Evening star., 1924-12-04
|EFFORT TODECE|VE
MRS. v0TAW H|NTED
Letter Regarding Secrecy of
Pacific Trip Read in
Forbes Trial.
BY the Associated Press

CHICAGO, December 4.--The name
of Mrs Carolyn Votaw. sister OF the
late President Harding, was brought
momentarily into the Federal Court
trial today of Col. Charles r. Forbes
and John W. Thompson for conspiracy
to defraud the Government
A letter identified by Elias II. Nor
timer. the chief Government witness
as having been received by himself at
San Francisco from Thompson, was
read to tho jury over strenuous OBJ
jections of defense counsel. who de-
clared, 1T would drag scandal into
this case"
After reading the letter. Judge
George A. Carpenter declared II was
in itself innocent of scandal. Morti-
mer, just before the letter was read.
started TO relate conversation be-
tween himself. Thompson and Forbes
which dealt with keeping the pro-
posed Pacific Coast trip OF Forbes
Mortimer and others a secret from
Mrs. Votaw when Judge Carpenter
halted him.
The Thompson letter to Mortimer
follows.
LEE HOUSE,
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
July IL, 1922.
Dear Mort:
Mr.. and Mrs. Votaw called. took
me for a drive. Remember following.
l didn't soc Col. Forbes She asked
If he was there and IL you went TO
Chicago with him. didn't know.
Mrs. Thompson told US Of her being
In st. Louts-understood Kathryn to
say you expected to meet her some
where West, and Kathryn seemed
much disappointed not hearing her
and supposed 1t was her being at st.
Louis at that time. You left Chi
cago for Minneapolis account of your
father. Didn't know your plans from
there, thought depended on your
know coloners whe bouts. Very
fond of you and Kathryn. Be guided
by above all 1 have to say.
(Signed) ~. w"
Love to you both"
Description of the Pacific Coast
trip Forbes made in June, 1922, was
extended to the Los Angeles pleas
ure trip" OF the Forbes Mortime II
party when Mortimer resumed the
stand today.
Forbes secretary, Mr.. Milliken, OBJ
tained an attorney to take dispositions
In the Gutheil claim of John w.
Thompson. Forbes co-defendant, Nor
timer testified.
Says 100000 Offered.
Mortimer previously testified that
Forbes, Mortimer and the late Charles
f. Cramer, Veterans Bureau counsel,
were offered 100000 by Thompson II
they put through his 100000 claim
for the unpaid balance on the reQui-
sltioned tanker Gutheil.
Mortimer said the party spent about
a week at Coronado Beach and then
took a boat to San Francisco. He
identified a telegram TO himself from
Thompson, asking the name OF the
lawyer retained and the outcome of
the deposition. He said he could not
recall If the lawyers name was
Judge Stoneman."
A semi-code telegram from the late
James w. Black. Thompson's business
associate, who had left the Forbes
Mortimer party at Los Angeles and
gone on to Seattle. said, Marina
duke (meaning the Washington
Hotel at Seattle, Wash.) was wait
ing to greet you with all the Scotch
generals, Haig and Haig, etc"
Another telegram to Mortimer from
Black asked If there was any news
about their departure for Seattle.
Radiogram Introduced.
A radiogram received by Mortimer
while the party was en- route to
Seattle was introduced, signed &C.
p. H." which Mortimer said was
Charles P. Hurley. 1t spoke of reser-
vations being made at Seattle for the
party. When Mortimer started to re-
peat conversation with Hurley, Col.
James Easby-Smith, Forbes counsel
protested on the ground that Thomp-
son or Black was not present.
"a
lection. When John H Grim, Gov
ernment counsel. said 1t was the in
tention of the Government to show
that this was further meeting of
the alleged conspirators after they
had been scared out down at San
Francisco" Col. Easby-Smith de-
manded that the jury be withdrawn.
Judge Carpenter overruled the mo-
tfon, and Mortimer was instructed to
confine himself to conversation which
took place in the presence of Black.
Hurley wanted to get in on the
American Lake, Wash, hospital con-
tract, Mortimer testified. on the same
three-way split of $15O,00O as had
been agreed upon for the Livermore.
Calf, hospital at the San Francisco
meeting. Black, Hurley and himself
agreed upon this arrangement Morti-
more testified, and he said he would
take 1t up with Col. Forbes. The
party went to Portland Mortimer
said, where he saw Hurley and his
partner Mason. and later saw Col.
Forbes. Forbes told him, he said.
that 1t was proposed to take over
the Hannaman Hospital at Portland
and remodel 1t, and he said Hurley
could have all remodeling jobs.
Describes Outing.
Mortimer was not permitted to tell
of events at Seattle, because none of
the alleged conspirators were present.
He then went on to describe the
Hayden Lake, Idaho, outing Of the
party which was Joined by James
Smith of Seattle and Hurley.
Mortimore said he gave Col. Forbes
a copy of the famous code" agreed
upon between Black, Hurley and
himself. 1t was small list of
secret words and names which re-
lated to code words in a red vest
pocket dictionary. Hurley made up
the code, Mortimer said. The code
was given Forbes. Mortimer said, on
the Hayden Lake trip. In order to
attend luncheon given to President
Coolidge, Judge Carpenter adjourned
court at noon until tomorrow.
Objects TO Letter.
The Thompson letter, In ink on a
1olded sheet of social correspondence
paper, was objected to by Rudolph
Loughlfn of st. Louis. Thompson's
counsel. He advised Judge George A.
Carpenter to read the letter. He said
the letter would drag scandal into
the case.
Judge Carpenter said he could see
n n Goo IrI
press will drag scandal into this at
their own risk"
The letter said Thompson had gone
riding with Mr.. and Mrs. Heber
Votaw and that she seemed curious
about the whereabouts Of Col. Forbes