The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-02
MORSE COUNSEL
j. |SSCOREDBY
ALLISON
Assistant Attorney General
Opens Bombardment for
Prosecution.

The protracted trial of Charles
w Morse. his three sons and four
other defendants on charges or con-
spiracy to defraud the Government
and the Emergency Fleet Corpora
ton, in war contracts, entered It's
last day allowed for summing up
with the prosecution bitterly assalI-
ing the defendants and their nu-
merous counsel.
The bombardment was-opened yes
terday afternoon by Assistant At
torney General Allison and con-
tinued through this morning with
greater force than before. He was
followed by Assistant Attorney Gen
eral Turner. Assistant United
States Attorney O'Leary has been
reserved to complete the barrage OF
oratory with which the Government
hopes to overwhelm the defendant
and secure a verdict.
May Defer Jury Charge.
It is probable that Justice Wen
dell P. Stafford, presiding, VIII
not charge the jury until tomorrow
morning. Both sides await with
more han usual eagerness his def
milton of the law in the case, for it
is felt that judicial Interpretation
Ia necessary in view of the in
volved nature and amount of the
testimony submitted.
Charles w. Morse and his asso-
ciates made promise after prom
Use to the Fleet Corporation, prom
Uses like pie-crust, and made them
to be broken" asserted Judge Alli-
son. Bank transactions, having, to
do with the capitalization of the Vir-
ginia Shipbuilding Corporation at
Alexandria, he termed check kiting,
pure and simple" instead of check
washing" or CHECK equalization"
as the operations were denominated
by defense counsel.
Claims All Lies, He Says.
Judge Allison particularly under
took to discredit statements made
by Nash lockwood, one of the lead
ing Morse attorneys, that G. w.
Morse and Company had put $1,069,-
900 into the construction of the Alex
andria yards. Such declarations
were untrue in every word and
every syllable" he declared, and he
challenged the defense to show any
thing in the records bearing them
out.
IAN attempt had been made to
show" he continued, that the elder
Morse had been enabled to secure
yard materials on credit founded on
his good name The prosecutor
held the assertion up to ridicule and
again pointed to the lack of records
of any such acquisitions.
Kept Name Silent.
In a letter to r. G. Dun & Co.,
the commercial agency, from r. NJ.
Much, assistant treasurer of the
Alexandra company. no mention was
made Of Morse as an official, Allison
charged.
He then described three alleged
methods by which he declared the
corporation sought to evade the Vir-
ginia laws relative to deposits of
capital funds TO balance issue of
capital stocks, all of which he as
serted were fraudulent.
He further accused the Morses
with using payroll moneys for their
own salaries. rs it possible" asked
the prosecutor, ito conceive of any.
thing more contemplate, gentle
mem"
Many Women Present.
He characterized the defendants
as captains Of finance" 1t was to
be wondered at, he said, that such
characters as Little Jack Horner
Little Lord Fauntleroy, or Peter
Pan had not been called to serve
on the Alexandria dictatorship.
Again the court room was
crowded and a piquant touch was
given by the presence of many
women.