Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1907 — WANTS MORE SCALPS [ARTICLE]

WANTS MORE SCALPS

Judge Landis Start* the Grand Jury at Chicago on the War path Again. INCITED THERETO BY MOFFETT Standard Oil Man Who “Said Things” About the Big Fine. Made Charge* Also That He Will Be Called Upon to Prove —Alton Railway Given Its Imm unity Bath. Chicago, Sept. 25.—Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis granted the Alton road immunity from prosecution on the criminal charges against it In connection with the case of the Standard (Ml Company of Indiana, but he also delivered a counter blow, apparently directed alike at the Standard company and the Alton road, which staggered the counsel representing both corporations. In brief, Instead of discharging the grand jury, as was expected, be directed it to assemble next Tuesday morning, and Issued a subpoena for tire presence of James A. Moffett, president of the Standard of Indiana, to appear and make good charges alleged to have been spread broadcast by him casting reflections on Judge Landis. - Believes in the “Square Deal.”

“It shall never be truthfully said," declared Judge Landis, solemnly, and his voice rose to unwonted intensity, "that this court has discriminated unfairly against any defendant appearing before it, nor that it has been guilty of inflicting upon one guilty party the punishment that should be meted out to others. It is my highest ambition so to administer the authority vested In me that no man can have just cause to complain that he has not been given a square deal.” The subject that called forth the jurist’s censure and filled him with Indignation was a pamphlet containing reprints of pewspaper clippings of statements made by President Moffett immediately after the naming of the $29,Ooo.OGO fine against the Indiana corporation. “Thousands of tons of freight have been shipped in this same .territory during the last fifteen years." reads one of the statements, “under the same circumstances as the Standard's shipments, and if the Standard Is guilty in this ease, so is practically every shipper in this great manufacturing territory. Is there a purpose in selecting the Standard as a victim?” And it was this last sentence that seemed to be most offensive to the judge.

TO HUNT SOME MOKE GAME Grand Jury Instructed to Handle the Probe Again. The assertion that every shipper was guilty if the Standard was guilty, however, was what resulted in the judge ordering the grand jury to “get busy.” lie said to that body; "I charge you to listen to the testimony of President Moffett at 10 o'clock next Tuesday morning, and give careful attention to It. And if he gives you information 'confirmatory of these alleged statements, you need no instruction from me as to what you are called upon to do other than to exhaust your full duty.” This may mean that the Alton will have Itself to look after, in spite of the immunity just granted, in a new case against that road. The immunity was given in a letter from Attorney General Bonaparte that said that the government thought it wgll to make and did make, a promise of immunity to the Alton, and though some of the Alton's evidence was not up to the standard of honest performance of obligations still the road’s co-operation was of great assistance, if not absolutely essential; and therefore the government must keep its promise. —That Judge Landis vehemently disapproved of the action of allowing the Alton to go unscathed was emphasized in the sharp language in which he recited its part in the Standard Oil case, and in the severe arraignment to which he subjected Its methods, ‘‘Among other things that appeared,” he deciarefl, “and weighed heavily in the stand taken by this court in calling this grand jury together for the hearing of evidence against the Alton road, was the keeping of false records by this railway company. There are many men In the penitentiary today justly serving time for offenses such as this company required of its employes.”

“CRIMINAL CLASSES” HIT Caustic Remark by the Judge—That Pamphlet Again. In addressing the jury with reference to the immunity granted tbe Alton Judge Landis said that it was generally known that “in dealing with the criminal classes,” in order to get evidence against the one conceived to be the most culpable, it is not infrequently the rule to make arrangements with the other party to the crime to release this other party for testifying against the one considered the most culpable. In instructing the jury as to the law tn the matter of freight rates the judge •aid: “A tariff to be legal must be put down on paper and two copies of It posted for public inspection in the freight stations of the railway and another copy sent to Washington to be filed with the United States Interstate cotnerce commission. Those who have failed to observe this plain and slm-

pie requirement of the statute have violated the law and, of course, you understand they should be indicted.” The pamphlet which had angered the judge contained unfavorable comment on his $29,000,000 fine from twenty-five newspapers in all parts of this country.

STANDARD OIL INQUIRY Tidewater Pipe Company Found To Be Part of the Trust. New York, Sept. 24.—The ways and means by which the Tidewater Pipe company, of Pennsylvania, came under virtual control of the Standard Oil company were unfolded in the hearing of the government’s suit against the oil combine. The affairs of the Tidewater company were disclosed by the testimony of Robert Benson, prest dent of the company, and from a mass of records and contracts. The Standard was shown to own at present 31 per cent, of the Tidewater stock, and by an agreement entered into in 1883 between the two companies the oil business was divided in such proportion that the Tidewater did 11%. per ceyt. and the Standard 88% per cent. When Wesley 11. Tilford, treasurer of the Standard, was cross-epmmined by John <4. Milburn, chief of counsel for the defendants. Milburn sought to show that the troubles of the' independent companies were due entirely to natural causes in the Colorado field. Tilford explained that the reason why the supply of crude oil had been cut down to the sixteen independents in the Pittsburg field just before the agreement was made with the Standard was because the oil supply in that district was diminishing. Milburn developed that the oil firm of Schofield, Schurmer & Teagle, of Cleveland, 0.. an independent company, was not forced into the Standard’s control, but had been taken over after many suggestions from the officers of the Schofield company. Tilford denied that there was any manipulation of prices of export oil by the Standard or that there was any intention to make things disagreeable for the independents. Tilford could not say whether the Standard made a contract to supply certain gas companies with oil when it took over the Manhattan Oil company; but he admitted that jthe Standard had a contract of tile kind with the Indianapolis Gas Light company and the People’s (las Light and Coke company, of Chicago. He did not know that the reason tor the contract was that E. C. Benedict and Anthony N. Brady would not sell the Manhattan Oil company unless the gas companies were guaranteed a supply of oil for ten years. The contract was made for but two years. , . .

MINNESOTA’S RATE CASE Measures Taken That Will Bring It to the Highest Court. St. Paul, Sept. 25.—Attorney General Young appeared before Judge Bunn in the Ramsey county district court and asked for a writ of mandamus directed against the Northern Pacific Railroad company to compel that road to put into effect the commodity rate law recently declared illegal by Judge Lochren, of the United States district court. Judge Bunn issued the writ, which is made returnable Oct. 5, and the papers will be served on the, railroad officials this afternoon. If the railroad officials do not want to comply with tbe order their next step will be to appear before Judge Bunn and ask for a dismissal of the order, and if that is not done they will probably go before Judge Lochren and ask for an order citing Attorney General Young for contempt of court in that he is Interfering with the injunction recently issued from the United States court in trying to put into effect the commodity rate law. If the attorney general is declared in contempt a wilt of habeas corpus will be issued and the matter taken to the United States supreme court. Subscribe for the Democrat.