St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-11
He Testif1es That He Never In
dorsed the Note in Question
Attorney KolIiner and Broker
jerks Create u Sensation
George Morse in Central Amer
lea for His Health.

and interesting case.
In opening the case for the plaintiff
Attorney Kolliner did not spare the
Morse family to any great extent.
Among other things he SAID that the
plaintiff proposed to show that the de-
PENDANT had knowledge OF on Aug. IS,
two days after the note was made, that
his son George had forged the same.nnd
then the attorney added:
'sWhat did he do? Did he confront
his erring son and say, George, you
must make this right and clear our
name? No On Aug. % he packed his
little valise, fearful of the rigor of a
Minnesota winter, and quietly stole
away to San Francisco, and he left the
Columbia National bank and other in
situations that had been VictimiZed,
groveling at the feet Of man whom he
says he knew was a forger. Four
months later payment was demanded,
and still he left the bank in the lurch.
time to leave the city. He didn't like
Minneapolis. He. too, needed trip for
his health, but Minneapolis was good
enough for him-a trait of the Morse
family. However, Elisha took good
care of some of these notes-these al
legged forgeries-which the court will
instruct you makes him"
This brought out an objection from
the other side.
Elisha Morse took the stand. He tes-
tilted that he and George Morse were
in business together III 1886 and 1887.
He swore positively that he knew
nothing of the note in question until
written to about it in California by the
bank.
The note was then identified by
Charles Kettelson. the president of the
bank, who said that the bank had
gotten possession of it on Aug. II. pay
ing the faces. O0O-less the discount
Of per cent interest.
The defense established the point
that George W. jerks, an investment
broker, had sold the note to the bank.
On the point of his sons signature,
Mr.. Morse testified to George Morse
having given, in February, 1892,
$4,000 note signed Elisha Morse u Son.
On this interest for several years had
been paid. He also was informed of
four other notes with the firm name
signed to them, which he paid. Asked
as to when he was shown the note III
issue. which he had stamped as forg-
cry. Mr.. Morse said:
''lt was some time about Aug. II,
1892. a Mr.. Ware came into my Office
and asked for George. l said he was
not there. He said, Tell him have
raised the money for that $1,000 note
l asked him what note. and he said,
That note you signed | was COM
pleteIy thunderstruck. | saw my son
and told him Mr.. Ware had been to see
me. He turned as white as sheet and
begged for mercy"
Witness lost his composure and then,
after regaining it. continued:
~ IL, lint ii Toll TI1vT
daughter, and asked her to watch over
him. l took up that note, never dream
ing that he would repeat the otfense, he
cried So"
Then came the following questions
and answers:
Wasn't you called upon to settle up the
shortage THEREOF
Il was not liable, but to help my son
i put UP $4,000 for the heirs"
Didn't they claim the money of
you?"
mo, sir. They asked it of George"
Didn't they claim it of you?'
mo, not really"
Don't you remember a meeting in
the Noyes' Office on Aug. 10, 1922"
Yes. sir, do"
"Did not you settle with Moves on
your own ACCOUNT"
mo, paid 81, 400 then, but George
paid part"
Didn't Mr.. Noyes hold you for that
Veasy matteT?"
~ believe he did, perhaps"
s"Didn't you personally get release
from that matter?"
II can't tell unless see the paper"
Didn't You compel George to pay
part of that?"
'No, sir. was surprised that he had
raised $780,"
This was the day after you discov-
cred he had forged a note to wave"
Eyes. SIR"
And the next day you had him put
in So, 800 In this settlement"
mo. George had power of attorney
for the Veasy heirs and collected notes
for them, the money for which he used"
Mr.. Morse did not know where the
$500 in the Veasy matter. for which
they had attempted to hold him, came
from, not thinking it was forgery. Mr.
Morse, when shown the Columbia bank
note. gave it as his opinion that it was
signed in George MorSe's handwriting,
and was a forgery. He said the sig
nature was not his own. when the in
quiry went on in the following course:
us that your signature on the note?"
mo, sir: it is not"
'HOw do you know"'
81 never signed such a note, and be-
sides there are little
PECULIARITIEs ABOUT THAT SIGMA
1 can point out. Besides, l never in my
life made note to my own name"
'You did borrow money when You
put of that S20,000?"
Eyes, sir; made three loans from the
Farmers and Merchants bank to help
my son. 1 also borrowed $1,000 from
H F. Brown on Aug 16. He offered
to let me have more on my personal
note"
Mr.. Morse said that he had cor
responded with his son from Cali
fornia. 1t was In 1891 that he placed his
affairs in the hands of w. E. Morse, a
younger son. The last letter he wrote
George was IN the middle of November,
when he had heard of his paper floating
around. Hill, Sons & Co. had wired
him to know if $4,000 note was
genuine, and he wired back that 1t was
not. George had wired to him: Don't
answer. Hill. Sons & Co. note de-
stroyed." Witness testified to other
notes to Chadbourn q Sons, for which
he had made atfidavits of forgery. Then
the witness again gave way.
Elijah Morse, the defendant, occu-
pied the stand most of the day. George
E. jerks, an investment broker, testi-
fed as to negotiating the sale of the
note to the Columbia bank, and Cashier
Knapp. of the bank, testified as to hav-
ing paid the money over. 1t came out
in the evidence that the bank people
suggested that certain changes be made
in the note. Mr.. jerks caused quite a
sensation when he said on the stand
that when the suggestion to change the
note was made George Morse left him
and went to his father for this supposed
purpose. and then returned with the
alterations made. This implies that
the note could hardly have been forged
by George Morse. when his father was
standing near. This looked damaging