The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-01-06
MORSE STORY OUT
IN Vain EFFORT
TO GET WITNESS
Attorney Jerome Fails to
Subpoena Mrs.
GelSflenen.
WRITES HER A LETTER
Then Publishes 1t to Show
Effort to Defeat
justice.
WRITES HER A LETTER

justice.
NEW YORK. Jan. 6.-The Morse
Dodge marriage and divorce scandal.
which has been simmering so long. boil
ed over when District Attorney Jerome,
having tried in vain to subpoena Mrs
William H. Gelshenen, widow of the
late president OF the Garfield National
Bank, and having written TO her 10 tell
her that it was her duty to come for
ward, decided because of her impending
departure TO Europe to make public his
letter to her. This is the letter:
Mrs William r. Gelshenen, IoO6 Fifth
Avenue, New York city.
Dear Madam: There is pending in
this office an investigation into the COM
ance to the people of this community. In
ray opinion your testimony is of import
ance.
Knows It's Importance.
| Flow or in what matter may not be
apparent TO you or your advisers, but as
district attorney of this county,
charged with the prosecution of crimes.
I know its Importance, and from my
knowledge Of the facts involved In the
| investigation 1 am a better judge of
the need of your testimony than any
one else can be.
u feel constrained to request that you
attend in This county and appear as
witness before the January, Los. grand
| jury. Prior TO giving your testimony
| there I desire to have personal inter-
view with you that you may be ap-
| prised of the facts which you VIII be
| called upon to testify TO.
Tine grand Jury meets upon Tues
! day the 30 OF January. 1906, and as
understand that YOU desire to go abroad
/ that body upon either Tuesdsfy,- Sd;
i Wednesday, the 4th or Thursday, the
| 5th of january next, whichever date
may be most convenient TO YOU
Would Obstruct Justice.
II regret to give you this trouble,
/ but feel assured from your position in
The community that you viii not place
yourself in the light of one either en-
| deayoring TO ohstruct the administra-
/ ton Of justice or as a fugitive to the
! end that you may not give testimony
| which the chief prosecutor OF the coun-
ty deems to be highly important TO the
public interest
! at beg, madam. that you will iTnmed
! lately upon the receipt of this 4coi-1 muni-
| cate with me in this city. / shall be at
my Office tomorrow and on every day
| next week, and on Sunday l will be in
this city at Rutgers Street, during
I
YOU be within reach i will place myself
at your serv. 9e to come to you, should
you prefer it,
to sail for Europe on the Ith OF January
1905, it is, of course, important that
! should be Immediately apprised OF your
determination. L have addressed this
. letter to you at your house in Fifth
! Avenue, and have also sent a copy OF it
by -nail addressed to you. at Atlantic
City. N J
| Forwarding of Letters.
| ut hardly seems possible that you
| could have left your home In the city
here without leaving with your servants
or the custodian Of your house. or with
the postal authorities, directions where
TO forward your mail. / viii, therefore,
assume that one of these letters will
reach you by Monday afternoon As II
seems 10 me the requests L have made
of you in this letter are manifestly my
duty 10 make and plainly your duty TO
you by Monday afternoon / shall be
forced TO the inference that you have
not received this letter, and inasmuch
as the papers published In New York
city are so widely circulated throughout
all the States east OF the Mississippi
River. that anything published in them
any intelligent person, | may take the
liberty Of communicating to the press
my desire 10 have an interview with
you in order that l may be assured that
the requests embodied In this letter
shall be brought to your attention. Re
| spectfully,
District Attorney
New York, Dec. 80, 1904"
No Response Made.
The letter was made public Ly Assist
ant District Attorney Garvan at the
authorization of the district attorney
The only comment made on the letter
by Mr.. Garvan was:
mo response having been made TO the
requests of this letter and De ,ause Tie
district attorneys office mas been un-
able to reach Mrs Gelshenen by its pro-
cess or TO ascertain her Whereabouts,
and because we are informed that she
intends 10 sail for Europe on Saturday
the district attorney has direereI me "a
give this letter 10 the press for reasons
explained in it,
Mr. Garvan made this statement after
every effort to serve Mrs. Gelshenen had
been frllitIeSS The subpoena servers
who had been at Mrs. Gelshen an's Firth
Avenue house. reported that Mrs Gelsi.-
enen's SON William r. and the servants
knew where she was. but refused tC
tell Son and servants We're according p
Iy subpoenaed TO appear before .rand
jury. and tell where she Is.
After Dodge's Return.
The efforts TO serve Mrs. Gelshenen
: with subpoena began after Dodge was
brought back from Texas Just after
he got back--the day following or a
day or two later-Mrs. Gelshenen left
the city. Not only. have detectives from
the district attorneys Office been look
. ing for her. but a number of central
office sleuths She was tra ced to PhiIa-
Continued on Second Page.)