The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-03
n0|RSES' CASE.
Goes TO JURY
TODAY
-..-r ODHU
Stafford Lauds Harding, Then
Continues Session-Regins
Charge and Review.


Morse conspiracy case will be in
the hands of jury in Criminal Div
iSion No. l, of the District Supreme
Court, Justice Wendell p. Stafford
presiding, by the end of this aft
ernoop's session. Thus will close a
trial exceeded for length only in one
instance in District annals, accord.
ing to attaches. 1t has extended
over fifteen weeks and one day,
Judge Stafford commenced his
charge to the jury at 10 o'clock this
The defendants are Charles w.
Morse, leading official in three
shipbuilding concerns, his three
sons, Benjamin W., Erwin A. and
Harry F. NORGE, associated in his
enterprises; N. H. Campbell OF New
York, assistant treasurer Of che
United States Transport Company,
Inc; Rupert NJ Much Of Augusta,
Me-, assistant treasurer Of the Wiz
GINA Shipbuilding !. Corporation at
alexandria, Va; Philip Reinhardt,
former auditor at the Aiexandria
plant, and Rote1t o. White of New
York, president Of the transport
company and assistant treasurer Of
the; Groton Iron Works. :.
Points In Indictment. !.
The substance of the two indict.
nents against the Morses and their
associates are that they entered into
a wartime conspiracy to cheat,
Swindle and defraud the Emergency
Fleet Corporation and to defraud the
United States by obtaining through
false pretenses ship-construction
contracts. contract payments, loans
= ! 4. .Gx
and its agencies, the Shipping Board
and Fleet Corporation, as well as by
misapplying or dfverting large sums
Of money belonging to the Govern
mept- and in the hands, Of the various
corporations controlled by Morse and
associates, either for. ship construc-
ton, or as the result of the operation
by such companies, as agents, OF
ships owned by the Government.
The penalties provided under the
statute governing the indictments
are two years Imprisonment on each
Indictment, or a fine Of not exceed
ing $4,000, or both. r
Rarely has a more complex case
confronted the District courts.
There have been typed off 10000
pages of testimony, 900 exhibits
have been introduced, and nearly 1875
witnesses. been heard.
There was. some doubt when the
time approached. for this mornings
session that the court would sit, on
account Of the death of President
Harding.
But Judge Stafford, paying a
mastery /. tribute to the departed
chief, declared he was sure he ex-
pressed the opinion Of all connected
with the case when he said that
they We're acting in the spirit OF
their dead President when they went
on and finished the work upon which
they had entered.
He also paid high tribute to the
Jurymen who have sat through the
long, hot weeks and the counsel for
each side that has prosecuted and
| defended the case. Never, he said,
had he. heard case so well tried.
Words to Jury and Counsel.
To the jurymen he. declared:
You have made a. great contribu-
ton, a patriotic contribution to civil
government in this District by sur
rendering your time for long Pc
Rod in a court Of Justice. What you
Will receive by way of compensation
in money is trifling' compared to the
ought to be relieved, and / am sure
YOU will be. relieved, if, you request
1t. from jury service for a long time
In consideration of the great sacri-
flee that you have. made"
OF counsel he had this to saw:
think 1T only simple justice
Tor me to say, and l say it for
two reasons; one because it is an
Neder
sci In this case, and the other be-
cause / wish to impress a. certain
fact upon you; have been in
courts for more than 40 years, and
l have heard many cases tried, and
have participated in many trials;
but i have never heard a case SO
we'll tried and argued' as this case
has been. You have had the priv
ilege Of listening to some of the
most brilliant, eloquent, thorough
and able discussions of question
OF fact, that have ever been heard
In this country. It il something
you may remember all your lives.
Nov 1t remains to be seen
whether you will do you part as
thoroughly, as patiently. as con-
sctentiously as these gentlemen
have done theirs
No Reason for Review.
Judge Stafford declared there
would be mo reason or excuse for
a judge to review the evidence in
such a case" because it had been
30 thoroughly presented by opposing
counsel. He then proceeded to read.
to the jury an analysis of the vart-
GUS contracts entered into by the
Morses and Government agencies.
This continued until near the end
of the first session. ..
The, Government brought it's sum-
ming.up to powerful and dramatic
close yesterday afternoon, Judge
Wilbur. r. Turner, special assistant
to the Attorney General, launching
a Vttriolic attack upon the Morses
and other defendants. 49,.
They were likened to "a snail,
which in its passage leaves a Shiny
trail" He proceeded to follow up
this noxious figure. of speech by
citing alleged acts to defraud. con.
stituting, he declared, a conspiracy.
Referring to the oft-asserted pa
triotism of the Morses. he ex-
claimed. with bitter emphasis:
"Oh, Patriotism! What crimes are
committed in, thy name! Consider
the evidence, gentlemen Of the jury,
and all this talk of patriotism goes
up in smoke and vapor. / prefer to
use the name my opponents have
supplied me-treason." ,..-a
rLIEE NICAMc NIIr LED