The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-07
The SANTA FE CASE
Alleged Giving of Rebates on
Freight Rates.
NOLLE PROSE- ENTERED BY
JUDGE GRoSSCUP YESTERDAY
Ex-President Reinhart Discharged
The Government Unable to Pro-
duce ANY Evidence of Import
ance.

Chicago, Jan. ga nolle PROSE- was
entered today in the case of Jos w.
Reinhart, eX-president of the Santa Fe
Railroad company, who was charged
with being inculpated in giving re-
bates on freight rates, and Judge
Grosscup ordered him discharged from
the case at once. The government
failed utterly to prove that Mr.. Rein
hart knew anything of the alleged
transactions.
In the case of Hanley. the ex-general
traffic manager, the district attorney
General Black, admitted that evidence
necessary ITO complete the proof could
not be introduced because the wit
neSSeS were absent, and he suspected
that they would come by slow
freight" The government relied on
w. p. Jenkins, manager of the Ham
mond Packing company, and Isaac
Thompson, the Kansas City live stock
shipper, to corroborate the testimony
of John G. Taylor, the ex-live stock
agent of the Santa Fe, as to receiving
the illegal rebate money by order of
Hanley. AS witnesses for the govern
ment, both these men weakened the
testimony of Taylor, and the prosecu-
ton having closed except for proof of
the railroads incorporation, Hanley
expects to be discharged tomorrow.
Jenkins fatty contradicted Tavlor.
He said he was in no sense a repre-
sentative of the Hammond company
to treat on rebates, but was sent by
some official of the company, whose
name he could not recall, to receive
some money from the railroad COM
pany. He went to Hanley's office, but
saw only Taylor, from whom he re-
ceived about $4,000, acting solely as a
messenger. He did not know what
the payment represented and Hanley,
whom he saw afterward, did not men
ton the transaction.
Thompson could not remember any
thing about his transaction in Han
ley's office of interest to the govern
ment. He only remembered that he
called to collect some damage claims,
and he was sure that if any money
was paid him he got none of it him
self, but he might have been given
some for the houses he represented.
President Ripley. General Auditor
Herbert c. Whitehead and Freight
Traffic Manager Biddle of the Santa
Fe were in court at the afternoon ses-
ZION. Mr.. Whitehead, as ordered by
the court. brought with him copy
books of bills of lading for Kansas |
City live stock shipments in 1892. but |
IN objection of the defense the court |
luced as evidence. None of the Santa |
e officials could identify the books. /
Judge Grosscup held at the beginning
f the trial that the way bills and any
ther documents of shipments We're
he best proof of rate-cutting, but the
government had not proved any live
took was shipped upon which rebates
we're paid. The court reminded the
government that the railroad company
5as not on trial, but only ex-offlcers.
When nolle PROSE- was entered by
General Black, Senator Duncan. at
Orney for Reinhart, Indignantly pro-
asted against the action of Senator
hields. special attorney for the inter-
tate commerce commission, in having
is client held over since last spring
-ithout a scintilla of evidence, to
-hich Mr.. Shields retorted that the
allure to convict was no fault of his
nd there were reasons which he did
ot wish to assert now.