The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-05-06

reached such pitch that the senate could
do nothing less than appoint a committee
of self investigation.
This was done in all solemnity and
with much show of righteous enthusiasm,
though with how much concealed reluc-
tanoe may never be known. 1t had been
declared in the public prints that the New
York brokerage firm of Moore & Schley
did big Washington business and that
it numbered among its customers many
members of congress. This house has
private wire from the national capital to
it's offices in Wall street and was person.
ally represented by Elverton r. Chapman.
So when the senate's investigating COM
mittee unlimbered itself for action 1t called,
among other witnesses, Broker Chapman
He was asked whether his firm had been
employed by senators to buy or sell stocks
whose market price might be affected by
current legislation. Broker Chapman
firmly refused to answer the question.
His example was followed by num-
ber of other witnesses. II. o. Havemeyer,
then president of the Sugar trust; Deacon
Searles, treasurer of the same organiza-
ton; John W. Mccartney and A. l.. Sey-
mour, two other New York brokers, and
Il. j. Edwards and John S. Shriver, two
newspaper correspondents, also proved re-
calcitrant The Sugar trust officials would
tell nothing about their confabs with SEN
ators; the brokers would not reveal TO
whom they sold sugar stocks, and the
newspaper men would not tell where they
got the facts for the articles ON the subject
which created such a sensation.
The senate committee, being publicly
defed, was forced to appeal to the District
court in Washington. The District attor-
ney decided to prosecute Chapman and
make his test case. The broker was
tried, found guilty and sentenced to pay a
fine of 500 and to be imprisoned for 80
days in a common Jail. He gave ball. and
then began a legal struggle which for
nearly three years has periodically attract
ed interest as different stages in the prose-
\ cution were reached.
Backed by the moral If not the financial
support of the rich Sugar trust and the
whole of Wall street, Mr.. Chapman has
had the benefit of the best legal talent in
the country No loophole out of which he
might escape has been left unexamined,
no weak point in the law untested. From
the District court the matter progressed
until an appeal was taken to the highest
legal tribunal in the land, but last fall the
| United States supreme court refused to
consider the matter.
Then 1t was confidently asserted that
Broker Chapman and the other balky wit
nesses would have to suffer the penalty,
but bis counsel sued writs of habeas corpus
and oertiorari and forced the supreme
/ court to take up the whole matter. The
decision .sustains the verdict of the District
court and orders the designated punish
iment to be inflicted.
In Wall street Broker Chapman Is re-
garded In something of the light of a pop
ular hero who is suffering to uphold a
prinoiple which Is vital to every man on
change He gains rather than loses caste
Meanwhile 1t remains to be seen whether
the millionaire sugar magnates, Messrs
| Haveneyer and Searles, the other stock
| brokers and the two newspaper correspond
ents will be forced to share Broker Chap.
mans unhappy lot or go scot free.
| HRANCIS b. TALBERT.