Evening star., 1922-05-28
DAUGHERTY SHOWS
|23SENATORS ASKED
pardon FOR MORSE
Reveals Records Showing
Army Doctors Declared Pris-
on Would Kill Banker.
PETITIONS FOR FREEING
HIM SIGNED BY 10000
Caraway, Continuing Attack in
Senate, Charges Daugherty
Betrayed" Taft.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
Naming scores Of members of the
Senate and House, both democrats
and republicans. and others prominent
, in official life at the time as having
petioned for the release in 1912 from
the Atlanta penitentiary of Charles
w. Morse. the Department of Justice
late yesterday made public the record
| in the Morse case "as disclosed in the
official files" which indicates, the
statement said. beyond any question
that Mr.. Morse was released upon the
report of reputable physicians and
United States Army surgeons showing
him to be suffering from a serious
illness"
Freed ON Medical Report.
The release came" the statement
continued, "as the elimination of
probably the most remarkable public
demonstrat ton on behalf Of any fed
eral prisoner ever convicted in the
courts Of the United States
, Notwithstanding the high charac-
ter" Of those occupying positions of
responsibility and trust under the
government. who were among thou
sands signing the petition, the state
ment said. "it was not in response to
any public demonstration, strong as
it was at that time, that Mr. Morse
, was released, but solely upon the re-
ports of the medical examiners"
Before the statement of the De
partment of Justice was issued, All
torney General Daugherty was again
under attack in the Senate by Sena-
tors Caraway, democrat, Arkansas
and Watson. democrat. Georgia.
with others joining in the debate. The
Arkansas senator charged that Mr..
Daugherty in acting as counsel for
Morse in 1912 had betrayed" former
President Taft and now was "betray-
ing" the present administration. He
also charged that the Department of
Justice was employing its agents to
shadow senators and representatives.
Reports by Physicians.
Incorporated in the statement by
the Department of Justice were re-
ports of physicians which were part
of the record of the MorAe case in
the departments files. These showed
that Maj David Baker. an Army
medical officer at Fort Mcpherson.
found Morse suffering from arterio-
sclerosis, with hyocardi:is and renal
sclerosis. This malady was incurable,
it was said, and Mr.. Morse had mot
very long to live"
insurance risk Mai
Baker said. II would not recommend
this patient for the short period Of
thirty.days. His sudden death is con-
stantly probable"
Prior to examination of Mr.. Morse
by Army officers, however. civilian
physicians made an examination at
the request of United States Marshal
W. H. Johnson at Atlanta. and DR.
w. S. Elkin of that city found the
patients health not in danger by
reason of his confinement.
Civilian Doctors Differ.
"I do not believe" he reported on
November /, 1911, that Mr. Morse is
suffering from any serious organic
trouble nor is his health being ma
terially affected by his present con-
finement. The nervous strain that
he has been under for, the past three
years would easily account for his
loss in weight. 1 do not think that
further confinement will materially
! shorten the prisoners life or per-
manentIy seriously impair his health"
, Another civilian physician, Dr.. E. G.
| Davis of Atlanta, under the same date
reporting to Marshal Johnson, took
a different view of Mr.. Morse's con-
dition, finding, he said. symptoms in
dicating probably the beginning of
Bright's disease.
II do not believe in his present con-
dition," DR.. Davis said, with the in
fluence of mental worry added to his
physical ailments, that he would or
dinarily live more than one or two
years unless treated with extreme
care and thoroughly protected from
arduous work and exposure.
His diet ought also to be looked
after carefully on account of evil
CONTINUED on Page 5, Column A.