Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-08-06
RUNS TRUST in JAIL
Secretary. a Prisoner, Has Off ce
Behind Bars.
MINIATURE ROOKIE! ELLER



Kansas is probably the only State in
illc Union that actually has trust
nagnatc in Jail for violating an anti
trust law. Again. il is the only state
whore trust has its headquarters in
/ Jail This is the anomalous condition
which exists there. Tie trust opcrat-
ing behind the bars is Il grain dealing
association, and the masnatc carrying
III its business while bcin.; fed ana
sheltered against his will by the State
as f.. j. Smiley. secretary Of the asso.
ciat!on. Smiley is serving Il nincty-day
sentence, and Will remain n prisoner
shat lung and until fine of $500 and
The. costs of expensive litigation are
paid no habcas corpus can get him
out, for the Supreme Court of the Uni.
ted States has affirmed his sentence.
Smiley violated the Farrelly antitrust
laws Of other States. excepting the i'm
purtant particular of having been up
held by the highest judicial body in
the land.
Smiley. after conviction tried To get
a pardon from the governor, but that
Official, in denying it, was quoted as
saying that Smiley is miniature
Rockefeller, and the people of Kansas
are after the Rockefeller class" a
unique reason urged III Smilcy's petit
ton for clcmcncy WAS that he had
done the State service by getting it's
antitrust law affirmed by the Federal
Supreme Court Smiley came to Rush
from Topeka May . to serve his time.
He registered at the hotel here and
notified John Purscll, the sheriff, that
he was ready 10 enter Jail. Purscll
declined to book him. because the COM
mitment papers had not arrived.
''Look'r here, John" said the would
be prisoner, Il want to get this time
served out. Lock me up, anyhow.
Those papers will come all right
Took His Pick of the Cells.
well credit your starting time, all
right" said the shcrinf, and this was
done.
Criminals arc few and far between
in Rush county, which is one of the
best sections i'll the great Kansas
wheat belt, and Smiley had his pick
Of the cells, because there were and
are no other prisoners. The county
Jail is light and roomy. surrounded by
trees, and IL right pleasant place for Il
Jail The prisoner had his own bed
put in, also chairs, tables, and Il type
writer. It's been pretty cool out here
lately, SO the county keeps fire going
for its lone guest, who has Il touch or
the grip. The prisoner takes his meals
at the shcrifr's residence, walking
down there three times day, and
goes after his mail. Twice Il week he
visits the town barber shop
One day he was passing from this
place when Il man who stands high as
Populist started TRADE against the
sheriff for treating the trust magnatc
differently than he would any other
criminal. Smiley did not stop TO
argue, hut FASTENED to his friend Shcr
III Purcell, and told him the incident,
saying he did not wish to abuse the
privileges and gel the sheriff into
trouble. purcclls eyes flashed as he
exclaimed:
las long as I am sheriff guess
can run things my own way. If any
Of these fellows don't like the way
do things. let them come and tell me"
That ended the incident, and Smiley
still goes after his shaves.
Smiley is mcdinm-siZcd man of
pleasant appearance and good CONVEX
sational powers.
which Smiley is secretary, may be Il
trust-for the United States Supreme
Court has said so infcrentially--but
the imprisonment Of its executive Of
fetal has not busted" il by II long
Shot.
Organized Grain Trust.
The principal change the association
members notice is that their letters
are dated La Crosse now, instead of
Topeka. Smiley gets an average of
about thirty letters Il day ana is kept
pretty busy answering them. II he
were not in JAIL he would make many
trips i'll behalf of the association, but
as 1t is. he sends out agents. who re-
port to him by mail or come in person
to see him in The Jail Smiley receives
many remcmbranccs from his friends,
and is fairly overloaded with cigars.
The trust" may be smashed and Kan
sas may he pleased, but if Kansas will
take good, hard look she will see the
trust calmly making Its hca;!qtlar-
tiers III one of her jals
Here is Smilcy's authorized state
mcnt: THE sheriff of this county Is
perfect gentleman and treats ne as
such. have been in business in Kan
sas since 1883, and | want ~ say il is
an utter impossibility 70 conduct any
legitimate business without violating
in some way the spirit of on: Farre,ly
antitrust law. Furthcrmcre. and don.
this law enforced 10 TIE Limit for just
SIX months-if it wou''l last that long ;"
Smilcy's offensc was I'm organizing
fI.f.