinz, and F..
r. Thomas, who owned chains of banks
of their own. and It was the crash In
copper. and the failure OF banks inter-
ested therein that was responsible for
bringing his own financial house Of
cards tumbling about his ears. Morse's
domestic affairs. with their climax in
his marriage to the divorced Mrs.
Clemence Dodge, made him prominent
several years ago and it was for his
connection with this case that ABE"
Hummel,. the lawyer, was convicted
Of subornation Of perjury and sent to
BlackwelPs Island. Morse is SO years
old.