The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-11-10

Ex.lce King, VIE Dragged National
Bank Of North America TO Ruin,
Drops From htfluence 70 Prison.
Stay Of Execution Secured, Eat court
Refused to Admit Morse to Bail.
Appeal 20 U. S. Circuit Court Grant
ed. But He Must Stay In JAil Until
Question Of eail Is Settled.
New York. Nov From cell IN
tie Tombs prison Charles v. Morse
now directs the efforts OF his counsel
to secure his freedom. he having been
sentenced to serve fifteen years In the
federal prison at Atlanta. Ca. for mis-
application OF the funds Of the Ma
tional Bank OF North America and
making false entries in the books ot
the bank Alfred II. Curtis. former
president Of the defunct bank. who
was jointly tried and convicted with
Morse. was given his liberty on a sus-
pended seBtcEce.
While Morse's ,6Yyers Immediately
applied for and secured o stay OF ex-
ecution for ten days after sehteRce
had been IMPOSED. still it Is probable
that Morse viii remain q prisoner In
the Tombs. as Judge ii0ugh has re-
fused 10 admit the financieT 81 bail
The Morse lawyers applied to the
United States circuit court OF appeals
for 4 writ 10 show cause Why their
client should not be admitted TO bail,
and the writ was granted, but 1t IS not
returnable until Monday; hence II ap
pears that Morse must remain prls-
oner until the question OF bail Is set
tied on thet day.
Whether Lew trial will be granted
Morse is probienatical. Judge La
colnbe granted writ ~ error to the
Morse lawyers. This writ Is retarnaDle
Dec. 3 and is based on the usual
grounds-exceptiop taken by the de-
fense during the triai epd exceptions
to the indictment itself. This s:ep had
to be taken before application for bail
could be made, and It also leads 10
the argument for new trial The
Morse lawyers say their client has in
structed them to fight ito the last
ditch"
A crowd of more than 600 men and
women followed Morse and two deputy
marshals. who had him in charge, from
the federal building 10 the doors OF
the Tombs. AS they trailed along the
crowd jeered and hooted. How would
you like to be the ice man. shouted
some one as tae little man walked
along between the two big deputies.
You'll. get no ice there" yelled an
other. These and similar cries fol-
lowed the prisoner until the heavy
barred doors Of the prison had closed
behind him.
The scene In the courtroom when
sentence was pronounced by Judge
Hough was a most dramatic one. The
wives of the two prisoners, who had
been constant attendants at court dur
ing the entire trial, were present, as II
anxious 20 cheer their husbands by
their presence in the trying ordeal
which confronted them.
When the real test came, however.
II was the husbands. and not the
wives. who proved the comforters.
Morse sat like a stole when he heard
the words which condemned him to
prison. There was scarcely the tremor
of an eyelid, and to those who watched
there. was no longer even the shadow
of a doubt that the Little Man" was
indeed a man Of iron nerve.
Curtis, too. accepted the news with
the same lack of emotion that charac-
terized his former chief.
AS the truth OF what Judge Hough's
words meant flashed through her mind
Mrs Morse collapsed in her seat, bur-
led her face In her hands and began to
sob convulsively. Still weeping, she
was led away to an anteroom. where
moment later her husband held her In
his arms and sought to console her.
Nor was Mrs. Curtis any more pre-
pared for the nervous strain than Mrs.
Morse. When the judgment of the
court-the most favorable for her hus-
band that could be given-was pro-
nounced, she tainted and would have
fallen had not kindly hands supported
her.