The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-11-11
ICE KING MORSE, sENTENcEp
TO PENAE sERviTuDE, HAD
FORTUNE AND A LEGITIMATE
BUSINESS, BUT He WANTED
MlLLIoNs.

fVHbONE NM n Ie0I ItMAJe
BUSINESS, BUT He WANTED
MlLLloNs.
special Oor1sspondence 70 xhs Press
NEW YORK, Nov. 11.-Charles
w. Morse. the first important Wall
street brigand sentenced to Is
years OF penal servitude for his
crimes against the trusting public,
this to think Of in his prison
cell:
Fifteen years ago l was assured
q legitimate success in business. Il
produced commodity which sold
to the public at fair profit. A
comfortable fortune | gained and l
held the respect of my fellows.
Why was l dissatisfied with mere
comfort? craved luxury. had
thousands, but dreamed of mil
lions. l went into the realm of
greed, and in Wall street learned
the great principle of profit from
public exploitation. formed a
trust OF all the ice companies in the
metropolis. Then, to the wretched
poor of that city said: The price
of ice has been doubled. Pay this
tribute to me and give me my mil
lions or your children shall die un-
der the scorching summer sun. l
am the Herod of the twentieth Gen.
fury. l know no pity. / demand
my Millions
II Morse does not have these
thoughts will he remember that
from the very moment he effected
his cruel order, taking the life saw
ing ice out of the hands of the suf-
fering tenement jewellers and in
flicting hardship upon the million
poor OF his city, his success-his
real success, started Its decline.
True, by that operation he wrung
from the public $20,O00,000 Of act
ual profits for himself. And with
these profits he formed the steam
ship trust, controlling 81 ships, and
seized Is banks and trust compan-
les, and his fortune grew to the
enormous total of $75,000,000. And
yet, he had no peace.
Does he think Of this in jail?
Morse is engaged today in des-
perate attempt to wriggle out of
the moose the law has set for him.
Maybe he will be In a measure sue
cessful. But when the history of
the commercial age is written his
name will go down at the top of
list of criminals. Not that he Is
worse than others of his kind, but
It. was his hard luck and the pub
lies good fortune that he should be
taken as the first convict.
Stern, uncompromising justice
Rpresided at his trial, and there was
mo Jerome to bar the way to the
prison CELL Searchers after real
success will profit from reading
and remembering the life story Of
Charles w. Morse. Here 1t is in
brief:
Fifty-two years ago he was born
In the ice town of Bath. Me. His
father owned tugboats that piled
the Kennebec river. The boy
wanted to 60 to college, but his
father gave him job In his office
ht $4,000 year. Young Morse
hired boy for 5000 a year to do
bis work and he proposed to accept
e1400 a year without giving service.
This was his first attempt at ex-
ploitation. His father possessed
higher moral code and discharged
his son.
Morse went to work as a candy
butcher" on an excursion barge,
belling candy and notions, apd
earned enough to go to Bowdoin
college. He graduated with good
standing. While still in college he
Invested some of his savings in
ymall ice concern and doubled his
money. He began to study ice In
1880. He persuaded his father to
10 into the ice cutting business.
The firm made money.
One day Morse and his father
woke to the realization that they
we're supplying practically every
ce company in New York city with
The commodity. Then young Morse
kame to New York. He earned the
|obriquet of silent Charley"
He consolidated all Of the retail
Companies In the city and ended
competition. To effect his plans
dorse found 1t necessary to corrupt
he political system of the metropo-
Is. He made friends with Tam
many hall and interested Mayor
IAN Wyck In his ice schemes, in
ucing Van Wyck to buy large
lock Of the stock of his company,
then then became privileged
oncern. Morse had no difficulty In
aiming from the city docking priv
ege, and when he ordered the
rice of ice doubled the city govern,
nent did not disapprove.
His wife, Brooklyn girl, then
led.
Tho n,,rgo ~ uraaH vuau rnry