Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1905-12-14
SeRsatiORa|ChaPge District
Attorney in HummeI Case.
NECESSARY TO GUARD CHIEF
WITNESS IN GOTHAM SCANDAL
Sequel Of Dodge-MO Divorce Case
Proves More Interesting Than First
Act Of Notorious Suit,

New York. Dec. 13.--Abraham II
Hummel. the attorney, was placed on
trial today before Justice Rogers III
the criminal branch of the supreme
court on the charge of conspiracy and
subornation of perjury in conn elton
with the Dodge Morse divorce case
and when court adjourned this after
noon only four jurors had been Sc
lected. Counsel for the accused law
yer made an effort to have the trial
delayed but Justice Rogers .oVerrulel
all the various motions having that
end i'm view.
During the course of the arguments
today, Assistant District Attorney
Rand, who is in charge of the prose-
cution OF the case, made the assertion
that efforts had been made bS the
other side" to kill Charles i. Dodge,
the most important witness against
Hummel. Mr.. Rand said 1t was neces-
sary TO guard\ Dodge constantly. lie
urged this as one reason for an early
hearing of the case.
The charge against Humme' grew
out Of the sensational Dodge
divorce litigation in which j, was al
legged that Hummel entered into con-
NDlIdtN To stEuit DtIJuftu NNiutA+NNs
Former Supreme Court Justice Ed
gar l.. Fursman also was indicted on
charge of conspiracy IN the same
case. The conspiracy and perjury
charges we're made after an investl-
CATION by District Attorney Jerome
of allegations that the courts had been
made use of in an improper manner
in efforts 10 procure the annulm mt
or the decree of divorce obtained by
Mrs. Clements Dodge against Charles
r. Dodge After the divorce Mrs.
Dodge married Charles W. Morse
who was very prominent in banking
and steamship affairs. The real OBJ
ject of the desire to obtain annulment
Of the Dodge divorce was said to be
to investigate the marriage of Mrs.
Dodge and Morse. Hummell appear
ed as attorney for Dodge and pre-
sented a claim by Dodge that he never
was, properly served with a summons
In Mrs Dodge's suit that he was rep
resented by counsel at the trial and
that he knew nothing of the matter
until he was served with certificate
of the decree. Former Justice Furs-
man then came into the case as coun-
sci for Mrs. Morse and legal proceed
ings proceeded to the point where on
January 4, 1904. the Dodge Morse an
nulment was entered III lhe supreme
court. Then an attorney named
Sweetstar who had served papers on
Dodge and who had been at work on
the case to save his professional repu-
ton. discovered letters from Dodge te
Mortimer Ruger, also an attorney
saying that he (Dodge) had been
served with the papers in the divorce
suit, and authorizing Ruger to act as
his attorney. Ruger had died before
the latter proceedings. Dodge was at
once indicted for perjury, and after a
long legal fight brought back from
Houston. Texas. After Dodge was
brought back he made statement IN
which he accused Hummel of having
dictated to him the false affidavit.
Justice Rogers denied a motion for
special jury to try the case. made by
counsel for Hummel and Immediately
after the case was called the work OF
securing a jury began.