Salt Lake Tribune | 1908-07-15 | Page 1 | Thomas D. Jordan is Stricken Dead

THOMAS 0. JQflDAN is ma dead Former Comptroller of Equitable Equit-able bife Assurance Society Drops in His Tracks. 1IKART DISEASE CAUSE OF HIS SUDDEN DEMISE i Was Involved in Big Financial 1 1 Scandal and Under Numerous Numer-ous Indictments. i N1-:W YORK, July 3-L-Thomns J. .Jordan, formerly comptroller of the Equitable Life Assurance society, dropped dead of heart diaeaso late this afternoon in tho Wall street station of the subway. His death was attended by tragic circumstances. Scores of persous saw him fall, among them Dr. K. C." Wells, a friend. Dr. Wells sur-ried sur-ried to the side of his stricken friend., but ho saw immediately that Mr. Jordan Jor-dan was dead. Mr. Jordan had left his eon, Frank' B. Jordan, 011I3" a moment mo-ment before, and a messenger overtook the young man on the street and informed in-formed h 1 111 of his father's death.- The son was overcome with grief. Financial History. It was in the course of I he Armstroug committee insurance investigation that Mr. Jordan's name came prominently before the public It, was brought out then that Comptroller Jordan had secured se-cured loans aggregating .tiSo.OOO for I himself and .James W. Alexander, former for-mer president of tho Equitable, from tho Mercantile Trust company, and j that theso loans had been covered up in the books of the com pa 113. This I .?US5,000 came to be known as the I "yellow dog" fund. A desire was expressed by the Armstrong Arm-strong committee that Jordan appear before the committee and explain his financial management of the Equitable, Equit-able, but tho process servers were unable un-able to locate Mr. Jordan. Tlis sou was called before the committee and asked to tell where his father was. The young man said ho did not know, and when further questioned said ho did not know whether his father was dead or alive. Had Pled to Europe, It was after the Armstrong committee investigation had come to a close that Jordan put in an appearance, ft was then learned that lio had been in Europe. Eu-rope. As a result of tho disclosures made before the Armstrong committee, the grand tiury found eighteen indictr nients for lorgcry and one for perjury against Jordau. Only recently Mr. Jordan Jor-dan appeared before Justice Goff to plead not guilty to the indictments. Since his indictment, Mr. Jordan has remained before the public eye as lit-l lit-l lo as possible. He attended "the meeting meet-ing of directors of the companies in which he was interested, but kept in the background. Those who saw Mr. Jordan die sav that ho appeared to be in good health as he walked down the subway stairs. Mr. Jordan purchased his ticKet and had walked about fifty feet from the ticket -taker's box when ho was seen to throw up his hands and fall forward on his face.