Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-06
sieiahafdt's Widow Seeks
To Recover $4,000
witch She Says Morse Prom
Used 10 Pay Back 10 Her.
Agrssd to Settle nasband's Elk.
psnsss, She Claims.

New York, Aug. 5.-Charles w.
Morse was served yesterday at his Of
flee, No. l Nassau street, with papers
in a suit to recover $4,000. brought by
Annie Steinhardt, widow of Benjamin
Steinhardt, who as a member of The
law firm Of Howe q Hummel became
notorious in connection with the
Dodge Morse divorce scandal, which
eventually resulted in Hummel dom
ming the striped suit of convict.
Steinhardt died on June II, 1907, of To-
comotor ataxia. He was under indict-
ment for conspiracy and subornation
of perjury up to within a few days of
his death. When Justice Giegerich
and The district attorney were salts
fled beyond question that Steinhardt's
recovery was hopeless. the indictments
against him were dismissed.
The action against the former ice
King" is brought through Aaron j.
Levy and x. Henry Rosenbprg. of No.
So Park Row. It.is set forth in the
complaint that when Steirhardt was
i'll in 1904 he was advised by Morse to
seek rest and recreation in travel, that
his health might be restored and he
would be. enabled to give the, benefit
of his, advice assistance and counsel
to the defendant.
Mrs. Steinhardt declares In her .aff1-
davit that; Morse promised tereimburse
her for what she expended in travel
ling. medical attendance. lodgings
railroad fare. wages Of servants, and
all other necessary expenses. These
expenditures amounted to $4,000 or
more. she says, and payment of them
was refused. There is not the slightest
intimation that Steinhardts tour for
his health was taken at time when
his presence iii Now. NprK tonight have
been 9.emu embarrassing iRt.P'S partner
Extraordinary difficulties were en-
countered by the process servers sent
out by Levy & Rosenberg in effecting
service. Close friends of Mr.. Morse
said that while he was unaware that
suit was to be brought against him by
Mrs. Steinhardt, and was not on the
lookout for process servers, he uncon-
sciously bafiled them. He was served
finally in an, elevator car. He accept
ed the papers with a smile and thrust
them into his pocket. ........
The action Is brought in the supreme
court, and Mr.. Morse has 20 days in
which to answer When the case
comes to trial the old Dodge Morse
story will he retold' In substance, but
there will be some new facts present.
ed that We're not brought out fully in
the conspiracy and perjury charges.
big Bill' Howe is dead. Abe Hum
mel is in Europe, with a comfortable
fortune, and is likely to stay there,
so that the only witness who can give
the particulars Of the absence of Stein
hardt ard its purpose Is his widow. It
Is not improbable that Abe Kaffenburg,
nephew of Hummel, will also be a wit
ness He has been disbarred and has
no longer any motive for concealment.
Mrs. Steinhardt fixes March, 1904. as
the time when Charles W. Morse in
structed her husband to 60 away to
recuperate She does not specify the
route Of travel. She was directed by
Mr.. Morse, she says, to maintain her
apartments in New York during her
husbands absence. There Is no men,
ton Of any money having been paid
on account. Mrs. Steinhardt's expendi-
lures, according to her affidavit, were
husbands on the promise that she
would get the money back
1t was testified at the trial Of Abe
Hummel that he had been paid $4,000
by Capt. Jim Morse of Boston. an I'M
Gle of Charles w. Morse. This was in
payment for the opinion, the witness
said, that the divorce of Mrs. Dodge
from Dodge was not legal. Capt. Morse
afterward gave Hummel $4,000 more.
Steinhardt made the declaration i'm
February, 1904. before he became seri-
ously Ill, that Howe & Hummel were
advancing money to keep Dodge quiet.
and that they had been promised re-
imhursement by Mr.. Morse. Steinhardt
repudiated this statement the next
day, after a heated Interview with
Hummel, who declared that the firm
of Towe & Hummel had never been
retained by Morse. and that what
Stcinhardt had said was due to his
physical infirmity, which had affected
his brain.
Samuel Untermyer made the positive
statement as the legal representative
of the ice King" that Mr.. Morse saw
Steinhardt only once and that was In
proceedings before a referee, when he
die not then speak to him. Mrs. Stein,
hardt's name was never mentioned In
connection with the case except In
COMMUNICATION OF her devotion to her
infirm husband and Steinhardt did not
speak of himself personally as expect
ing reimbursement from Mory..
Mrs. Steinhardts lawyers declined 70
discuss the case. 4.
UP JUMPS WHEAT p