Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-03
MORSE NEARLY EVEN
Has Made 81, 100000, Owing
Still $500, 900.
EARNINGS SINCE JUNE II
Eighty Per Cent of Indebtedness
Has Been Wiped Out.
PUTS BLAME ON ROOSEVELT
Scapegoat for Panic Of 19O7-Did
Nothing Wrong-Justif1ed by
Practice of Other Financiers.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, October 2.-Charles w,
Morse has made S7,5OO.OO0 since he was
released from the Tombs, June Il. This
cancels all his Indebtedness, except
$500. 600, which he expects to clear away
quickly.
For the first time since his conviction
for violation of the national banking laws
he freely discussed his. case yesterday.
With a confidence that betrayed itself
above his customary monotone, he pre-
dicted that he will be freed of all faint of
guilt in the federal courts when his ap-
peal is heard.
Martin w. Littleton, my counsel, tells
me that my chances of acquittal are 80
out of 1OO," he said. From that may be
Judged the feeling with which 1 face fu-
ture proceedings
Scapegoat for Roosevelt.
Then he went into the motives and
causes underlying his indictment, credit
ing it to Theodore Roosevelt's desire to
find a suitable "scapegoat'' for the panic
of 1907 and its after effects, in which
Morse's fortune Of So, 600 was swept
away.
That Morse will not return to the
rombs from midnight October until
October II. when his case comes UP in
the United States circuit court of ap-
peals, is stated on authority of close
friends. The three supreme court judges
who granted the application for bail are
expected to consent to two-day extern
sion of his $125,000 bond.
His friends declared that Morse had
seen the inside Of a prison for the last
time.
Morse Goes to See Parade.
Morse took a day off yesterday-one OF
the few he has permitted himself in the
summer months he has devoted to build
ing anew the financial structure that
toppled about his head after the panic.
With Mrs. Morse and his daughter he
was q passenger OH the steamer G. w.
Morse, and viewed the river parade IT
Newburg.
your friends" Morse was told. "say
you have raised between 100000 and
100000 since your release, and that
you have applied this to your indebted
ness
II would not put it just that way" he
replied. 'If there can be any general In
terest in what l have done, why not say
1 have cleared of SO-odd per cent Of my
debts"
rs there an error in the general esti-
mate?"
"That is substantially the sum in
he said reluctantly.
Debts Not Pressing.
From the records of the Morse case it
is known that seven judgments were en-
tered against him and that he had four
open accounts when trouble overlook
him. OF these there remains one 'open
account The interest to which this Is
due is willing to await Morse's leisure.
1T is too early to tell how l have made
the money" said Mr.. Morse. IN fact. it
is too early to go into any detail at all.
The score IS not yet wiped out. When it
is then 1 can talk.
Naturally l am optimistic about my
appeal and can only refer to Mr.. Little
tons statement.
Il have been made the victim--I say
this, not in any bid for sympathy, but
under which national banks of the entire
operate. ] did nothing wrong.
1.-The change in public feeling since l
was prosecuted has come from better
of the transactions out Of
which came my indictment"
Made an Example OF.
ITO what interest or interests do you
attribute your troubles?". he was asked.
Were personal or financial enmities in
volved?"
''No.' he said crisply- 1.-THE time was
ripe fo. the government to make an 'ex-
ample of some one. l was chosen I feel
sure, at the personal direction Of Mr..
Roosevelt"
All yesterday Morse was in the best of
humor. He wore a pink carnation stuck
jauntily In his buttonhole, mingled freely
with those he knew aboard the ship, and
seemed to mind in no way the attention
he received when pointed out in his walks
about the deck.
What was regarded by some persons as
a rebuff for me In Justice Lacombs decli-
nation early this week, to extend my bond
was misconstrued. Two other justices
who sat with him should, through cour-
tesy, II for no other reason. share in any
of extension. l do not ex-
pect to be obliged to return myself to the
United States marshal on the night of
October o.
Others Just as Culpable.
Then, continuing the discussion of his
case, he said:
Il am certain that l could guarantee to
convict the officials of almost any ma
tional bank in the United States upon the
same grounds that 1 myself was convict
ed. Because they are guilty Of wrong
doing? Not at all; but because all of them
were credited to me. The things did are
practiced. and In the eyes of ma
tional bankers constitute no Offense.
"A general run for cover on the part of
the men surrounding Mr.. McCurdy. Mr..
Mccall and Mr.. Hyde brought about their
troubles. 1t was because their allies and
directors. fearing to stand up for their
chief officials, left them to fight alone at
a critical moment that these men were
made victims.
Mr. Hyde would be here today we're it
not for this detection of his allies. In
time of clamor men fear to stand out in
the open. They fear something will affect
their family name"
Just then the G. W. Morse gave Com
mander Peary's ship, the Roosevelt, JOY
GUS greeting.
II was classmate of Peary at Bow
aoin in 1871" said Mr.. Morse.
Fortune Made From Nothing.
Under oath, at the trial Of himself and
Alfred w. Curtis Of the National Bank of
North America in the latter part of last
year, Morse stated that his fortune Of
So, 600, 600 had been wiped out. that he
himself was penniless and everything of
value that he owned had been hypothe-
Gated. His wife. too, is known to have
disposed Of her personal fortune, even her
jewels, to carry out her idea of what
fealty in a wife demands.