Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-23
Renewal of A tt a c k
Draws Comment from
Senator Moses
Caraway Offers More Letters in
Morse Pardon Case-DemO-
Gratis Aim to Hide Regime of
Former Attorney General
and Secretary Of Treasury,
; Moses Asserts

Washington, May 22.-Renewing his
attack on Attorney General Daugherty
in the senate today, Senator Caraway,
Democrat, Arkansas, placed in the
congressional record alleged copies of
two more letters purporting to show
that Mr. Daugherty was active and
directly interested in obtaining the
release from the Atlanta penitentiary
of Charles w. Morse, the shipbuilder.
The letters, published today in a
local newspaper, Senator Caraway
said, showed that Mr.. DauShcrty was
engaged as counsel in the case be-
cause he had the confidence of former
President Taft, who committed Mr..
Morse's 15-year sentence, and charg-
ed that Mr.. Daugherty had abused"
Mr.. Tdft's confidence.
One of the letters purported to be
from Thomas B. Fielder, New York
attorney, alleged to have been asso-
ciated with Mr.. Daugherty in the
Morse pardon case. The other, alleg-
ed to have been written by Frank l..
Seeley, editor of the Atlanta Georgian
to Mr.. Fielder, said that Mr. Morse
owed his liberty and his life ITO yours
and Mr.. Daugherty's efforts" Mr..
Seeley said his interest was purely
philanthropic." Both letters bore 1917
dates.
Commenting on statements in the
letters that Mr.. Fielder and the pres
ent attorney general took steps to
prevent revocation of Mr.. Morse's re-
lease when it was charged that fraud
had been practiced upon President
Taft, Senator Caraway asserted that
Mr.. Fielder and Mr. Daugherty, if not
cognizant of the original fraud, pre-
vented rectification
IF they were not a party to the
fraud in its original preparation said
Senator Caraway, they became &C.
complies after the fact"
Senator Moses, Republican, New
Han. shire, when Senator Caraway
had finished, asserted that the "whole
performance" in connection with dis
crssion of the Morse case was "a
smoke screen to hide Democratic cab
met officers who served under the last
administration" The Morse and Bosch
Magnetic cases, now before the de-
partment of justice, the New Hamp-
shire ~enator said, promised to "seri-
ously embarrass a former attorney
general and former secretary of the
treasury"
Senator Carawav disclaimed any
intent to embarraSs the department
of any interest in the pending pro-
Secutions.
The evidence submitted in the
Horse case, il placed before a jury.
convict both Mr.. Daugherty and Mr..
Fielder Of fraud.
The letter by Mr.. Felde, pupoting
to have been written to Leon O.
Bailey, Hanover, National Bank
building. New York. detailed connec-
tions with the Morse case at length,
explaining receipt as fee in the
case of $4,000 in stock, on which
dividends subsequently ceased. The
latter said that Mr.. Fielder was en-
gagged by Mr.. Seeley, the Atlanta
editor and that Mr.. Fielder arranged
to renew Mr.. Morse's Communication
plea just before expiration of Mr..
Tafts term
The letter said that Mr.. Fielder
and Mr.. Daugherty were informed
by DR.. A. /. Fowler, prison physi-
clan, that Mr.. Morse appeared to
have Brights disease.
With this cue, Mr.. Daugherty
and myself took up the matter de
novo the letter added. I'VE returned
to Washington discussed this phase
of the case with the attorney general
and with the President. g The
application for pardon or clemency
hung fire. for several weeks. :
During all of those weeks Mr..
Daugherty and myself spent practi-
cally all of our time working upon
the case
The Seeley letter was largely
summary of the events leading to
the alleged retention Of Fielder as
counsel for Morse. Felder's name,
the letter said was suggested to
Morse by Seeley after the banker
convict had tried every possible
avenue Of relief" Reference was
made to the writer's keen disap-
pointment because of Morse's failure