Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-16
|LANYERHUMMELCA CASE.
Echoes Of the Dodge-Morse
Divorce Trial.
CONSPIRACY CHARGED
ALLEGED THAT $77, 25o WAS PAID
By CAPT. MORSE.
Sensational Features That Are Attract
ing Considerable Attention in
q New York and Elsewhere.

N1JW 1Ohh, DeCeInD6T IU-lH6 CRUCIAL
legal point in the celebrated Dodge-Morse
divorce case, namely. the question whether
Dodge was ever served with the summons
to the divorce proceedings with his wife,
who later became Mrs. Morse. was taken up
today at the trial of Abraham H. Hummel
the lawyer for conspiracy In this case.
The first witness, William A. Sweetser,
was the lawyer who represented Mrs.
Dodge In her original divorce proceedings.
Sweetser said that he served the summons
In question on Dodge on March /, 1897, at
the Everett House In this city He then
said. In reply to questions that In 1903 he
identified Dodge a man whose real name
was Herbitch. This was at reference pro-
ceedings in connection with the case.
The prosecution In the Hummel trial
has charged that Herbitch was used at the
reference to impersonate Dodge, who, they
charge~was being kept away from the city.
Sweetser said that Mrs. Dodge was to
pay all expenses OF the divorce proceed
ings, including her husbands counsel fee.
Charles K. Herbitch, whom Sweetser
testified he identified as Dodge in 1903. was
then put on the witness stand. He said
that he went to the reference proceedings
in question at the request of MIR. Hummel.
II went to his Office said Herbitch.
land he told me he wanted to use me for
about fifteen minutes at hearing, but did
not want me to testify. He sent me to
Judge Halls Office, at GO Williams street.
Steinhardt."
Did you receive anything for your serv-
ices?"
yes, s25."
What did Hummel say to your
He told me that he wanted to see II
certain man would mistake me for some
one else
You knew by. what you heard there
that there was a dispute to service OF
summons?"
II did"
Justice Rogers, who IS trying the case,
asked at this point
And when Sweetser greeted you as Mr..
Dodge you did not make any response!
II did not"
Charles w Morse the banker, organizer
of the American Ice Company and other
corporations, was next called to the wit
ness stand. 1t was in order to secure an
annulment of the marriage of Clemence
Dodge to Morse that the alleged con-
spiracy was entered into by HummeL
Mr.. Morse said that Hummel told him In
1902 that Mrs. Dodges divorce from
Dodge was corrupt and bad. Morse sald
he answered that If anything was wrong
he wanted to set it right. The witness
said that Sweetser showed him a news
paper picture of Dodge which the lawyer
said he had with him when he served the
summons. Delaney N1coll Hummel at
torney. then said
And when you called his attention to
the fact that by the date on the paper
the picture was not printed until months
after the service OF the summons what
did he sayr
THAT he would have to frame up some
other excuse" was the reply
Mr.. Morse testified that his wife said she
preferred a new divorce from Dodge, and
that she started an action for one. He said
that Hummel was to act as Dodge's counsel
in this new divorce, but that case was stop
ped by Intervention proceedings. MI Morse
was asked about the attitude of his uncle,
Can't James t. Morse the New England
shipowner, regarding the marriage with
Mrs. Dodge.
''You have heard him say that Mrs. Dodge
was an unfit woman for you to martyr
he was asked.
Yes
you have heard him say also that he
would take steps to break your MARRIAGE
Yes."'
Mr. Morse said that he was in District
Attorney Jeromes Office. and that Mr..
Jerome was present when Capt. Morse said
he had taken legal steps to break the mar
riage.
Judge Ernest Hall. who acted as referee
in the Dodge divorce case in 1903, testified
that Sweetser took Herbitch for Morse at
one of the hearings, and that he afterward
understood that Herbitch there SIM
ply that it might be seen whether Sweetser
would recognize him as Dodge. Judge Hall
said that Dodge himself was present at a
later meeting, and that he did not at all
resemble Herbitch in appearance. After
this testimony the case was adjourned until
next Monday.
Alleged Payment Of SITE
If the district attorney proves his case
against ABE Hummel 1t will be shown
that Hummel was paid S77.25O by Capt.
James t. Morse. the uncle of Charles w.
Morse, to break up the marriage Of Mrs.
Dodge to Charles w. Morse after she had
obtained a divorce from her husband. Chas
F. Dodge. This much was outlined yester-
day in the opening of Assistant District
Attorney Rand and In series of questions
put to Abraham II. Kafrenburgh and Ma
thanei Cohen, who are employed by Mr..
Hummefs firm.
Mr.. Rand said that he would prove that
Captain Morse, who Is Boston shipowner,
went to Hummel, and after asking Hum
mel to look into the marriage of his
nephew. gave Hummel $4,000 as a fee on
Hummers statement that he could show
that the Dodge divorce had been obtained
by fraud. 1t was after the Dodge divorce
had been set aside and while Dodge was in
Texas fugitive from this state that Cap
tain Morse paid. 1t is alleged, to Cohen. in
sums ranging from 81 $50 to $2I coo Ss2.-
go. Mr.. Rand indicated that much I'm his
questions to Mr. Cohen and Captain Morse
will undoubtedly testify that he pad the
money to Cohen.