Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-06
YEARS. TERM
IS MORSE'S SENTENCE
Curtis Goes Free on Suspen.
sion of Judgment.
TEN-DAY STAY FOR ICE KING
Paroled in Custody of Marshal Pend
ing Appeal.
DRAMATIC SCENE IN COURT
Wives of Both Prisoners Collapse.
Men Accept Penalty With
Goodness. II
TEN-DAY STAY FOR ICE KING
DRAMATIC SCENE IN COURT

Goodness. 4
NEW YORK. November 6.-Charles w.
Morse. whose sensational rise in the world
Of finance dazzled America, was sentenced
today to serve fifteen years in prison for
misappropriation Of the funds of the Ma
tional Bank Of North America, of which
he was director and controlling owner.
Alfred H. Curtis former president Of
the bank. who had been jointly indicted
with Morse, and with him found guilty by
jury in the federal court yesterday, was
granted the clemency recommended by
the jury. In his case sentence was sus-
pended.
| A stay of ten days In execution OF
Morse's sentence was granted upon appli
cation of counsel and it is expected that
an appeal from both the conviction and
the sentence will be taken Immediately.
Pending action on appeal Morse was pa
rolled in the custody of United States
Marshal Henkel
Morse Is Calm.
Morse sat like stole when he heard
| the words which condemned him to pris-
on. There was scarcely the tremor Of an
| eyelid. To those who watched there was
no longer even the shadow Of doubt
| that the little man. was indeed q 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 char
acterized his former chief.
But the strain had been too great for
the women.
AS the truth of what Judge Hough's
words meant nxsiied through their minds
Mrs. Morse. who through all the trying
days Of the trial had preserved an un-
ruffied demeanor collapsed in her seat,
buried her face in her hands and began
to sob convulsively. Still weeping. she
was led away to an anteroom, where
moment later her husband held her in his
arms and sought to console her.
| Nor was Mrs. Curtis any more prepared
for the nervous strain than Mrs. Morse.
Mrs Curtis was within the rail. gazing
intently at Judge Hough as he began to
speak. She had been Ill several times dur
ing the trial and had been forced to leave
her place In the courtroom.
| Today her face was drawn and white.
telling of a night of mingled hope and
| fear. while her husband remained away
from her behind the bars of prison cell.
When the judgment of the court-the
most favorable for her husband that
could be given-was pronounced she faint
ed and would have fallen had not kindly
hands supported her.
Morse and Curtis passed fairly restful
night in the Tombs. where they occupied
a cell together. Early this morning. after
a breakfast Of plain prison fare, they were
taken to the federal building by Marshal
Henkel and to the courtroom long before
the crowds began to gather.
| They appeared to be cheerful. They
| chatted with their keepers and friends
| while the minutes licked slowly away.
Mrs. Morse was accompanied by her two
| sons. She greeted her husband affection
ately. The two boys shook their fathers
| hand warmly.
| Next came Mrs. Curtis She threw her
arms around her husbands neck. kissed
! him and then sank into a seat beside Mrs.
| Morse and the boys.
From that time the crowd gathered
quickly. At 1890 o'clock there was no
| vacant seat in the court room. Corridors
| outside were filled.
| C1eueuCy 1OI SuIL1S.
| The lawyers for the defense had scarce
! ly taken their places within the railing
before court was formally opened En-
| Judge Olcott, who had represented Curtis
| in the trial. made a touching appeal for
clemency on behalf of his client.
| In this appeal he was given the active
aid of District Attorney Stimson, who
| informed the court that he believed jus
tice would be served by suspending sem
tence in the case Of Curtis. After tusti-
| flying clemency for Curtis. Judge Hough
pronounced sentence upon Morse.
I'm the case of Morse there is not much
to be said." said Judge Hough. LAS in
all bank fraud cases the criminal legality
| is only part of a larger general scheme.
"In this case this was to use the bank
and the depositors' money for speculative
purposes. If such a scheme were per-
mitted to be carried out the public would
| be at the mercy of a band of adventurers
II therefore sentence you to fifteen
years in the federal prison at Atlanta,
Ga"
There had been a murmur Of approval
and a faint attempt at applause when
sentence upon Curtis was suspended by
the court. 1t was suppressed by the at
tendants.
Sentence Heard in Silence.
When the fate of Morse was pronounced.
the court room was as still as a church
The first sound to break in on the quiet
ness was the choking sobs ef the pris-
oners wife and the hurried shuttle OF
feet as she was led away to an ante
room.
Morse followed her in charge of Mar
shall Henkel, in whose custody he had
been paroled after the court had granted
a stay of ten days In execution of the
sentence.
moment later the crowd began to
move slowly out of the courtroom. Few
left the building Immediately. however.
When Curtis came out, free man.
with his wife leaning on his arm. he was
given a rousing cheer. The approving
shouts followed him all the way down the
long corridor. which was lined on either
side by men and women.
After he had gone the crowd still wait
ed. hoping to get another look at Morse.
He remained inside while his attorneys
began preparations to file writ OF error
in an effort to have their client released
on bail this afternoon.
Should they fail to obtain the writ ana
the admission of Morse to bail the prio-
oner will he taken hack To the TOmbD.