The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-06
BANKERS ARE FOUND GUILTY Morse and Curtis Are
 Convicted. WILL BE SENTENCED TODAY Jury Strongly Urges Qemency for
 Curtis. Judge HOugh Refused to Entertain a Motion for Bail and Committed
 the Two Prisoners to
 the TOmbs.
WILL BE SENTENCED TODAY

NeW fOFh, NOV. o-OnaEleS W (. Morse. until a year ago a dominant figure in the world of finance. and AL fred F.. Curtis, former President of the National Bank of North America. were found guilty tonight in the crimi- nal branch of the United States Circuit Court on charges of misapplication of funds and falsifying the books of the hank.
 There was also the additional charge of conspiracy against the prisoners. but the jury acquitted the men of this count.
 Within i've minutes of the time the jury had rendered It's verdict, Judge Hough had refused to entertain a mo- ton for ball, and had committed the two bankers to the Tombs prison. Judge Hough said that he would hear any motions the lawyers for the prisoners desire to make at 10:30 o'clock tomor- row morning.
 The Federal statutes provide a min- imum penalty of five years imprison- ment for faisifying the books of a bank and penalty of two years im- prisonment for misapplication of funds. No alternative but imprisonment is pro- vided for conviction on the charge of faisifying the books of the bank. The maximum penalty on this charge Is ten years Imprisonment. The jury recom- mended clemency for MT. Curtis, but made no recommendation In the case of Mir. Morse.
 The scene in the court room was q dramatic one. Mrs. Morse and Mrs. Curtis had remained In the court room nearly the entire day awaiting the ver- dictt. Mrs. Curtis showed signs of giving way, to her emotion a number of times and once when the jury re- turned to the court room to receive in- attractions on the manner in which the conspiracy charge should be con- sidered. Mrs. Morse broke down and sobbed.
 It was evident by the excitement of court attendants some minutes before the jury flied in with a verdict that a decision had been reached and the news was quickly communicated to the principals In the case, This gave Mir. Morse and Mir Curtis ttffle to prepare themselves and to speak words of en- eouragement to their wives
 Silence in Room
 A large crowd had hurried into the court room to hear the verdict As the doors leading to the jury room were thrown open, silence fell upon the crowd. It could be seen from the sol emn faces of the jurors that an im- portant verdict was to be delivered
 Foreman John Elder. responding to the customary question of the court clerk. read the verdict MT Morse and MT. Curtis stood before the jury while Mir, Elder was reading the verdict:
 We have agreed upon verdict in the case of both defendants" said the foreman, in a subdued voice. "On the charge of conspiracy we find them not guilttJ."
 A look of relief came to the. faces of the prisoners, but 1t only lasted a mos ment. for Mir. Elder continued:
 "On the charge of the misappIication of the funds of the bank, we ind both defendants guilty. On the charge of making false entries in the books of the bank, we find both defendants guilty. In the case of Alfred II. Cur tis, the jury wishes to make a strong to the mercy of the court.
 A stihed sob of relief escaped Mrs. Curtis as she heard the recommenda- tton for mercy for her husband Mir. Curtis took the verdict like a stoic. but Morse was unable to conceal the disappointment he felt, while his wife showed no signs of emotion. She kept her eyes on her husband, seemingly forgetting herself and being concerned only on his account.
 There was a momentary hush in the court room after the verdict had been
  excited tion in the court room, and few minutes later the lawyers for the defendants were making the customary motions for a new trial. for bail, and for permission to take an appeal to the Circuit Court of Appeals
 Judge Hough said that he would hear the motions tomorrow morning, when the prisoners are arraigned before him to be sentenced. He then dis mi ua1 l. short time after the verdict had been rendered the court room had been cleared of spectators.
 MT. Morse and MT. Curtis were &C., companled as far as the Tombs prison, several blocks away, by their wives The prisoners were then locked up for the night.
 Interest in Trial.
 The has been wide interest in the joint trials of Charles w Morse and Alfred H. Curtis on charges growing put of the failure of the National Bank Of North America. It was brought out In the testimony that Morse had made loans from the bank through so-called dummies" and that President Curtis had enabled him to do so. The money thus obtained was used to finance the Morse ice pools and steamship opera ions.
 The feature of the trial was the put ing of Morse on the stand For a lay and a half. the financier occupied he witness stand and endeavored to explain the transactions which brought lim to trial The masterly manner in which he parrIed to the question Of he Federal attorneys won him the of the spectators It had been predicted by the lawyers. how ever. that the jury would return a yer iict of guilty.
 United States District Attorney Stimson who has had charge of the prosecution of Morse, said after the prisoners had been taken to the Tombs that according to his computation, the prisoners had been convicted on fifty four counts, all of which are combin- ed in the charges of misapplicatlon of funds and making false entries in the books of the bank. The latter charge also included the charge of making false reports to the comptroller of the currency.
 Curtis Has Hopes.
 Tonight Curtis was hoping for q suspended sentence because of the aid