The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-03
He STILL HAS HOPE OF
HELP THROUGH FRIENDS
Prosecution of His Case Is Severely
Criticised BY Morse, Who Charges
Jury With Drinking While
Handling the Case.

New York January with a supreme
effort to be cheerful, but with emotion oc-
casionally getting the better of him,
Charles w. Morse left New York today
to begin serving 15-year sentence In the
federal prison at Atlanta, imposed upon
him for violation of the national bank
ing laws.
Before leaving the Tombs, where he had
been confined for the greater part of the
last year, Morse received his wife and
two sons, and then the newspaper men.
He was too affected to say anything, but
he handed out carefully prepared state
ment of comment on his case. The gem
eral understanding was that his wife was
TO accompany him south. but it could not
be ascertained whether she was on the
same train with him.
Morse left Jersey City at 1915 a. m. IN
custody of deputy United States mar
shals. The party occupied a state
room.
Morses statement is bitter and dra-
matte.
'I am going to Atlanta to begin penal
servitude under the most brutal sentence
ever pronounced against a citizen in a
civilized country" is his opening SEN
tence.
Hope for Release.
'1 have hoped" the statement contin-
res, with that hope which comes from
consciousness of my, Innocence, that 1
will not have to close out forever the light
and liberty of this world under such an
inhuman sentence. 1 had felt that the
fact that I had paid a fine of s7,0O0, 900 and
served year in prison would satisfy the
cry for a victim, and have steadily be-
lieved that the courts would be compelled
to give me a new trial.
when learned that the private detec-
tives of the prosecution were the keepers
of the jury; that the jury drank like men
upon a jaunt or a holiday, rather than
citizens engaged in a serious service, and
that result two of them We're rem
dered unfit, 1 naturally hoped that I
would be allowed another trial by another
jury free from these hostile influences.
1T seems. however, that the courts in
tend to establish the practice which make
xrtm drinking a part of jury service, and
private detectives as the cvstodians of a
jury a permanent institution. BY this
sentence and judgment I may be brought
to ruin; but the damage done to me is not
half as important as the injury to the
administration OF justice. 1 am now u,
in years, and must with the passing of
time. pass also, but the record of my con-
viction and the way 1t was brought about
will remain lasting and dangerous ex-
ample of a government gone mad in
search of victim.
Faith in Friends.
whether I shall serve my full SEN
tence, l am not able to say; much de-
pends Vi 'on how the government at
Washington shall look upon it. have
great faith that all rfght-thinking men
and women who know of me and nv
case, and who realize the inhumanity Of
my sentence, will make their feelings
known to the president.
Whatever the future may hold in
store--liberty or imprisonment-I shall en-
deavor to meet in the same way have
struggled against the misfortunes of the
last two years.
(Signed) &c. w. MORSE"
few minutes before the trains de-
parture Harry and Benjamin Morse ap-
peared for another farewell to their
father. He gave them a fond embrace
and wept as they left him.
Morse braced himself for a final pic
ture at the hands of crowd of news
paper photographers, but he said nothing,
He read newspaper after he had board
ed the car. Tho train is due in Atlanta
about noon tomorrow.
Mrs. Morse did not accompany her hus-
band to Atlanta Seen at her home to-
night, Mrs. Morse said:
II am going to Atlanta tomorrow, and
1 shall probably live there until my hus-
band is released. / viii devote all my
time in getting up petition to that end.
In the lnst two weeks I have received
thousar IS of letters. the writers express
ing sympathy with my husband and their
readiness to sign a petit" in his be-
half