The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-07
RICH WIDOW IN
DODGE. MORSE CASE
Woman Believed to Be Prize in
Marriage-Div Conspir-
acy Is Missing.

New York, Jan. 7.-Whether any
member of the family Of Mrs. William
H. Gelshenen, whose name recently was
drawn into ,the Dodge-Morse divorce
attorney to serve q summons compelling
her to appear before the grand Jury,
was on the Deutschland when that
steamer sailed for Naples today, could
not be learned. It had been said that
Mrs. Gelshenen herself intended to sail
on the Deutschland today, and yester-
day nearly score Of trunks were trans ms
avenue to the steamer as she lay at her
dock in Hoboken, n. j.
A statement issued later In the day
by firm Of attorneys who claimed to
represent the Gelshenen family, said
that Mrs. Gelshenen sailed for Europe
early in the week, and added that her
departure had nothing whatever to do
1t was then reported that Mrs. Gel
shenen So son and daughters would sail
on the Deutschland today to join their
mother in Europe. Their names did not
appear on the passenger list, however.
and the officers of the steamer progressed
total ignorance on the subject.
Widow In the Case.
District Attorney Jerome believes
that Mrs. Gleshenen, who is the widow
of the former president of the Garfield
National bank, was the. prize at which
the Dodge-Morse conspirators aimed.
Whether Mrs. Gelshenen would have
consented to become the wife Of the
former ics king is a question. Her
friends say the conspirators' plot would
have failed, as she looked upon Morse
only as friend, and as the former chum1
Of her husband, and thought it absurd
to think she would have become his
wife.
Capture Of Widow.
Just who had planned to capture the
heart of the wealthy widow may become
action and the archconspirators are IN
dicted. So astutely was the whole con:
spiracy planned that it is questioned
whether even Dodge knew of the ulti:
mate result which those who induced
him to commit perjury hoped to bring
about.
The widow mentioned, besides being
a woman Of the highest social position
is a devout Roman Catholic. She adheres
rigidly to the laws Of her church, and
on this point hinges the whole plot
Marriage to a divorced person is for
hidden by her religion, and to this fact
was ascribed much Of the maneuverine
in the famous case. With conspiracy
afoot to have this widow married to G
W. Morse, the conspirators seem to have
hoped her scruples would not extend tt
. man whose marriage had been an
nulled.
What the conspirators could possibly
have hoped to gain by bringing about s
. marriage between Morse and the ficl
, grand jury to solve. Why they should
have spent thousands of dollars to sep
arate him from his wife has not beer
i, explained.
| Morse's Queer Attitude.
ThrNeut the entire criminal proceed
: ings Morse's attitude toward the con
+ spirators has been strange, in view O
= the fact that he was one Of the injured
parties, When District Attorne.
I Jerome took the case before the gram
, jury, Morse was called as the principa
;. witness. He refused to testify agains
D. Dodge and refused to answer an.
: questions on the ground that they Nigh
,, tend to incriminate or degrade him.
0 One oft he men who followed Dodg
9 to Texas, and was instrumental in pre-
\ venting his escape to Mexico, told O
t the bold efforts which had been mad
8 to get rid of the tool, who, it wa
: feared, might take the step which h
:; did take-confess to the district al
q o torney. -1..-..
J. SOugAL TO ALL DouSe.
T. Not only was the name of the won
9 an mentioned, but it was said also tina
:, the conspirators, finding their shrewdl
- conceived and daringly executed plan
e going astray as to result of the pull
Q licity given the CASE sought, to Xxi
Charles F. Dodge, their chief tool an
It the most dangerous witness, by NEAR
e of "kindness. 1t was planned, so
re was said, to kill Dodge, who W.
Is afflicted with serious illness, by &c
70 ting him into wild designations an
all-night orgies in Texas, in this wa
breaking down his already weakene
constitution. -'.@-.
Not finding this method quick enoug
the conspirators, it was asserted, eve
r got him into poker games with some
X the worst characters in Texas ar
sought to bring about his end sudden.
by getting him into collision with tt
card sharps.