The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-06-06
SHOW U. S. LEADERS
AIDED MORSE PARDON
MANY IN CONGRESS, INCLUD-
ING GEORGIANS, JOINED IN
PLEA. ALSO GOV. cox.

WASHINGTON, d. C.-Attorney
General Daugherty, replying further
10 Senator Caraway's charge that
Charles w. Morse's release from At
lanta penitentiary on the ground OF
physical illness constituted a fraud on
the government, has issued long
statement in which he says the official
records in the Morse case show that
Morse's release was based on reports
of Reputable physicians and United
States army surgeons showing him to
be suffering from serious illness.
His statement included copies OF re-
ports of Morse's condition made by
doctors and army surgeons. In 1t he
also named many members OF the
house and senate and men of national
prominence who appealed to the de-
partment of justice in Morse's behalf.
In his statement on the Morse re-
lease Daugherty said that the release
came as the elimination Of probably
the most remarkable demonstration in
the case Of any federal prisoner con-
victed in the courts of the United
States. Among the thousands who
signed the petition for the release of
Mr.. Morse were men of national rep
utation, many of them occupying po-
sitions of responsibility and trust I'M
der the government itself"
Freed on Medical Report.
But, in spite OF this widespread dis
play of sympathy for Morse, 1T was
not in response to any public demon
stration, strong as that was at the
time, that Morse was released, but
solely upon the reports Of the medical
examiners" the statement continued.
The doctors found that Morse was
suffering from chronic valvular heart
disease, chronic "brights disease and
slight arterio-sclerosis, Daugherty
said. This was the verdict of an army
medical board.
Citing letter from James W. Finch,
who at the time of Morse's release
was pardon attorney for the justice
department, Daugherty said that TO-,
600 persons asked for Morse's release,
among them 429 state senators, 823
governors, mayors and other public Of
fcials LOIS lawyers and judges; L.,
sol bankers; 865 newspaper men; $40
clergymen and physicians, and large
number of manufacturers, merchants
and business men.
NdIlCS Ol NdllOlidl 4 lOlIHiCASC.
Among the United States senator's,
representatives and officials were SEN.
ator A. S. Clay, of Georgia; Duncan U.
Fletcher of Florida; Lee S. Over
man, North Carolina, and Robert L.
Taylor, of Tennessee. representatives
Joshua w. Alexander, of Mississippi,
afterward a member of the cabinet in
the administration of Wilson; Charles
L. Bartlett, of Georgia. Walter P.
Brownlow, of Tennessee; Joseph w.
Byrns, of Tennessee; Frank Clark, OF
Florida Charles H. Cowles, OF North
Carolina; Carter Glass, of Virginia.
secretary of treasury in Wilson's cab
met; George w. Gordon, of Tonnes
see; Thomas w. Hardwick, OF Geor-
gia; Cordell Hull, of Tennessee. now
chairman Of democratic national COM
mittee; John Lamb, of Virginia.; Har-
ry L. Maynard Of Virginia; D. H.
Mays of Florida; Stephen NJ. Spark
man, of Florida, and James NJ. Cox,
of Ohio, late democratic nominee for
president.
Daugherty said that so much mis-
information recently has been made
public with respect to the Morse case
that it will perhaps be of some public
interest to have brief resume of the
case disclosed in the official files"