People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-12-30
THE FULL PENALTY.
Prominent Lumbermen Convicted at st.
Joseph of Violating the Interstate Law
aud Given the Full Penalty

Joseph OF violating the Interstate Law
aud Given the Full Penalty.
ST JOSEPH, Mo-, Dec 22.-The cele-
brated cases of the United States
against Spooner R, Howell and George
w. Howell, of the lumber firm of How
ell, Jewett & Co., of Atchison. Kan.
and Edward Tibbets for violating the
interstate commerce law, ended in the
federal court here yesterday. George
Howell and Tibbetts were found guilty
and were each sentenced by JUDGE
Parker to a year and half in the peni-
Tertiary and pay fine Of $1,000. The
case against S K. Howell was dis
missed as it was shown that he was not
an active participants in the frauds and
probably had nothing to do with them.
In pronouncing sentence on George
Howell and Tibbetts,, Judge Parker
took occasion to declare that the of
lenses which they had committed were
of most fragrant character and that
the proof was too conclusive to admit
of doubt as to their guilt.
He also remarked that the full meas
ure Of the law should be meted out TO
the defendants, and said that in view
OF the gravity of the oifense he was
sorry he could not make the punish
ment heavier.
A bill of exceptions was prepared
and filed, and will be acted upon next
term Tibbetts bond was reduced TO
$1,000 These are the first convictions
for violation of the Interstate com
merce act in this section
Probably no firm Of wholesale lumDer
dealers was better known throughout
the west than that Of Howell. .Iewett
a Co. With yards at Atchison. Omaha.
Chicago and in Texas it completely COW
cred the territory west Of the Missis-
sippi George w. Howell, the general
manager of the firm, was in charge Of
the Atchison yards which did bust
ness Of over &l,OOO,OOO a year S. r.
Howell had charge Of the Chicago
yards, while Edward Tibbetts superin-
tended the yards at Atchison.
In the spring Of 1890 the Rock Island
officials caused the arrest of each indi-
vidual member of the firm of Howell.
Jewett a Co., except Mr. Jewett, two
of their employees, Edward Price and
W. d. Matt and Edward Tibbetts on
the charge of violating the Interstate
commerce law.
The Western Weighing association
does the weighing of the freight for all
the western railroads and the Rock Is
land people claimed that Howell. Jew
EFT y Co were bribing the association
to underweigh their freight. The cases
against Pierce and Matt were dismissed
and they were used as witnesses for the
prosecution.
The specific charge against the How
ellis and Tibbetts was that they had
bribed Matt and Pierce and other
weighers of the Rock Island at Atchi-
son and that firm was given from 800 20
5000 pounds less weight on ali consign-
ments Of lumber to customers in Kan
sas and Colorado than the shipments
actually called for
1t was proved at the trial of the case
that in July Wbbetts was given sums
of money to bride weighers and switch.
men and the latter received sl.5O to So
per car on all cars on which fraudulent
rates were reported. Matt and Pierce
acknowledged that they accepted
money from Tibbetts, and by turning
states evidence the defendants escaped
punishment themselves. S. L. Howell
was not connected with the Atchison
or Omaha yards and therefore there
existed a doubt as to whether he was
guilty. Jewett was also connected
with the Chicago yards and there never
were any indictments returned against
him The case has been stubbornly
fought from the beginning. 1t is al
legged that Howell, Jewett IL Co.,
through the method they employed
Melted themselves many thousand dol
lars.