Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-03-14
Is \
Jailed Thru
His Mother
Letter In Which Sol|
of Pastor Is Told
Ellis Sins Will Find
Him Out" Cause

A0 SAAo Will = 14&
Him Out" Cause
A letter from his mother, Nj
which he was admenished to "ieai
straight life because your sdr
will find you out" was responsibl'
for the arrest yesterday OF Davit
K. Morton. 2a, newly-weddet
rancher OF Marion. who at preeen
looks out from behind the bars D
the Salem city jail, charged witt
desertion from the United state
navy.
It's all right, Dave. I'll wait fo
you--no matter how long II ia.
Morton's pretty 18-year-old bYid,
OF month told him yesterday nl
she stood in the local police station
Morton smiled his thanks Facins
tne possibility of long term Il
prison. he will be returned in a rev
dayst Bremerton by Chief OF po
nee Moffitt where he will stanf
trial..
Morton, who is the son OF Rev
ana Mrs, Joseph Morton, OF WaraH
nachie, Texas, admits that, fearinf
Ior ms life, he deserted from fhf
;. 5. Collier Jupiter as II law 1,
bremerton on the night OF Noven,l
yer y, lsI9--two days before thN
armistlce was signed. Since fhaN
ume' until few weeks ago wha,
ne met Miss Grace George ther
Marion school teacher whor !
ia'er married heh ad been driftint
ABOUT the country, always enl
ueaVorlhg to avoid the bluecoats
ana military men.
Relief rather than resant,,.,.
was expressed by sne young fnrr..,s|
when Chief Moffitt placed him rrs
der arrest In his small farm ho,-,
near Marion. Turing to his wife
he said:
Prediction Borne Ont.
Il told you that sometime r...
ue, Inere,s be a man come after me
Wen, he's come"
IL wss at the police station a feN
hours later that Morton told MI
STORY quietly, without bravadaI
plainly pleased that he is no longel
II SENS stalat every time I,y,
tried to do ther light thinp a hs,
piece OF hard luck has ovartar~s
me- he observed,
Morton says that, after he had
Deen discharged from the army +
t9ls' ne settled on farm in Okla
hohia' Discouraged by the loaa 3,
ms crops which had been doins
wen before they were cut IN az
ground by a hail storm, he enlists<
navy. - ans
Llfe Threatened, CInfyn 3
Later he says, he was r,saa |
n' ,as second class, and was
transferred from the cruiser SeattIl
oh o whlch he sailed to Bremertor
l'onh Texas, to the collier JupitarN
raw recruit, he was made thsF
SUBJECT of imposition, he cIain,.
ana new as one Or the princina,. :,
Two night which followed. After -
threatened to report the inciden. \,
lno commanding officer. Mortos
says his fellow coal-heaveys nlo.
asu " throw MIN in a furnace, arr.
- which they we're to tell the skin.
per he had deserted.
IL was little too much" Nor.
ION declared. THAT night -.
PAST the sentry by telling him
"isheu TO go on shore to get soms
ship" ~ ~
Letter Causes Arrest
Followed year in wh,oh ~.
on made his way to many cities 8,
ne coast ever alert to avoid ths
Eventually he drifted
o salem and then to Marion, whert
% TOOK up a 20-acre farm on which
le has made two payments. n was
mere that he met his future wife
Miss George, daughter OF Mrs
trace George, of 610 South Four \
eenth street, Salem.
IL was Mrs. Morton's letter d
warming to her son that broughl
tbout his arrest. Police consider n 4
strange coincident that the note
n whichh was told that his ..sins
would find him out" proved to b
lis undoing. The letter was turned
'ver to Chief Morfit by postal an.
horities.
wife Is Loyal.
Stauchly loyal, Morton's wife de.
Jared yesterday she will stick b
lin no matter what results. ~Is
pon't make an difference to me,
he said.
Young Morton's father Is pastof
+ the First Baptist church al
Texas and his brother n
Hing the pulpit of Baptisi
hurch at Carlton, Texas. The Rev
'larence Morton. the alleged de.
erter's brother, is also editor Of tht
'ulpit and Pew.
Legion to Act.
Attracted by Morton's demeanof
n meeting the situation members
4 Capital Post No. 3. Americar
egion, are investigating Morton'f
ase with a view TO securing con.
liberation OF his record since estab.
ishing his home in this state. II ID
onsidered probable that Texas
members may be Civ.
n the facts in the case, especially
8 to MortOn's version Of his treat
nent on the collier Jupiter. HfI
wo voluntary enlistments in tht
ervice afford proof OF Mortont
atriotism. his friends assert.
ShonS of Vienna