New-York tribune., 1907-06-06
WHY THEY PLEADED GUILTY.
Morris Brothers Withdrew from Honduras
Lottery More than Year Ago.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The Tribune Of this morning states that on
April I3 Mr. Dave Hennen Morris stated to a re-
porter that neither he his brother had anything
TO do with the lottery business and that the
following day. IN a written statement published IN
The Tribune April Is. both Mr.. Morris and his
brother. Mr.. a. II. Morris. stated that I'VE neither
of US have any ownership other interest. direct
or Indirect in any form whatsoever, in the Hon
duras Lottery Company or in any other lottery
enterprise OF any description"
This statement Immediately follows the dispatch
from Mobile giving account OF proceedings in
the federal court yesterday in which a large num-
Der OF persons including the Messrs. Norris plead
ed guilty TO an indictment for conspiracy trans
nit lottery advertisements from state to
other and submitted to fines therefor. The infer
ence evidently sought to be conveyed Is that when,
on April IS and April II. these gentlemen denied
having an interest in any lottery. their denial
untrue.
As they both absent from the city and the
facts are within my personal knowledge. 1t is
proper for to say that notwithstanding the
fact that they pleaded guilty yesterday their pre-
vious denial of any interest in any lottery business
was absolutely true, not only technically. but In
fact and substance
These gentlemen had formerly had an interest IN
the Honduras Lottery Company. which had come
TO them by Inheritance. but more than year ago.
and before any of the prosecutions had been set in
motion. they had voluntarily definitely and finally
withdrawn from all connection with the business.
When. therefore, they Informed by newspa-
per reports in April 1907 that indictments had been
found against them. they could truthfuly and hon.
orably deny that they had any connection with the
lottery. 1t not till afterward. when copies OF
tho indictments to hand. that they discovered
that the government had gone back to period OF
time antedating their withdrawal from the busi-
1t is within my personal knowledge that state
ment of the recently prepared under the direc
ton of the Department OF Justice contained the
following: THE two Morrises. Hyams Howard
and Baldwin, who interested IN the lottery
company. had withdrawn from all connection with
IL in May 1906 and further stated that the gov
ernment had decided to accept pleas OF guilty and
the imposition of fine because OF the doubt
tertained to whether II would be able TO secure
a conviction against OF the principal de-
PENDANTS.
II is also proper that should add that, by con-
senting enter these pleas OF guilty, the gentle
men to whom I refer secured for all those who
had continued in the business after their retire
ment and who would otherwise have been SUBJ
jected to further prosecution, the same immunity
therefrom 10 which the government considered
them entitled by reason of their withdrawal Very
truly yours, LEWIS CASS I,EDYARn
NeS York. June 5. 1907.
1.-THE dispatch TO which this retter refers did
not explicitly say that the Morris brothers
though they were defendants. had entered pleas
of guilty. Not being sure. therefore, as 10 the
fact. The Tribune. with scrupulous care to do no
Injustice. quoted the statements which they