Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-09-09
MONEY GIVEN HIM
BY WIFE CAUSED
HIS PUNISHMENT
After Two Days in Cell, Bank
er Prisoner Told Where He
Got Money and Was Re-
duced in Grade

Warden william H. Meyer. of the At
lanta federal prison. Wednesday after
noon gave TO a Journal reporter fuil
and frank statement concerning the pun
ishment OF Charles W. Morse last May.
an account Of which has during the past
few days been published in papers
throughout the country.
Mr.. Meyers statement was made in re-
spouse TO a telegram from the attorney
generals once IN Washington, suthoriz-
ing nlm to give The Journal the acts
in the case.
The warden states that Morse was con-
fined for two days in a solitary cell. This
punishment followed MOrse's polite b..
firm refusal 10 acqus!nt the prison Of
fciaIs with the source from which he had
received money. il being a strict viola
tlOn OF the rules OF the prison for q pris-
oner TO be given money or to keep IL
after II is given him.
Warden Meyer says that the money was
given Morse by his wife and by W. p.
Reid. Morse's former business partner.
There was 81 in all. The warden denies
that Morse was put in a dungeon. or
that he was ever put on bread and wa
in the solitary cell in no wise injured
his health. but on the contrary Morse IS
IS the present time in much better aealtn
Kan when he was admitted to the
prison
THE wARDEN'S STATEMENT
The money. IL appears went indirectly
to a discharged prisoner. a crippled
Polish youth. The warden didn't think.
however. that Morse knew that the
A..
TO the nurse to distribute as she thought
best.
Following is the statement made by
Warden Meyer to a Journal reporter:
''On May Is q prisoner IN the exercis-
ing quarters was discovered by a guard
TO have a dollar bill in his possession
When questioned this prisoner stated
that he had received the money from
another prisoner The prisoner whom he
indicated declared he had gotten the
money from Morse. that he had asked
Morse for IL, and that Morse had said
IL was against the rules to give him
money but he would put il on his bed
in the hospital quarters. where the pris-
oner would find IL and he would have
nothing to do with his finding IL.
Deputy. Warden Harrison questioned
Morse about the money. Morse stated
that he had rather not say where he got
It Upon his continued refusal TO answer
the questions OF the deputy warden.
Morse was placed IN solitary confinement,
on full diet
MET MRS. MORSE.
"On the second day OF Morse's confine-
ment / was on my way 10 see him
met Mrs. Morse. and she asked permits
sion 70 see her husband. told her that
Morse was in trouble, and that she could
not see him on that day.
Mrs Morse announced that she had
q confession TO make to me. She stated
that she had given her husband SIS.
smuggling IL into his coat pocket while
he was signing some papers in the once.
Morse made a similar confession a
short time afterwards, except he placed
the amount given him by his wife at
IS instead OF SIS. During the course OF
my interview with him he finally ad-
mitted that he had s4s in all, SIS givcn
him by his wife, and ss1 which his for
mer partner. W. P. Reed. had slipped 10
him during a conversation between them
IN the prison
MONEY GIVEN PRISONERS.
Morse told me that two OF the pris-
oners had been given a dollar each, that
he had s. himself. and that 81 he had
placed in an envelope and given over to
the keeping OF another prisoner.
AS soon as Morse made his confession
he was released fro mthe solitary cell,
additional punishment accorded him for
violating the rules was a reduction from,
the first to the second grade, and de-
duction from his good behaviour time
OF % days. At the expiration of 90 days
Morse was put back in the first grade.
He nows enjoys the same privileges he
did before his trouble.
The published statement that his con-
nnement resulted in a physical break
down and that II was necessary to take
him TO the hospital is untrue. Morse is
IN better health now than he was when
admitted 70 this institution. He IL not
now engaged IN the library work. but is
preparing an index showing the physical
condition Of the prisoners when they en-
ter and when they leave.
This work seems oongenial to him
and he IL giving excellent satisfaction
The statement that Morse's offense con-
sisted OF giving money to a crippled
prisoner was also erroneous. At the
time Morse distributed some Of his
funds he did Mt know that any OF IL
would reach the cripple II reached
him through a nurse This statement
L. -