Milford chronicle., 1911-01-27
PAUL MORTON
DIES SUDDENLY
President Of Equitable Life
Victim Of ApOpIeNy.
WAS STRICKEN m HOTEL

His Family Was Summoned, But He
Died Before They Arrived-Was Sec
retary Of Navy Under President
Roosevelt.
Paul Morton, president Of the Equit
able Life Assurance Society, waf
stricken with apoplexy just after ne
had gone to the Hotel Seymour, in
New York, for the purpose, his friends
said. of keeping an appointment with
Paul L. Herman, the lawyer.
Mr.. Morton died an hour and a hall
later in an apartment just vacated by
Ar. Kiernan earlier in the day and
iust a few minutes before his wife and
brother, Joy Morton, Of Chicago, reach
ed the house.
Coroner Feinberg, who is a physi
clan. and Coroner's Physician O'Han
Ion agreed after they had examined
Mr.. MOrtons body and had talked with
Joy Morton concerning his brothers
condition that death was caused by
apopleXy due to a rupture of blood
vessel in the brain, which resulted
from arterO-sclerosis, from which Mr.
Morton was found to be suffering with.
in the past month.
1t was explained that a hotel maid
had noticed Mr. Morton apparently
in a faint in the hallway outside Of
suite So, on the fifth floor. This suite
had been vacatd by Mr.. Kiernan and
he had moved to a larger suite. The
maid notified the telephone operator
and the manager Of the hotel rushed
up to the fifth floor. He helped the
maid to assist Mr. Morton into the
vacant suite Word was sent for DR.
Henry Pearson.
When DR.. Pearson reached Mr.. Nor
tons bedside he was unconscious, and
Il was apparent to Dr. Pearson that
he had suffered a stroke Of apopleXy
Then word was telephoned to Mr.. Nor
tons house and to the Metropolitan
club. Mrs. Morton was informed over
the phone that her husband had faint
ed at the Seymour, and was asked to
come to the hotel at once. but he was
dead before she arrived.
Paul Morton was born in Detroit
MAY - 1901 anu MGlAN " ANNbl eAsAAe
with his parents six months later. He
began his railroad career in the land
department of the Burlington road in
Iowa. In May, 1873. he was employed
in the general freight office of the Bur
lington road at Plattsmouth Neb.. and
from there he went to the general
freight Office In Chicago, being aP
pointed assistant general freight agent
Of the Burlington in 1878 at the age Of
twenty-one. He occupied this and bet
Ter positions in the freight service I'm
ill 1886. when. at the request Of the
management of the Burlington, he took
the position OF general passenger
agent
From the position OF general pas
aenger agent he was selected for the
general freight agency, and remained
with the Chicago, Burlington g. Quincy
In that position until 1890 when he en-
gagged in the coal and iron business as
president of a coal company operating
in Iowa and Illinois. and vice presi
dent of what is now the Colorado Fuel
and Iron company.
He remained with these companies
until the end Of 1895, when he accept
ed the vice presidency of the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe railway, in charge
OF its commercial affairs.
In 1904, largely owing to his per
sonal friendship for President ROose
Welt, he accepted the secretaryship Of
the navy. In doing this he sacrificed 8
salary OF $4,000 for one of $4,000.
Mr. Morton was credited with pos !
sessing an independent fortune. vari |
ousIy estimated from s1.OOO,OOO to 81.
100000, having made nearly $l,OOO,O0a
on the sale Of the Indiana Illinois &
Iowa railroad TO the Vanderbilts. II
deciding regarding President Roose
yelt's OFFER therefore, the monetary
consideration did not enter into the
question,
Ii 1905 he was elected president Of
Ahe Equitable Life Assurance society
a a salary Of $i50OO0 a year.
Mr.. Morton. in 1889, was married to
Mss Charlotte Goodrich. an accom- .