Evening star., 1909-06-12
LONDON GETS A JOLT
MuIti-MiIIi0naire Dies Who
Was Little Known.
LEFT s75,000,00O FORTUNE
Richest Commoner in England Chose
to Live Quietly.
STATE TO GET ABOUT $4,000, 900
Cheers for the King at Derby-Pub-
lies Wild Demonstration Over
His Winning Race.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
LONDON. May %, 1909.
An obscure English i-milionaire
has just died in London and astonished
| officials of the exchequer learn that the
state will benefit by about $13.OO0,OOO
In death and legacy duties from the for
tune of a man of whom they never
heard Mr.. Charles Morrison. whose
| death at the age Of ninety-two has dis
closed his riches. was hardly known out
side small business circle. though his
fortune Is placed at $75.0OO.OOO. sin
gle firm of stockholders and a few art
| dealers beside his intimate friends knew
him. and through his charities the heads
of various philanthropical institutions
we're familiar with his name on checks.
Though Mr.. Morrison was the richest
commoner in Great Britain and owned a
fine house in the country, he preferred
to live quietly in town In few rooms IN
an old-fashioned quarter. quite out OF
touch with Park Lane and the very rich.
He did not even own motor car, and
frequently made his lunch on an apple
and bun. In these days of exacting
publicity 1t seems an even more extraor-
dintry, feat to have concealed from no
toriety a fortune of this vastness than 1t
does to have accumulated It.
The secret of the millionaire's well pre-
served obscurity was his consistency in
avoiding anything remotely approaching
sensationalism in the conduct of his
huge finances. Although largely and con-
tinuously engaged in the city, he was
never tempted into association with those
grandiose speculationS which have made
household words of the names of other
great financiers. Adventures In COM
pany promoting and market-rigging were
never in his line.
His simple method was to buy largely
of sound securities when panic or other
causes had depressed the market. and to
sell when the subsequent reaction show
ed a respectable profit on the purchase.
The fortunes of the house of Morri-
son were romantically laid by their
founder, James Morrison. father of the
late multi-millionaire. The son OF a
poor Hampshire yeoman, James trudged
TO London in the early eighteen hundreds.
and seeing a notice in the window OF
Cheapside drapery warehouse. applied
James Todd. his employer. liked the lads
industry and perseverance we'll, and gave
him rapid promotion. so that at twenty
five he was manager.
BY this time he had followed the ex-
ample of many a hero of commercial
romances before him and fallen in love
with his masters daughter. Mr.. Todd
favored the suit, and In order to facilitate
the marriage took the young man into
partnership. It was a wise move from
every point Of view. The marriage was a
happy one, and the business developed
rapidly into the great firm now known
as the Fore Street Warehouse Company.
Father Died Worth Over 81, ,OOO, 900.
Mr.. Morrison the >elder entered parlia-
ment as liberal member for st. Ives. and
helped to pass the great reform bill. In
1s4S he bought the present family seat.
and established the famous art collection
which his son, with Inherited taste and
enthusiasm, greatly extended. He died IN
1857. worth over four millions sterling,
leaving three sons, of whom Charles was
the eldest.
Charles never married. and 1t is under
stood that the great fortune Is divided by
the will of the late millionaire among
the brother and sister. who are both over
seventy and unmarried.
Charles Morrison, il is not surprising to
| learn had his personal eccentricities. 1t
was part of the austere system of his life
| to avoid publicity in any shape, and not
| withstanding that in Basildon Park
| (which was the seat of the Fame family
! in the eighteenth century, he owned a
| large and beautiful domain, he mixed In
| society practically not at all. He had
no taste for display. and the curious
! household at Basildon lived with the ut
| most plainness.
| III was one OF HIS peCulldIltlcS lIdt IC
wore clothes which, If not absolutely
shabby. we're obviously ready-made, and
| he kept no carriage of his own, riding
| when he did ride-in hired cabs. For all
| this. he was not mean. He gave gener-
| ously in private to charities. and was ex-
| ceedingly kind to khis employees in the
| city and the country, who are believed
to be literally remembered in his will.
| Apart from MI Morrison's market op-
erations. he had important interests In
l Icif owned RaSil0On House.
| Finsbury House and other large blocks
of Offices comprising some of the most
| remunerative properties in the city OF
London. These alone would provide him
4 with an enormous income He was aiso
one of the largest landowners In Berk-
shire and had big estates in Scotland.
! l do not think anybody has ever seen
| the king so deeply moved in pubic as
| he was at EPSON Wednesday. His venture
into the swayins and wildly cheering mob
outside the inclosure. crowded so densely
around him that his figure became lost
| to view, seemed to unnerve him Tor
moment. Certainly on his return TO the
| Jockey Clubs stand he lost. httle OF
| his usual genial composure. He stood
| alone leaning on the rail. in front. ac-
knowledging the continuous shouts or the
| enormous gathering of people in front oi
| him.
Behind him stood the Prince of Wales,
Prince Arthur of Connaught. Prince
| Francis of Teck and a group OF peers
| Everybody was excited. The peers want
| ed 70 Join in the cheering. but like Others
near at hand. they were watching the
king. who TO tell the truth. seemed tc
| feel the need of assistance or support In
| responding TO the thunderous tributes
| Time and again he bowed his acknowledg
| ment now and then looking round TO the
peers as though mutely TO appeal foi
some one to come and share the cheers.
King Led the Winner.
But il was the kings Derby. and cheel
rose upon cheer until his majesty, unable
any longer to stand alone. turned away
and with his head barred went upstair.
to the royal box TO receive the congratu
lations OF the queen. The queen. too. wa
greatly affected by the unparalleled out
burst of enthusiasm. Standing up In th'
royal box, with the Princess of Wales ant