The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-25
TAFT REFUSES To
GRANT PETITIONS
Declines to Pardon Charles w.
Morse and John R. Walsh,
Imprisoned Bankers.
Continued From Page One.

national banking laws were specially
enacted. bank officer who uses such
funds TO promote enterprises in which
he has private interest and without the
knowledge and consent OF the sharehold-
ers for whom he is trustee. involves the
whole capital of tho bank i'm unauthor-
lied speculation. from which he is TO de-
rive profit II successful, is guilty of n
fraudulent breach of trust. Is guilty of
moral turpitude and must be punished.
mo reference to usual business meth
DDS. no suggestion of great business en-
terprises. no excuse OF building useful
industries, and no subsequent attempt
nave brought upon innocent persons who
trusted him can gloss over the fact that
such a man has taken other peoples
money for his own use.
Abuse Of Confidence.
''Of course he did not intend to steal
the money Of his depositors or stockhold-
ers. but he Is not less guilty on this aC-
count. He abused their trust and conf
dcnce and imperled the money In enter
prises OF most speculative character and
lie thus lost their money
Many influential and prominent per-
sons have Detitioned for his pardon. They
do not fully appreciate, 1t seems TO me,
the high Importance to society that such
Verely punished.
Walsh is 73 years old. His health is
not good. but do not think that is evil
dence that his condition Is alarming or
requires his release before the time when
his case may be brought before the parole
authorities.
There are circumstances which have
been emphasized by those who have rep
resented Walsh In the application for
pardon that appeal TO ones sympathy. If
me lIg case is Judged with reference TO
walsh alone. But IL must be Judged with
reference 10 the right OF society TO have
the law vindicated and crime punished
no matter how influential the convicted
person or how many friends his present
IN in,
his behalf"
Case of Charles w. Morse,
In the Morse case Mr. Taft said. in
part:
Charles w. Morse was convicted of
nisapplication OF funds OF the National
Bank OF North America and OF making
false entries III the books OF the bank and
In its reports to the comptroller of he
currency. On appeal TO the circuit court
of appeals his conviction on The false
entry charge was affirmed.
Although his conviction technically
was on false entries. there is no doubt
as to what the evidence showed general
". TO wit: that Morse was engaged in
large private transactions and the main
tenance OF the price OF certain stock I'm
The market was of Importance TO him.
bank and other banks for the purpose OF
doing the specific thing mentioned.
The result was severe losses TO the
bank which forced ii into LIQUIDATION.
Morse exhibited the same fraudulent
and criminal disregard of the trust inn
posed upon him In the exercise OF the
control over the bank as Walsh did
Punishment Is Necessary.
One OF the chief arguments made In
Morse's behalf is that since the commits
sion of his offenses he has. out of his owl.
estate. made good the losses inflicted
upon the bank. In the first mace. tha
evidence does not sustain the claim ,lIat
all the losses 10 The bank have been made
good by MIN; but even f his estate had
met the obligations growing out of his
fraudulent transactions, IL could not
change the necessity for his lawful pun
lShncni Tor the crime he committed
Walsh received sentence of i've
ycars-Morsc OF fifteen years. iave no
doubt from consideration Of the facts
in each case that Morse should have re-
ceived heavier sentence than Walsh.
Whether fifteen years Is too great 4 sen
tence ! do not now propose 10 decide.
II will dcncnd somewhat upon Morse =
future conduct in prison. This applics-
ture. but may be renewed a some subs
qucnt date.
fhe number OF prominent and ipHu-
entia members OF society who have
asked for clcmcncy In Morsc's case is
quite as great in that OF Walsh. In
my denial of the application in each Of
these cases / have no desire to miniInze
in favor OF clemency of the potitouers.
But for the same reason that | have
given above for differing from them In
Wash's case. / must differ with them In
Morse's case. The application for Glenn
cncY in tie case of Cha rlcs w. Morse Is
hereby denied. With leave 10 renew the
same after January |. 1873