Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-07-18
NO BETTER THAN LINGO.
Judge Gary's Anarchist Ruling Applied
to a Corporation.

to Corporation.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, July 1.-THE rulings of
law in the Anarchist case by Judge
Gary, that sent Spies and his comrades
to the gallows, were turned to-day by
another Chicago judge, Kirk HAYES,
against the agents, attorneys
and chief officials Of one of
the wealthiest corporations in he
country. The offense in this
case was attempted jury bribing and the
main offender, Sumner G. Welch,
claim agent of the Chicago City Railway,
is sentenced term behind prison bars,
while G. B. Holmes, president of the
company, and c. M, Hardy, the, COM
pany's attorney, are recommended to
be dealt with by the grand jury.
Judge Halves holds that the conspira-
cy ruling in the Anarchist case applies
as well to any other conspirators. In
rendering his decision.ths morning, he
sent WEIGH to jail for six months and
held that it was not necessary that
Holmes or Hardy should have done any
positive or affirmative act, or be
present when it was done, if they in any
way aided or allotted, and that if they
did so aid or abet they were as guilty
as the actual criminal. The question as
to whether Holmes and Hardy actually
did abet is left to the grand jury, recon-
| mendlng that body to investigate their
cases. The citations OF the Anarchist
rulings by Judge Halves are voluminous,
referring several times directly to the
case by name "Spies ct al, VS.. the Peo-
ple."
The Chicago City Railway is perhaps
the largest corporation of the kind in
the country. President Holmes is a
very prominent and wealthy citizen,
and Attorney Hardy is a leading mem
Der of the bar. The bribery was in an
insignificant little damage suit against
the company, WEIGH approaching one
of the jurors named Rosenthal during
a court recess and endeavoring to re-
tain by money his services in the inter-
est of the company. Rosenthal indig-
nantly refused voted for the highest ver-
dict against the corporation, and after
ward exposed the business to the a'tor-
neys for the plaintiff.
The matter, small in itself, raised
storm of public opinion and brought
out much evidence tending to show that
the company's course in this case was
thoroughly systematic and had been
pursued for years in other litigation,
particularly whenever the company
for damages by unfortunate indi-
viduals who were hurt in accidents on
it's forty miles of street railroad. To-
day Judge Halves, in his decision pub
licly thanked Juror Rosenthal on be-
half of the community. The judge, in
recommending Hardy and Holmes to
the grand jury, said enough had been
shown to establish a reasonable ground
for belief that they had general
knowledge of Welch's crimes and indi-
rectly encouraged him by passive ac-
quiescence, willfully closing their eyes or
winking at his infamy.
The sentence of Welch is only for his
contempt of court, and he with Hardy
and Holmes are liable if their guilt is
formally established before jury in the
regular way to long term at hard
labor in the penitentiary. Judge
Halves decision is of extraordinary
length, and if printed in full would
cover more than an entire page of an
ordinary newspaper. 1t is mostly made
mony. In this portion Judge HAYES is
gist of the decision was stated by him III
a few strong sentences near the con-
clusion. "There are few crimes more
despicable," he said, cor more danger
Gus to the good order of So
c1ety than jury bribing and sub
ornation of perjury. We punish with
death those who openly attempt to
overthrow the existing order of society
by violence. Shall we not put forth
every effort to restrain those who Sc
cretly and by indirect methods seek to
undermine the chief cornerstone of our
social fabric?''