The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-16
RUMMEL'S TRIAL FOR
 CONSPIRACY BEGINS
NOTED CRIMINAL LAWYER HIM. SELF BEFORE THE BAR
 OF JL STICE.

Assistant District Attorney Rand De-
 cIeares Project of Accused n Very Bold One-Aimed Not Only at the
 Laws of the State but at the Very
 Institution of Marriage-Not Less
 Than s5O,OOO Paid to the Lawyer by
 MOrse-NOted Divorce Case to be
 Aired Again.
 New York, Dec 15.-The prosecution opened it's case to-day in the trial of Abraham H. Hummel, the lawyer charged with conspiracy in the cele- brated Dodge-M Morse divorce case. As- sistant District Attorney Rand, in open ing the case. said:
 Tn this case the act Of conspiracy as described in law was committed and the goods were delivered and paid for. This particular project was very bold one. It was aimed not only at the laws of the state, but its object of attack was nothing Jess than the institution of marriage and the administration of jus tice.
 Captain James T. Morse, of Port land, Me-, 8 ship owner, had heard Mrs. Morse was a divorced warnon. He start ed to work to see if he could not break up the marriage. He went to the office of Hummel, this defendant, and few days later Hummel telephoned to Morse in Boston that he had found such clear traces of fraud in the proceedings that he would take the matter up if Captain Morse would pay him S15,OOO. Captain Morse paid Hummel the $15,00O to upset his nephew's marriage.
 Tn January, 1904, the grand jury pre- scented a charge of perjury against Dodge. On the same day Dodge was at the St. Charles hotel, New Orleans, on his way to Mexico. He knew about it before the district attorney. Why should Hummel want to get Dodge across the border? But Dodge was pulled off the train in Texas. Hummel 'phoned to Captain Morse, They have got our man; send us money
 There was @ constant demand by Hummel from Captain Morse, and not less than $50,0O0 was paid by him. It was not paid in checks. No. Captain Morse came down as far as Stamford, with the cash in a bag, where he, was met by Nathaniel Cohen and the money was handed over."
 The first witness was Abraham H. Kaffenburgh, connected with Humnel's law firm. He was asked whether he had employed counsel in Texas to pre- vent the extradition of Charles +. Dodge, and also whether under Hum mels instruction he attempted to keep Dodge in perpetual state of intoxica- tion. but to this and to other questions he replied: "I decline to answer on the ground that it might degrade and in- criminate me-" He was excused after short questioning.
 Alleged payments of Captain James T. Morse to Hummel were then taken up, with Nathaniel Cohen. a member of Hummel's firm, in the witness chair. He was asked whether he did not re- ceive sums of money varying from $1,- 800 to $21,2 ,250 at a time from Captain Morse. He was asked whether one Of these alleged payments for $5,5OO was not made on March of the present year and still another for $5,50O still later than that. MT. Cohen declined to answer all these questions.
 The court adjourned until tomorrow, after & mass of documentary evidence bearing on the divorce and annulment proceedings was introduced. Captain Morse, the uncle of Charles W. Morse, was at the trial to-day and he will be called as witness.