J.M. Morton

J.M MORTON DIED FRIDAY AFTERNOON
COUNTY COMMISSIONER WAS ONE OF COUNTY’S PIONEER CITIZENS AND LEADERS
Malarial Congestion Takes One of Choctaw County’s Public Officials and Boosters
The Hugo Husonian April 25, 1912 - transcribed by Ron Henson

    J.M. Morton, county commissioner, and pioneer resident of Hugo and Choctaw county, died at his home in Ward 2 Friday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock, after an illness of but two days.
    County Commissioner Morton had been on a fishing and hunting trip with friends in this city, returning home only to be immediately taken ill with malarial congestion. For 48 hours a brave battle was waged against death, but Mr. Morton sank steadily, the end coming shortly after noon today.
    J.M. Morton was one of Choctaw county’s leading and most public spirited citizens. He was born at Grant, Ark., January 28, 1867, but removed to Fannin county, Texas, when but a lad. He resided in North Texas until he came here about 1900 making Hugo his home since the time this place was laid out as a town. He has been one of the city and county’s foremost workers, being county commissioner from this district at the time of death, and a candidate for renomination. Mr. Morton was also in the mercantile business, operating a coal office here, besides being a buyer and seller of Hugo real estate all of the time.
    The deceased is survived by his wife and seven children, three of the latter still residing at the home, four of them being married.
    Besides the family mentioned, he has four surviving brothers and one sister. The sister resides at Corsicana, Texas, and one brother resides at Fort Stockton, Texas, another at Muskogee, one at Wapunucka, and the other is W.F. Morton, one of the best known residents of this city. All were present before dissolution save the sister and the brother at Fort Stockton.
    News of County Commissioner Morton’s death comes so soon after announcement of his first illness that the business acquaintances can scarcely conceive it to be true. County Commissioner John Huskey arrived from Fort Towson at noon, only to find his fellow officer unconscious and rapidly passing from life.