Evening star., 1923-08-02
MORSES ASSA|LED
BY U. S. ATTORNEY
Broke Promise After Prom.
Ise, Says Allison, in Scath-
ing Denunciation.

Assistant Attorney General Allison,
addre essing the jury for the prosecu-
ton in the Morse conspiracy trial to-
day before Justice Stafford. in Grim
inal Division /, declared that Morse
and his associates made promise after
promise TO the Fleet Corporation only
to break them like pie crust and with
out any intention OF keeping them.
He also hurled back on counsel for
the defense the charge of unfairness.
of which they had accused the gov
ernment's counsel. He asserted that
the bank transactions in reference to
the capitalization of the Virginia
Shipbuilding Corporation were check
killings, pure and simple" and could
not be CLOSED over by such high.
sounding words as check washing
and check equalization" as used by
Morse's laWers.
Claims Poor Judgment.
Morse and his associates were re-
garded a captains Of finance" Mr..
Allison said. but their action in spend
ing sS30.000 in the purchase of indi-
vidual notes would have done credit
to directorate composed OF Little
Jack Horner, Little Lord Fauntleroy
and Peter Pan. When they were pur-
chasing these securities. which the
lawyer called trash" they had need
for II at money in purchasing mate
rials to so into shipbuilding.
Mr.. Allison took up a statement
made by Judge lockwood for the de-
Tense that c. W. Morse & Co. had
put S1,069.000 in the building of the
plant a Alexandria. He asserted that
every word and every syllable was
untrue and pointed out that the rec
ord shows no such thing. The lawyer
for the defense had also spoken of
the good name OF Charles W. Morse
and his credit on which materials
the statement and said that the rec
ord does not disclose that single
dollars worth of material was fur
nished on the credit of Charles W
Much. in Il letter TO II. c Dunn & Co.
had failed to mention Morses name
among the officials OF the Virginia
corporation.
scores Defendants.
The lawyer scored the defendants
on their criticism of the action OF the
government in communicating ships
when our boys needed food and equip
ment on the battlcfields OF France
The President and his cabinet would
have been subject for impeachment
he said, II they had not taken ovel
all the cargo ships to rush things &c
Europe. Does Mr.. Morse think ar
exception should have been made a.
TO MS SnlpS, inquired the prosecutor
Hind Three Plans.
Dweliing. on the capitalization OF
the Virginia company, which had
been represented to the state authori-
ties as Sl.000.000 paid in cash and
which had been shown TO be only
doubtful securities, Mr.. Allison
pointed out that the Morses had three
plans for effecting this plain viola
tion of the statutes of neighborins
state One was the issuing of 9
note for 100000 by c. w. Morse 6
Co. corporation formed only three
months before with capital of 500
600. of which mot one dollar has been
paid in" This was abandoned be-
cause some one Connected with the
concern must have seen its weakness
Another plan was shown In the
evidence by letter from Charles W
Morse to Colin II. Livingstone. presi-
nouncing that s1,00o.0o0 was held by
the New York company subject to the
draft of the Virginia, corporation
This plan was also abandoned ano
the check -kiting scheme put into ef'
feet. the lawyer asserted:
Mr.. Allison showed the jury
check for sS65.000 drawn, by tht
steamship Operating Co IN when zen II bank nIe
To meet that check in the bank, ne
said, Much and Morse got their heads
together and drew checks of the Vir.
giflfa company on the same bank for
total of sS30.000, and added two
good checks from the Fleet corpora
ton and deposited them in the pank
The argument for the government
will be completed this afternoon py
Assistant Attorney Genera! turner
Justice Stafford will probably defer
the charge to the jury until tomor'
row.
Visit by Wilson.
Mr. Allison noted that the defense
had attached some Importance to the
fact that former President Wilson
had visited the Virginia plant at the
laying of the first keel.
"Of course" he said, "the President
didn't find men going about in over.
alls with the word fraud painted
upon them in big letters. OF course
no one was going about the plant
shouting, We are conspirators, we
are conspiratorsr
Throughout the fifteen weeks OF
the trial, Mr.. Allison said, the defense
has attempted at every opportunity
TO link up the names of prominen'
men with those of the defendants.
Tho jury's attention was directed
by Mr.. Allison to evidence in the case
showing that even after the Grotor
Iron Works had been awarded a con
tract for twelve steel ships, which
building Corporation, the Morses at.
tempted to obtain another contract
for thirty-six ships. And this, he said
at time when the corporation was il
financial straits.
He pointed out also that the
Morses said they could build the
forty-eight ships in two years. when
ship built at Virginia was nineteer
mOnthg overdue,