The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-07
MORSE GETS FIFTEEN YEARS Sentence on Curtis Is
 Suspended. DRAMATIC SCENE IN COURT Wife of Former Banker Collapsed
 in Her Seat. When Judgment Was Pronounced, Mrs. Curtis Painted and Would Have Fallen Had Not Kindly Hands
 Aided Her.

New York, Nov. 6.-charles w. Morse. whose sensational rise in the financial world dazzied America. was sentenced today to serve fifteen years in prison for misapplieatton of funds of the National Bank of North Amer lea. of which he was a director and controlling owner.
 Alfred H. Curtis. former President of the bank. who had been jointly in dicted with Morse and with him found guilty by a jury in the Federal Court yesterday, was granted the clemency recommended by the jury. In his cases sentence was suspended.
 A stay of execution for ten days in Morses' sentence was granted upon application of counsel. and it is ex- pected that an appeal from both tne conviction and the sentence Will os taken immediately.
 The scene in the court room when sentence was pronounced by Judge Hough was a most dramatic one. The wives of the two prisoners. who had been constant attendants at court dur ing the entire trial. were present early today as if anxious to cheer their hus- bands by their presence in the trying ordeal which confronted them. when the real test came, however, 1t was the husbands and not the wives who proved the comforters. Morse sat like stois when he heard the words which com demned him to prison. There was scarcely the tremor of an eyeiid. and to those who watched there was no longer even the shadow of doubt that the little man. was indeed man of Iron nerve.
 Curtis. too, accepted the news which came to him-good news in his case--
 with the same lack of emotion that characterized his former chief. But the strain had been too great for the wo- men. As the truth of what Judge
 Hou9h,s words meant flashed through her mind, Mrs. Morse, who, through att
 the trying days of the trial had prs
 served an unaffected demeanor, cot- Iapsed in her seat buried her face n her hands ana began to sob convui-
 siveiy Still weeping she was led away to an ante-room. where Q mo- rnert later her husband held her m his arms and sought to console her Nor was Mrs. Curtis any more pre-
 pared for the nervous strain than Mrs, Morse. Mrs. Curtis, within the rail gazing intenly at Judge hough as he began 10 speak She had been i'll. and several times during the trial had
 been forced to leave her place in the
 court room. Today her face was
 drawn and white. telling Of a night of
 mingled hope and fear while her hsia-
 band remained away from her behind
 the bars of prison cell. when she judgment of the court-the most Ia
 vorable for her husband that could be Riven--was pronounced, she tainted and would have fallen had not kindly hands
 supported her.
 Morse and Curtis passed a fairly
 restful night in the Tornbs, where they
 occupied e cell together. and early this mimfF prison fare, they were taken to the
 Federal Building by Marshal Henkel. and to the court room long before the crowds began to gather. They ap-
 peared to be cheerful and chatted with
 their keepers and friends while the minutes licked slowly away. More than an hour before the time set for the convening of court crowds began to throng the corridors of the Federal Building and flock to the room. hoping to witness the closing scenes in tne sensational case.
 Mrs. Morse and .ars. Curtis were among the early arrivals Mrs, Morse came first accompanied by her steR sons. She greeted her husband anecr tIonately and the boys shook their fa- ther's hand warmly. Next came Ars. Curtis. She threw her arms around | her husband, kissed him and then sank | into A seat beside Mrs. Morse and the boys. From that time on the eroWd gathered quickly until at 'loisO ocloek sssrs was no vacant seat in the court room and the corridors outside weEs
 filled. ..s scarreIv taken their places within the raiIinz before court formally opened, Former Judge Olcott. who had repre- , sented Curtis in the trial. made touching appeal for clemency on De- kEu rIfant
 In his appeal he was given the ac- | five aid of District Attorney Stimson, | vbo Informed the court that no be- | Iieved justice would be served by sus- l nendlnE sentence in the case of Cur | tis. After justifying the elemeney for | Curtis. Judge Hough pronounced tha sentence upon Morse.
 on the case of Morse there is not much to be said" said Judge Hough. 'as in all bank fraud cases, the crim. l lnal legality is only part of general | scheme. In this case this was to use the bank and the depositors' money for speculative purposes. If such scheme | were permitted to be carried out. the | uublic would be at the mercy of q | hand of adventurers. l therefore sem | tence you to fifteen years in the Fed l eral prison at Atlanta, Georgia" | When the fate of Morse was pro | nounced the court room was as stil assa church and the first sound fs ! break in on the quietness was til, 1 choking sobs of the prisoners wifs | and hurried scufie of feet as she wal | led away to an ante-room. Morse foi | lowed her In charge of Aarshal Hen | kel. A moment later the crowd besai l to move slowly out of the court room | Few of them left the building itnme | diately. however. and when Curtis cam | out A free man with his wife leanlni ] on his arm, he was given a rousinl ! cheer The approving shouts foliowe
 him all the way down the long corrl
 dor which was lined on either side b
 men and women.
 Morse was taken to the romba pFin
 on at i o'clock this afternoon. At ths | time 1t was announced that no anof| l cntinr for hla reIeaaA on hali ..na.la ].