The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-22
WOMAN FIGURES IN
MORSE-CURT|S TRIAL
Miss Kate A. Wilson, Bankers
Secretary, Had Prominent
Part i'm Peculiar Deals.

NEW YORK, Oct. 21.--Into the tes-
timony at the trial of Charles ".
Morse and his co-defendant, Alfred II.
Curtis, who are charged before Judge
Hough in the criminal branch of the
United States court with conspiracy
and violation of the national banking
laws, was introduced today the name Of
Miss Kate A. Wilson, secretary to Mr..
Morse, and the prosecution produced
witnesses who testified TO loans made
by the National Bank Of North Amer
lea, a Morse institution, to Miss Will
son. Edwin Moxey, n government banii
examiner, who has proved at this hear
ing that he is wizard at figures, was
tho principal witness relative to the big
Summed up, his testimony was as fol"
lows:
Endless Finance.
On her bare and unsupported note
Morse would loan Miss Wilson a sum
of money, Miss Wilson S note would be
cashed by the National Bank of North
America. and with the proceeds stock
Of the American Ice company woull be
purchased. Then the ice stock woull
be used to secure another loan from
the bank. With the money thus Sc
cured bank stock would be purchased
nud the bank stock aided in supporting
the ice stock pools in which Morse and
other financiers were interested. The
tnilure to raise the price of ice above
par was what caused the break N the
endless chain.
The lawyers for the defense objected
repeatedly to the line of questions
asked the witness by the government
lawyers, but Judge Hough sustained
the prosecution and the above descrip
tion Of the Wilson loans was put upon
the records, piece by piece, until the
chain was complete.
For the first time since her husband
has been on trial, Mrs. Clementine
Dodge Morse appeared in the court
room.
Mrs. Curtis has been at her husband IS
side every day Mrs. Morse was attired
in gown OF blue. She took seat
beside her husband inside the railing
and appeared deeply interested in the
proceedings.
Purchaser Guaranteed.
Calvin Austin, president of the
Eastern Steamship company of Boston,
was a witness in the afternoon He
testified that Mr.. Morse induced him
TO buy 1850 shares of ice stock, for
which Mr.. Austin gave in payment a
note for 100000. The witness pro
duccd a letter signed by Mr.. Morse
guaranteeing Mr.. Austin from all loss.
Mr.. Austin says that he subsequent
ly learned that his note was discounted
at the National Bank of North Amer
ica. just before this information
reached him. the witness testified Miss
Kate Wilson came to his office with a
letter from Mr.. Morse asking him TO
surrender the certificates for the 1850
shares Of ice stock. Mr.. Austin Endorsed
the certificate in blank and surrendered
it.
Then, Mr.. Austin said, Mr.. Curtis,
president of the Bank of North Amer
lea. told him his note had been dis
formed him, the witness said, that
Charles IT. Barney, one of the directors,
suggested that he (Curtis) see Austin
and ask him TO either pay the note or
furnish collateral:
81 told Mr. Curtis that Mr.. Morse
had put the loan in the bank and that
he would have to take care of it, y said
Mr., Austin.
He added that Mr., Curtis told him
that Mr.. Barney threatened to resign
from the board of directors if the note
was not taken up.
Mr.. Austin testified that Mr.. Curtis
pushed pen and ink towatd Mr.. Bar.
ney with which TO sign his resignation.
"And did he sign it'' the witness
was asked,
'' He did not, > was the reply,
"Could you have made good the
note2' was asked.
81 could not-that is, not without
the ice stock replied Mr.. Austin.
Upou cross examination of the wit
ness by the defense il was brought out
that Mr. Austin had been in many
deals with Mr.. Morse and that he had
derived tho ''profits.'' 1t was also
shown that his salary ranged from So
900 to 100000 a year. The lawyers for
the defense tried to show that Mr.. Aus
tin would have been able to pay the
note. The witness admitted owning
large amounts of stock
Mr. Moxey was recalled TO the wit
ness stand al this point and testified
that Mr.. Morse discounted the Calvin
Austin note for 100000 and note of
James r. Keene for $4,000 and re-
ccived a cashiers check for $4,000.
The trial was adjourned until To-
morrow,