Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-01-06
Convicted Banker Now on Way
to Serve 10 Years at Atlanta
Prison.
GIVES OUT BITTER STATEMENT
Feels That a Years Confinement
and Payment Of $T,000,000-
Fine Should Be Pun
ishment Enough.

New York, JAM with supreme
effort to be cheerfl. but with emotion
occasionally getting the better of him.
Charles w. Morse left New York to-
day to serve Is years in the federal
prison MT Atlanta, Ga. for violation of
the national banking laws.
Before leaving the Tonibs, where he
had been confined FOR tho greater part
Of the past year, Morse received his
wife and two sons and then the news
paper men. He was too affected to say
anything but he handed out carefully
prepared statement OF comment on his
case
Morse left Jersey City on the Birming-
ham flyer of the Southern Railway at
l0:43 a. m. In custody OF Deputy Mar
shals John Steibling and Henry Lincus.
Marshal Henkel, who has had charge
Of Morse during the trial. accompanied
his prisoner as far as Washington. The
party occupied stateroom.
CALLS SENTENCE INHUMAN
Morse's statement is bitter and dra-
matte.
II 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 sem
tence
II have hoped the statement contin-
ues, with that hope which comes from
CO seriousness Of my innocence that will
not have to close out forever the light
and liberty OF this wlrld under such an
inhuman sentence. had felt that the
fact that | had paid a fine of s7,O0O,O 900
and served year In prison would satisfy
the cry for victim. and I have steadily
believed that the courts would be COM
PEELED to give me a new trial. When I
learned that the private detectives Of the
prosecution were the keepers Of the jury.
that the J"ry drank like men upon
jaunt or a holiday rather than citizens
engaged In a serious service. and that as
a result two of them were rendered unfit.
I naturally hoped that would be allowed
another trial by another jury free Of
these hostile influences.
HOPES TO re PARDONED.
ut seems. however. that the courts
intend to establish the practices which
make rum-drinking a part Of jury SER
vice and private detectives as the GUS
todians Of a Jury permanent irstitu-
| ton. BY this sentence and judgment
may be brought to ruin. but the damage
done to mo is not half as important as
the injury to the administration Of Jus
tice. l am now up in years and must
| with the passing Of time pass also. but
the record Of my conviction and the
way II was brought about will remain
a lasting and dangerous example OF a
government gone mad in search of u
victim.
whether shall serve my full sem
tence I am not able to say, much de-
pending upon how the government at
Washington shall look upon it. l have
great faith that all right-thinl<irg men
and women who know Of me and my
case and who realize the inhumanitv OF
my sentence will make known their
feelings to the President. Whatever the
future may hold in store. liberty or i'm
prIsonment I shall endeavor to meet in
the same way I have struggled against
the misfortunes OF the past two years"
A 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 went at they lott him.
Morse braced himself for a fnal picture
/ at the hands OF a crowd of newspaper
photographers, but he said nothing fur
& tIleT. I10 Hlu MS IdCc III u newspaper
after he had boarded the :. The 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 Ia
| Atlanta tomorrow and l shall probably
| live there until my husband is released
I will devote all my time in getting III
petition to that end. In the last two
weeks have received thousands Of let
ters all the writer's expressing sympathy
with my husband and their readiness ia
sign petition In his behalf"
SAID NOTHING IN WASHINGTON.
Washington. Jan. 2.-Charl,s ". Morse
was in Washington 10 minutes to-day be-
tween the arrival and departure OF trains.
but he refused to see any one and made
no statement whatever.
There were no personal friends of the
convicted banker at the station to see
him, but large delegation OF newspaper
men met the train. Those who succeeded
in finding the stateroom were denied nd
mittance. knock on the door was re-
sponded TO by Marshal Stciblng. who.
after informing the auestoner that Mr..
Morse had nothing to say shut the door.