As a young man, Morton won the admiration of the Jewish community for making a part of West Side Chicago safe for them by creating a defense society to drive their enemies away. The Chicago police also suspected him of at least two murders. After the United States declared war on Imperial Germany, Morton enlisted in the American Expeditionary Force. He served with distinction and was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Republic. By the war's end, he had been promoted to Lieutenant.