Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-13
TRIAL Of LAWYER
A. H. HUMMEL.
Charge is Conspiracy in Connec'
ton With the Dodge Morse
Divorce Legislation.
IS A N. Y. LEADING ATTORNEY.
In Proceedings He Appeared for
Dodge. Who Had to be- Extra
dited From Texas.

New York. Dec l3.-The trial of
Abraham II. HummeL one of New
York's most widely known lawyers. on
the charge OF conspiracy. was on the
Calendar before Justice Rogers In the
supreme court today. The charge
against Hummel grew out OF the sem
satonal Dodge Morse divorce litiga-
ton in which it was alleged that Hum
mel entered into conspiracy to pro-
cure periured evidence. Former SUI
preme Court Justice Edgar l.. Fursman
also was indicted on the charge Of con-
splracy In the same case.
The conspiracy and perjury charges
were made after an investigation by
Dist. Atty Jerome OF allegations that
the courts had been made Use of in an
improper manner In an effort 10 pro-
cure an annulment of the decree of d.
vorce obtained by Mrs. Clements Dodge,
against Charles +. Dodge. After this
divorce Mrs. Dodge was married 10
Charles W, Morse, capitalist of this
city. who Is very prominent IN bank
ing and business affairs. The real OBJ
1ect OF the desire to obtain an annul-
ment of the Dodge divorce was said to
be to thereby invaiidate the marriage
OF Mre Dodge ana Morse. why IL was
sought to inyalidate this marriage has
never been definitely learned but the
most sensational stories have been IN
circulation on the subject, the most per-
slstent being that q declaration of in
validity Instead Of divorce was de-
sired IN order that another marriage
might take place with a wealthy mem
Der OF the Roman Catholic church I'M
der the rites OF that church.
Hummel appeared IN the proceedings
as attorney for Charles r. Dodge and
presented a claim by Dodge that he
never was properly served with the
summons III Mrs. Dodges suit, that he
was not represented by counsel at the
trial and that he knew nothing OF the
matter until he was served with a GER
tifcate Of the decree.
Former Justice Fursman then came
Into the case q = counsel for Mrs. Morse
and the legal proceedings continued up
To the point where, on January T. 1904
the Dodge-Morse annulnlent was en-.
tered In the supreme court. Then an
attorney named Sweetser who had
served the papers on Dodge and who
nal Dsen al work on the case TO save
his professional reputation discovered
letters from Dodge to Mortimer Ruger,
also an attorney, saying he (Dodge)
had been served with papers in di.
vorce 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 and bitter legal battle was brought
back from Houston Tex. a member
Of Hummels law firm represented
Dodge in Texas In his efforts to pre-
vent eXtradition to New York. After
Dodge was brought back here he made
a statement in which he accused Hum
mel of having dictated la him false
affidavit lie said he had been plenti-
fully supplied with money, the source
OF which he did not question and that
all the efforts to prevent his return to
New York were made under the dlrec-
tion to Hummel.
Justice Rogers denied a motion for a
special jury to try the case made by
counsel for Hummel Immediately after
the case was called and the work of Sc
curing a regular jury began at once.