The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-17
MORSE GRABBED
IN STATEROOM
F!nanCier and Promoter Not
Allowed to Land Before Be-
ing Arrested.
WHlRLE0 AWAY IN AUTO
TO HOME OF JUSTICE
GAVE BONDS IN SUM OF $4,000
THE CHARGE is GRAND
LARCENY.

New York, Feb 16.-Charles w
Morse. fnancier and promoter of
many large combinations, including
the so-called ice trust" and a mer-
ger of nearly all of the coastwise
steamship lines. returned today from
his brief trip to Europe, and was ar
rested in his stateroom when the
steamer Etruria reached quarantine
in the lower bay, held in custody until
the ship was locked and then was
whirled away in an automobile to the
home of Justice Victor Bowling of the
superior court, where he gave bonds
in the sum of $4,000 to answer to two
indictments. charging grand larceny
and involving the sum OF 100000 Mr..
Morse was released and went imme-
diately TO his Fifth avenue home,
where he gave out a statement as
serting his innocence and asking the
public TO suspend judgment until he
had the opportunity of facing his ac-
cusers in court.
Will Plead Not Guilty.
Tomorrow Mr. Morse will appear
BEFORE Justice Bowling in open court
and plead not guilty TO the indict-
ments. He denied that his trip to
had gone abroad to sell stock in a
large interest and to secure a fort
nights rest Both purposes were
spoiled by the publication of reports
that he was a fugitive from justice, he
declared.
Mr.. Morse had received word by
wireless telegraph that two indict-
ments had been found against him,
but he did not know he was to suffer
physical arrest. The appearance of
three detectives from District AttOr-
ney Jerome's office at his stateroom
door took him completely by surprise.
The officers. armed with a warrant,
had gone down the bay in a revenue
cutter.
Wife at the Pier.
The were accompanied by Albert B.
BOardman and Philip j. Britt. attOr-
neys. and by Benjamin w. Morse. a
son of the financier Mrs. Morse met
her husband al the pier, and it was
in her automobile that the journey
with one of the detectives was made
10 Justice DoWling's house. Justice
Bowling held an informal court ses-
sion in his library, Assistant District
Attorney Krasel representing the
prosecution. The bonds, which were
signed by a surety company. had been
prepared yesterday. Mir. Morse was
required to sign two obligations of
$4,000 each. and, along with the rep
resentatiVes of the bonding company.
was put under oath to appear at any
time his presence may be required.
Mr. Britt stated that he had re-
quested Mr.. Jerome to allow the at
torneys to produce Mr.. Morse in court
tomorrow. as he said had been done in
the cases of other well-known men
under indictment, but had been told
that the public interest demanded
that the ex-banker be placed under
arrest as soon as the ship reached
New York waters.
Charge of Grand Larceny.
The charge against Mr.. Morse grows
out of note given TO him by former
Chief Justice Morgan O'Brien of sthe
court of appeals. Judge O'Brien is
said TO have deposited three notes for
100000 each with Mr.. Morse in pay
ment for block of LOCO shares of
stock in the National Bank of North
America. The notes were to be held
three years and not discounted ac-
cording to Judge O'Brien, and at the
end of the three-year period he was
10 have the privilege of consummat-
ing or Withdrawing from the bargain
for the purchase of the stock. 1t is
charged that Mr. Morse discounted |
one of these notes at the Mercantile |
National bank, in which he was for
merly a director, and that he repre-
scented to the bank that he was au-
thOriZed 10 receive its check for the |
amount of the loan. II is further al |
legged that the check given to Mr. |
Morse was made payable to Judge
o Brien and was cashed by Mr.. Morse |
at the National Bank of North Amer |
ica-Morse signing Judge O'Brien's |
name. ''per G. w. Morse" 1t is the |
theory of the Indictment that the |
check never having passed into the /
hands of OBTien or his authorized /
agents. its use by Mr.. Morse consti- /
tuted grand larceny from the Mercan-