The sun., 1908-05-05
CONNERS and CHARLIE IN ICE
SOLD SHORT WHEN ALBANY WAS
GETTING READY TO SUE,
Hut Morse Had All the stock and They Had
to Pay Him Par, or $40 900, to Cover,
HavinE Sold at s8.70-slnce Then Ice
Has Been Treason Others Also stung.


Has Been Treason Others Also stunE'
A remark or two dropped by District
Attorney Jerome in the King committee
proceedings before Commissioner Hand
yesterday brought to light deal in Ameri-
can Ice stock in which Chairman William
j. Conners Of the Democratic State com
mittee and an unidentified friend figuring
as Charlie we're concerned
William A. De Ford a deputy under
Attorney General Jackson was on the wit
ness stand.
"Were you aware, asked Mr.. Jerome, 'of
a certain letter that W. j. ConneS Of Buffalo
sent to the Attorney General on the subject
Of ice in regard to a short sale Of 2,lOO shares
of Ice stock in the ice market here''
'Iknow the facts about that from hearsay
and will tell you about it, said Mr. De
Ford.
'Are you aware or not?'
III you will produce the letter I will tell
you
"The letter. continued the District At
torney, was 81 gned John W, Gates and was
shown, not written, by Mr. Conners to the
Attomey-G General
Il wasn't present; were your was Mr.. De
Ford's reply.
'No," retorted Mr.. Jerome, 'but | heard
the Attorney General swear TO it,
Il wasn't present and he didn't show me
any letter.
$50 you were not aware Of it'' Mr.. Jerome
asked again.
'No, he didn't show me any marked
money said the witness, sarcastically.
"Not YETI" inquired Mr.. jerome tenderly.
Perhaps said Mr.. De Ford with some
warmth, you will show something on me
little later
"Not L. replied the District Attorney.
as have known you too we'll snd too long
TO put in anything about your personal
character, but not as a lawyer
Il have no doubt you have not much re-
spect for my legal opinion, inasmuch as you
have refused TO act on it, (Mr. De Ford had
urged Mr.. Jerome 10 prosecute the American
Ice officialsO
This was all that came out in the King pro-
oeedings in regard TO the deal Of Conners
and his friend Charlie From other quar-
ters, however. II was learned that Charles
W. Morse is now on record under oath In
regard TO this deal
Nh Morse in the latter part OF 1905 was
practically in control Of American Ice stock.
Along in December Of that year Julius
Mayer. then Attorney General. decided TO
bring his action against the American lce
Company, alleging that IL was conducting
It's business in violation Of the antitrust
act. The Republican Attorney General, as
he has said. took Mr.. jackson into his con-
fidence. because jackson was going tosuc-
oeed him on January I and would inherit
the responsibility Of pushing the suit
In the early part Of December American
Ice sales were moving along in dull way,
few hundred shares day, but on the 18th
Mr.. Morse sat UP and took notice when the
tape recorded the sale Of 5000 shares al
about s8i, On the next day 400 shares
we're dealt in and the price was knocked
down to ss1,. The short sales continued
until the price was down to 10 on December
p. the day after the Mayer suit was filed.
Meantime Morse had been sitting on the
real stock and when the shorts sought stock
TO deliver the price scared and Morse sat
back and chuckled. He forced the price
up 10 near par.
According TO Mr.. Morse's sworn state
ments John W. Gates came 10 him along
about this time at the Bank Of North Amer
ica and a conversation something like this
ensued:
Charlie, have you got any ice stock?'
Yes, I've got some TO SELL
We'll I've got to have 2,lOO shares; what
can get 1t forl'
Par replied Morse, with never a smile.
But, Charley. that's pretty steep
We'll, it'll be l25 tomorrow was the
reply.
Thereupon Mr.. Gates according to MIR
Morse's story. said he would call up his
client. Mr.. Gates called up the Waldorf
and Mr.. Morse heard him ask for Chairman
Conner. Morse went into the telephone
booth with John W. and heard In effect this
conversation:
Gates-Im down here at Charlie Morse's
bank and he says you can have 2,iOo shares
at par
Voice at the other end-0h, hell Wait
till see Charlie
Mr.. Morse the next day received check
for $4,000 from the brokerage firm Of
Bartlett. Frazier a Darlington and de-
llvered the stock 10 them.
Later, according to Mr.. Morse, an in
timation was conveyed 10 him by an outsider
that this stock loss ought to be wiped out
in the interest Of harmony As the record
Of short sales shows. there must have
been others who had that Albany tip Of
what was coming.
II is understood that the Gates letter 10
which the District Attorney referred at the
King committee hearing told Mr.. Conners
that there would be ructions raised by the
American Ice people II the Attorney General
wasn't called OF In the proceedings which
he had begun. tits said that Mr.. jackson
himself told OF this letter before one Of the
recent Grand Juries and that he cited his
continued campaign against the Ice com-
pany as indicating how much influence the
letter had had with him.