The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-04
UNITED STATES DISTRICT ATTOR-
NEY SAYS LITTLE ABOUT THE
PROPOSED PROSECUTIONS
OF TWIN CITY RAILROAD MEN
SAYS THE INVESTIGATION WILL
NOT BE CONFINED TO FLOUR
SHIPMENTS.
j. j. Marchand's Preliminary Work
1t Is Reported Has Been Com
prehensiVe and Thorough.

United States District Attorney E. c.
Str1nger was seen yesterday by a re-
porter for the G | o b e, but refused to
be interviewed on the matter of the
proposed prosecution of shippers and
railroads accused Of violating the inter-
state commerce law He said he was
placed in a very delicate position in
the matter, and it would not be proper
or right for him to give out anything
before the matter was brought before
the United States grand jury, which
convenes Tuesday. He did say, how
ever, that the investigation would be a
very thorough one and that it would in
clude othertlines of freight business than
Hour shipments; also that Special At
torney Marchand had been in st. Paul
several days investigating the matter,
and that number of SubpoenaS had
been issued out of his (Stringer'S) Of
flee, summoning shippers to appear be-
fore the grand jury, but how many he
would not state, nor would he enter
into the details of any charges made.
If indictments are brought in,
| and Mr.. Stringer seemed to think there
would be, although he didn't say so,
the cases will be tried before Judge
Lochren. Whether the prosecution will
be conducted by himself or Mr.. Mar
chand has not yet been decided, "but, .
he continued, "Mr Marchand repre-
sents the interstate commerce commits
sion," which might mean to indicate
that he will play a prominent part in
the prosecution.
81 can say this much" added Mr..
Stringer, that the conviction of the
| offenders is punishable by fine or i'm
prisonment, or both. When the law was
passed the railroads fought hard
| against the imprisonment clause, but
it was adopted nevertheless.
Really 1 would like to tell you more
about the matter, but my hands are
tied. You will hear something about
| it next week, though"
| When it became noised around yes
terday in railroad and commercial cir
cles how thoroughly Special United
| States Attorney j. j. Marchand had
! gone about the preliminary work in
| the matter of the proposed prosecution
| it caused a good deal of surprise. Mr..
Marchand, who has been in the Twin
| Cities before, has lately come here, and
although he has undoubtedly been col
| Letting data with which to fortify the
case of the commission, he has worked
| SO quietly as not to have excited any
great amount of comment. While it is
| true that some of the railroad men
| knew of his presence, and had an in
| timation of the nature of his mission.
it was not supposed that his investi-
! cation would be as far reaching and
; comprehensive as the developments
! yesterday would seem to Indicate.
That his purpose was. to get after the
| people who have been accepting freight
business at less than published tariffs,
| seems to have been to some extent
| understood, but it was not suspected
that the sensational developments
| which now are imminent, would be
made at this time.
1t is limited that the organization of
| the several freight bureaus since the
famous supreme court decision in the
Brown case, will come in for some part
of Mr. Marchand's attention, in addi-
ton to the matter of shaved rates, al
! though this could not be definitely
learned yesterday Certain it is that
not less than fifty subpoenas have
been issued from the office of United
States Marshal O'Connor, and of these
a majority went to Minneapolis.
The list practically includes all the
railroad contracting freight agents in
shippers. The flour shippers, who, it
! is claimed have been responsible
| through their organization in securing
| low rates on their merchandise are in
! cluded in the batch While most of
| the freight men denied any knowledge
! of the matter. it was discovered that
a number of them had received the lit
tie notices. An effort was made In
several instances to avoid the service,
| hut no or
! found. The information sought in this
| manner will be laid before the federal
grand jury when it sits next week.
What the shippers fear, it is said, is
| that in case of cut rate where there
| is a violation of the interstate COM
| merce act, their culpabillty is equal
to that of the road making the rate.
! They are afraid that the attention of
the commission is not to be confined
entirely to the railroads. They can
already see. they believe, the policy
| which will be used in summoning them
before the grand jury, and setting of
! their testimony against that or the
| railroads.
Judge Lochren will preside over the
session of the federal district court
! One attorney, who has been retained
| nv some of those interested, comment
I ed upon the popularity of the pro-
| cedure He pointed out that the sub
| noenas are rendered returnable to the
court and not to the judge personally,
! which fact amounts to making it a
federal grand jury.
The federal grand jury sits Sept. T.
/ but the subpoenas are dated for Sept.
| and TO- Violations of the interstate
| commerce act are misdemeanors, SUD-
| iect to fine, not to exceed $4,000 for
each offense But where the offense
is IAN unlawful discrimination in
rates fares or charges for the trans
pcrtation of passengers or property
such person SHALL in addition to the
/ fine hereinbefore provided for be liable
| to Imprisonment in the penitentlary
for a term CT not exceeding two years,
or both. such fine and imprisonment
III the discretion of the court.
AS is we'll known, the act requires
| tariffs to be published by the railroad
companies and filed with the inter-
state commerce commission, giving
rates of passenger fare and freight
rates between all points, and the roads
f.! are forbidden "by any special rate,
! rebate. drawback, or other device, to
| charge demand, collect or receive from
! anv person or persons greater or
less compensation for any service rem
| dered. or to be rendered, in the trans
! nortation of passengers or property
/ than it charges, demands, collects or
receives from any other person Or per-
sons for a like and contemporaneous
service"