The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-08
Wants Committee Fully
to Investigate All
Circumstances.
SUIT FOR DAMAGES
is CONTEMPLATED
Former ice King" About to
Write Another Chapter in
Drama That Carried Him
From Banking Regions of
New York to Atlanta
Penitentiary.

/ Washington, January 7.-Charles w.
Morse the former ''icc king" one of
/ the most spectacular figures in mod
ern American finance and tho princi-
pal actor in drama that lasted for
! q half-dozcn years and carried him
/ from the banking regions OF New York
! to the Atlanta pcnitentiary. is about
to write another chapter to his story.
After months of investigation and Ia
| bor Morse is trying to launch an invcs-
/ tigation by Congressional commit
I tee of all the circumstances leading up
/ to his conviction six years ago 70 vio
lation Of the national banking laws. AL
! though his plans have not been an
nounced, IT became known here to day
that he also contcinplatcs suit for dam
ages against prominent New York
bankers and others connected with his
trial and conviction.
/ Morse had a talk with Senator Borah,
/ of Idaho, here yesterday and suggest
ed to him the need for an investign-
! ton Of his case by a Senate committee.
! Although the Idaho Senator refused TO
press the matter. the eX banker is un
derstood to have left Washington to
pursue his effort for an inquiry.
COMMITTED by Taft.
Morse was sent to the Atlanta pen
/ itentiary 10 serve a ffteen-year sen
tence. After quiet but persistent
fight. led by Mrs. Morse and backed b.
many prominent persons, his sentence
was committed by former President
Taft. Mr.. Taft acted on the state
ment of army surgeons. who declared
that Morse could not live longer than
six months. The prisoner was released
two years ago. Shortly afterwards he
sailed for Europe took n cure" and
then returned 10 the United States.
Since his return from Europe, Morse
has been making preparations to re-
open the court of public opinion, at
least in. the case. against him He is
said to hold that the principal charge
on which he was convicted, the making Z
of false entries in the books of the
4 National Bank Of North America was
. hmsy charge, and that he did moth
ing more than was done by scores OF
bankers in New York. He is under
stood to charge that the office of the
/ Comptroller of the Currency here re-
, fused at his trial 10 allow the Jury
I TO see the report Of the national bank
examiner who investigated the Bank
OF North America. and indicates that
( This report clearly would have cstab :
/ lished the fact that he had done moth
ing unlawful. He is said TO contend
that this refusal was based In part
on the fact that other New York bank
ers were making the same sort of
loans. and that the production of the
examiners report in court would have
resulted necessarily in the prosecution
Of many other persons
Charges Against Jurymen.
Morse first was convicted In the Fed :
eral Courts in 1908 and subsequently
charged that jurymen who passed on
his case were under the influence of
liquor, and that the entire jury was
under the charge OF improper guard
ians. six Of whom were former secret
service men from Washington.
In his LONG fight regain liberty
Morse succeeded in getting the inter
est and friendship Of prominent men
here, and 1t was not doubted to night
that his effort to bring the matter into
the limelight again would have power
full support