The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-31
IN FRONT OF
M0RGAN's BANK
Announcement Of His Death Was
Made by PastIns Slip Of
Paper over the
Glass Door.
THERE WAS NO PANIC
Carefully Laid Plans Prevented Any
Revolution OF the Stock Ex.
change as Result Of
Death.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
NEW YORK, March 31.-Morning
papers stories predicting the death of
J. P. Morgan, attracted large crowd
to the sidewalks before the dlngy old
bank building at the corner Of Broad
and Wall streets. II was q quiet
crowd which evinced little excitement
and the only effect noticeable when
shortly after o'clock a bulletin an
nouncing the death of the American
financier was posted, was a momen-
| tary hush.
| 1t was the consensus of opinion OF
number Of the market leaders who
mingled with the crowd that the an
nouncement would have no serious
effect on the market, owing to the
careful plans that have been under
way for several weeks to meet just
such a contingency. That the dead r.
nancier was regarded as the ruler OF
1 the American kingdom of finance
was probably best indicated by the
1 fact that thought the crowd gathered
1 about the Morgan offices an hour and
a half before the usual opening Of ac-
4 tivities in the street, 1t included some
! of the best known leaders in the
street.
1t was shown slightly after nine
O'Clock, when a messenger stepped To
the main entrance Of the banking
house and posted on the glass door
a sheet of paper on which was written
the following simple announcement
~. P. Morgan died in Rome at
1905 p. M"
i Immediately the big doors leading
into the main office were swung shut
and announcement was made that no
further business would be transacted
until further notice. ]. P. Morgan, Jr
had not yet arrived and the only mem
ber of the firm present when the an.
nouncement was received from Rome
was Henry P Dawson.
At 9:45 clerk from the Morgan
office came out with second notice
and after tearing down the first, post
ed the following:
"Closed-on account OF the death oi
]. p Morgan, which occurred a
Rome this morning"
AS soon as the Wall street tickers
announced Morgans death, flags were
half-masted on all the brokerage ant
banking houses throughout the streer
Announcement. was made shortly
before ten o'clock that the stock ex
change would not be closed on ac
count OF Morgan's death.
That was early evidence that the
careful preparations which had no
only been made by the street itself
but by Morgan personally, to preven
any disturbance at his death woult
: for some time that the elder Morgan
himself, the coldly practical traits
i debating his action to the last, hat
0 been putting his house in order witt
!. view to having his own death affec
q his business the least possible extent
0 Not only had the elder Morgan SUI
J. rounded himself with able and cor
s servative partners. but he had devoi
r ed the major portion OF his own tim
to grooming his son, J. P. Morgan, il
It for the task of welding his own f
e nancial sceptre.
y Henry Clews. one of the first of tn
we'll known figures Of the street to 81
! rive at the scene, was the first t
lay at the door of the Pujo investiga
I. ing committee the responsibility fo
e the financier's death. In statemen
S to the newspaper men, he said:
a TN my opinion the thing that di
II most to make inroads into Mr.. Mo
h gans health, was the recent attac
,e made upon the great combinations
is his creation--exploits which he pc
'e sonally considered the greatest of h
achievements These attacks reall
/ had saddened his life and preyed p'
on his mind Hence his death"
1. At 1915 following confereno
h between Thomas Lamont, w. H. Por