The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-07
TRIAL OF MORSE
ENTERS THIRD
I. :. WEEK
Lawyers Squabhle Over intro
duction. Of Phottostat, Of In
7. come Tax Return.

- ~ : Il l = 49, :
/. The, Morse conspiracy case. as
was to be expected, did not enter
upon its third week today I'm Crimi.
nal CDurss No.s.1. Justice Stafford
presiding, without difficulties.
Justice Stafford took his seat
promptly at 10 o'clock with counsel
for the Government and the defense
present and ready to start. There
were, however, only" eleven jurors
in the box, John L.. Eiker, the miss.
ing juror finally turning up just
at the time when Justice stafford
direced- he bailiff. to stake the Jurors
to- their room tn await Eiker's ar.
While waiting for Eiker. Justice
Stafford sentenced a young drug
addict ITO, the pepitentiary.
IL was fifteen. minutes afev 10
when he case go under way Attor-
ney5 Bissell Thomas. Of counsel for
the defense told the. court that he
had intended to cross. examine B. c.
Hfgfey. al New York lawyer and
formerly associated With the Morse
concern. but that he had been ex.
cused by@ heE Government who had
subpeenaed him. as a, witness. At
torney Thomas said he had intend,
ed To- ask Higleg some questions
with regard to: a photostate copy
of an alleged income tax return
of G.. w. Morse.
ATTORNEY Thomas objected to the
paper being in court and read the
law. on the subject, declaring that
ii WAS d b lawful foy, any person, to di.
Nudge the fscontentsq OF income tax
fef6fns. or to, permit copies or ex.
tracts tessiJe made therefrona:i or to
hermit anyone to see them, Counsel
for Morse Said that any offense
asaifisf this pFsovis6t of the law is a
fAisdemeanof and il committed by
an officer OF the Government, would
he cause for. his dismissal and fine.
Attorney Thomas, OBJ ected to the
admission in court hereafter of any
evideHce along These lines and At.
torfey Wilton j. Lambert, of counsel
for the defense. Joined in the pro.
test. Attorney Thomas claimed that
breach of the law had been com:
mitted by, counsel for the Govern
ment-fo obtaining and bringing. into
court the photostatic copies OF the
income tax return. in question:.
Judge Nash lockwood of counsel
for the defense, asked the, court to
instruct. the jury to disregard any
thing that. had transpired in, court
regarding this natter Justice STAFF
ford held that as the copy ewas not
offered in evidence and was not dis
cussed there was no needsto instruct
the jury,
Finally getting down to business.
Arthur p. Anderson, of NUank.
Conn, a. witness for the Govern.
ment. was called He said he was an
officer of the probate court at Noanlk
and had met. Erwin Morse i'm 1916.
Witness said he met Harry F. Morse
FOR the first time in this court and
that he never met Charles w. Morse.
Anderson said he had been the
Of the Robert. Palmer Ship
building And Marine Railway Com
pany. at Noank, Conn, in 1916,
which 1ateF on Wa purchased by
Morse. He tseified as regards con-
tract calling for the sale of stock.
which he. said he signed. He could
not identify the signatures of the
other signers 49,
/, Judge Turner. for the Govern
Inent, attempted, to- introduce the
contract in evidence. which was oIL
jeuted to. by Judge lockwood, of
ground that tf1ev contract, was dated
January Is, 1876, over a year before
any OF the acts alleged in the indict-
emnt had been committed, and also
because It is ifnmaterial and irrele-
want - go -
Justice Stafford sustained the OBJ
lection and excluded the contract
s'as matters no wstand."
!. fudge Turner attempted to intro
duct another contract, which met
"a, similar fate.,|e E@a -
The Government spent the rest OF
the day examining anderson, with
frequent interruptions and objections
by counsel for the defense.