Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-09
MORSE WAS
FAVORED
CONVICT
Ice Trust Head Was Allowed to
Continue Stock Gambling From
Penitentiary Cell Here.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-Senator
Hoke Smith has joined Congressman
william Schley Howard in demand
ing a probe of conditions at the Unit
ed States Penitentiary in Atlanta.
Senator Smith in his public utterances
consistently has refrained from any
comment indicating his attitude in
respect TO the prison scandal, but he
made it plain in a letter sent to the
Civil Service Commission that he con-
sidered it imperative that thorough
investigation of affairs at the prison
be made.
He cited the fact that seven guards
had been discharged from the peni-
tertiary in December, and suggested
that this was a circumstance that
called for an immediate inquiry by
he commission.
This investigation, If made upon
the demand Of Senator Smith ana
Congressman Howard, will be entire
" Independent of any made by the
DEPARTMENT of Justice or by Con-
gressional committee.
Morse Allowed to Gamble.
Charles w. Morse, the ice trust
head, has been brought into the in
yestigation, it became known Friday,
through information given to the De-
partment of Justice that he was ac-
corded every facility to continue his
stock manipulations while in the pen
itentiary, in defiance of all the prison
rules, and that he was in other re-
spects one of the favored convicts.
Assistant Attorney General Graham
is conducting the investigation OF the
alleged abuses at the prison, growing
out of the charges made by Congress
man Howard. He is in possession of
two formal complaints which cite va
rious WAYS in which Morse is said to
have been "petted" and favored while
a Federal prisoner.
Additional charges were contained
in a letter written to the Department
of Justice by Ovid V. Shaw, for
mer guard at the prison, who now Is
living in Washington.
Shaw represents that he was forced
out of his job at the prison because
Of the Vaccinations of an unscrupu-
lous clique the members of which
preferred charges against him He
was suspended while the charges were
being Investigated. he says. and then
after his dismissal the only way he
could get back home to his family was
through the kindness of the board of
charities.
Ex-Guard Names Clique.
The ex-guard named as members
Of the clique Captain Tucker, Guard
Guerney, Guard Evans, Guard Nc
Clure, Guard Cobb, Night Captain
Schoen and others. Shaw told of acts
Of unnecessary harshness he had wit
messed on the part of some of the
guards.
his letter continues:
From April 4, 1912, till Sep
tember Is of last year excepting
pended) | was guarding, during
which time a general complaint
was made by prisoners to me and
other guards about their not hav-
ing enough to eat-no sugar and
thelr bread raw. One prisoner in
particular, whose name is Bun
yam Bradley $50, with whom |
came in daily contact, because he
vas engaged in moving grass
ABOUT the warden's lawn and
held where l was guarding pris-
oners, stated that he could hardly
stand up on what he ate for
nreakfast-a few "grits.'
Because of this faction, dis
Sension arose among the guards
ana subofficials and persons liv-
ing In proximity to the prison
because they were dependent ups
on the guards for a livelihood, in
mat they ran boarding houses ex-
tIuslVely for them, and conse
luently the whole prison was
throWn out of harmony, involv
'hs the murde" of Connors, the
prosecution Of Vance and my dis
n'5sal from the service.