The Washington times., 1905-07-10
MORSE SNARL NOW
WORSE THAN EVER
Captain Jim's" Story Com
plicates Strange Case.
JEROME KNEW HIS SECRET
Wished to Clear Former Ice King as He
Believed Him Guiltless Of
Conspiracy.

NEW 1ORk, july lo.-If those VINO
told the remarkable story that Capt
James T. Morse had been the chief
potter In the Dodge Morse marital tan
gle, of which his nephew. Charles w.
Morse, was one of the central figures.
hoped To clear the atmosphere of the
complicated case the efforts are likely
TO prove futile.
Instead of anyone throwing I'D his
hat and shouting with Joy that the
mystery had been cleared. everyone
connected with the case considers 1t
has been complicated further.
Story Amuses.
The story of Morse's uncle that he
alone had furnished the money with
which to bring about an annulment of
the marriage of Charles w. Morse and
Mrs. Dodge, and that he supplied about
$4,000 to keep Charles F. Dodge out of
the jurisdiction of the courts of this
state, was received with amusement by
most of those who had followed the
case
But strange as is the story Of Cap
tain Jim," the position of District At
torney Jerome In the proceedings is
regarded as even more, peculiar, the
story told by the captain to the grand
jury was given out in the district attor-
ney's office before Mr.. Jerome went
West. but was not to be printed until
Saturday. or until such time as Mr..
Iiummel served notice that he would
ask for permission to inspect the min
utes Of the grand jury which had in
dicted him.
Why Revelation Was Made.
Though Mr.. Hummel. the most in
lerested person in seeing the minutes
Of the grand jury. canno. get access
to them, practically the full text of
Captain Jims" testimony was given
to the newspapers The only motive
which prompted the district attorney s
subordinates to give out the tale of the
sea captain, IL was said was the de-
sir. to clear Charles ". Morse OF any
suspicion of having been interested in
the moves made To unite his marital
knot 1t was said also the district
attorney believed implicitly the story
told by the seaman Of Bath, Me, and
was almost ready to apologize TO Mr.
Morse for the annoyance caused to
him and to Mrs. w. H. Gelshenen.
= As for sa capran appmBatSIes 5 saspy M %sa
him in the grief he feels because OF
the mistake he made, and il is said
tne district attorney believes the cap
tain, in trying to separate his nephew
and Mrs. Dodge, did it because of his
great love for Morse Without the
slightest shadow Of doubt, Mr.. Jeroms
Morse Sc much he hated to see hin
married to a divorcee. Not that Cap
tain Jim" had anything against Mrs
Dodge; OH no. The dear captain JUS
couldn't see his nephew married to {
woman who was not or the plain New
England type.
His Own Money.
So one day Captain Jim put SIC. 90
of his own money-no. not Charles w
Morse's money-into his pocket. ant
came TO New York The uncle Of tn
former ice King" did not know an!
lawyers here. but In some strange man
ner he decided the firm Of Howe & Hum
mel was just the one 10 do the trick II
walked into Abe Hummefs Office hand
! ed the $40, 600 to the lawyer. and tol'
him to see IL he couldn't do something
sbout separting Morse and his wife.
Or course, the captain, when he pu
the $4,000 in his pocket knew this woul'
be just about the amount the lawye
would want for handling the case MI
Jerome and Assistant District Attorne,
Rand {formerly Mr.. Morse's lawyer
who know the average fees of counsel
are ready to receive without smile tn
statement that the captain paid Hum
Eel $4,000 TO look up legal papers which
were on file in the county clerks of
fee.
In he indictment against Hummei
is charged he suborned Charles +
Dodge. former husband OF Mrs. Morse
TO cnniTli. perjury, and that for ~, 10
Dodge testified that the papers in hi
wife's suit Tor divorce never had bee
Served on him. Later 1t was show
Dodge committed perjury when he S
testified, and he was indicted BY tn
grand jury of this county.
Great Shock to Captain.
Was Captain Jim" shocked when h
realized the trouble he had caused hi
nephew and wife through perjsred testi
Inony? Indeed. he was. He was so hur
he kept quiet about 1t until recently an
paid Dodge large sums of money-abou
$4,000 in alto remain in Texas, a fugi
tive from justice. But Mr. Jerome be
heves that the kindly captain acted en-
tirely out Of goodness OF heart and ou
of his great love for the poor, delude
former ice King" who had been s
foolish as TO choose q wife outside tn
plain Yankee set.
II was not until recently Mr. Mors
discovered who was putting up all tn
money 10 break up his hsppy home A
soon as he learned that he informe
District Attorney Jerome. The distric
attorney met Captain Jim, and hear
from that mans own lips that he wa
the chief devil in the entire conspiracJ
Then Mr.. Jerome had the captain befor
the grand jury. and the new indietrnen
against Hummel WAS found
1t Is recalled. however. that on tw
occasions Mr. Morse was before tn
grand jury. Once he was brought bac
from Europe by Mr.. Jerome in order I
testify before the ..quisitors Part {
Mr- Morse'y testimony before the gran
Jury came out in general sessions. whe
= efforts were made TO have him indicte
for contempt OF court In refusing I
answer the questions put to him by A.
sisiant District Attorney Rand
Did Not Say He Was Victim.
Nothing was brought out TO show the
Morse asserted before the grand 1ur
that he was the victim Of a conspirac
or that he volunteered to help unrav,
the mystery On the contrary. Ii wa
shown he declined to answer certai
questions on the ground that TO do S
might tend to inerim;nate aad degrad
him,
1t is recalled also that Benjamin :
Steinhardt. partner OF Mr.. Humme
became communicative and told a grou
OF newspa permen in his Office that Mors
was paying te his firm the money wit
s which to kee~ Dodge out OF the Stat
Hummel almost had heart failure Whe
he read SteinhardtS statement, and Ia