The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1908-10-24
,MORSE AT ODDS
WITH CURTIS IN
). i :. DOUBLE TRIAL
Wives of thetDefendants Fail
X. to Speak When They. =
Meet in Court.
LAWYERS DRIFT APART,
Curtis Allegedtto Have Said
|. He Will Not Be Any
II hody's Scapegoat.
LAWYERS DRlFTfAPART,

During the last few days there have
been increasing signs that the two
wings of the defense In the trial of
Charles W. Morse and Alfred H. Curtis
before Federal Judge Hough for al
legged violation OF the United States
! banhing laws are beginning to flap inde-
pendently OF each other
At the start OF this trial two weeks
ago II was sort of double-barrelled
defense. in which the lawyers for
Morse and the lawyer for Curtis prac-
tically united in all important moves
protecting the interests Of the accused
men. But gradually it has become
, plain. even to the casual onlooker in
J the courtroom, that there is some
, where behind the scenes difference
of opinion regarding the proper plan OF
campaign. Aside from the flock of ru
mors now circulating freely, there have
been certain physical indications which
show the probable drift.
Wives Do Not Speak.
Mrs. Morse and Mrs. Curtis did not
bow to each other when Mrs. Morse en-
tered the court yesterday afternoon. At
the counsel table Morse and Curtis sit
some distance apart and rarely discuss
together the evidence that is being
given. Entering and leaving the build
ing the two defendants are never In
company, Morse always waits until
Curtis has gone when there is an adj
iournment or a recess. Former Judge
w NJ. X. Olcott, who personally repre-
sents Curtis, no longer handles his end
of the case in open accord with Con-
gresham Charles W. Littlefield, former
District Attorney Wallace MacFarlane
and Lawyer Eugene Carver. of Maine,
who are defending Morse. Conferences
between Olcott and the other group Of
lawyers take place only when the char
acter Of the proceedings absolutely re-
quires cooperation by the whole group.
Olcott appears to be on better terms
with the prosecutors than are Littlefield
and HiacFarlane. 1t is stated on excel
lent authority that Morse and Curtis
have not been friendly for some months.
During the last two or three days ru-
,nors OF an open breach have begun to
circulate.
Morse. il Is learned. resented the fact
that Curtis allowed his friends in the
financial district TO pass about peti.
zion asking United States D!strict-Attor-
ney Stimson 10 try the men separately
and TO try Curtis first \ close friend o.
Curtis was quoted lately as saying the
former pres dent o: the National Bank
OF North America didn'; propose 10 be
anybody's scapegoat, II Is already pre-
diced that the testimony which Curtis
will give on the stand Will not agree IN
many respects with the testimony which
Morse may give.
The Trial Resumed.
The Governments lawyers opened to-
days session with more testimony
touching ON the alleged speculation in
bonds and stocks of the Steamship
Trust in l9t7. ii being their contention
that Morse used +. b. Wire, cashier OF
the Bank Of North America, as his
dummy and employed the funds Of the
bank in his manipulation. The first
witness was John i. Fenslery' one OF The
accountants Of the Department of Jus
tIce who simply stated that he had reaC
certain entries IN the ledger accounts OF
the bank OF certain of the loans to Davi
son Brown the elderly clerk; Leslie Il
Whiting, the sl2-a-week Office boy; Kat,
Wilson, the stenOgrapher. and the res
3 OF Morsc's troupe of trained performn,
borrowers of large sums. After Fensle
came Marcus Mayer. of Mayer e. Co.
stock brokers. Mayer identified a checl
for $4,000 drawn by Morse in connec
ton with the charge of oyer-ceryitca
ton against the former head OF the Ic,
Trust Morses lawyers fought hard Il
stop any testimony tending to bring on
the presumat1fe purposes of this check
Stinson said he could show that in ex
change for this check Mayer released
securities that had been used by Mors
in connection with an oNer-draft
Finally Mayer was allowed to 81