Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1907 — OIL TRUST IS FOUND GUILTY. [ARTICLE]

OIL TRUST IS FOUND GUILTY.

Maximum Penalty ?2!),260,000—De tense Plans Legnl Battle. The Standard Oil Company -was found guilty of accepting rebates from railroads on its shipments from Whiting, Inch, in 1903, by a jury which returned its verdict in Judge Landis’ court at Chicago Saturday, and the lawyers for the defeated corporation plan a legal battle that is to be ended only by the verdict of the United States Supreme Court. Minimum fines amounting to $1,403,000 and a maximum of $29,200,000 can be imposed. The point made by Attorneys for the defense is that in accepting the secret rebate rate on its shipments of 1,4G3 cars the company committed only one violation and that it can be fined only $20,000, the maximum for single offenses against the Elkins law. The government will contend that each of the 1,403 shipments constituted a violation and that the payment of a $20,000 fine would not be commensurate with the offense, which netted the Standard a saving of $223,000 on the shipments. This is the first time the Standard Oil Company has been convicted on the charge of accepting rebates and the district attorney's victory came at the end of five months’ hard work preceding the trial, which had lasted thirty-six days. The charges involved shipments from Whiting, Ind., to East St, Louis. 111., on the legal rate was 18 cents,- the Standard rate being 0 cents, and shipments to St. Louis at 17*4 cents, while the legal rate was 19% cents. Seven more indictments are pending against the corporation.