Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-07-18
INVESTIGATION
IN CLEVELAND
ENDSABRUPTLY
Grand Jury AdjOuPns Without
Indictments
ALLEGED REBATING BEYOND
JURISDICTION OF COURT
Government Will Transfer Cases
Against Standard Oil to Federal
Court in Chicago.

Cleveland, July 17.-The federal
grand jury which has been in session
here investigating the alleged viola
tions of the interstate commerce laws
and antl-railroad rebate laws. ad-
journed this afternoon without bring
ing any indictments. The investiga-
ton was directed particularly toward
the Standard Oil company and the
Lake Shore Railroad company anu
was the result of testimony of wit
nesses before the interstate commerce
commission here recently in which ev-
idence of alleged rebating by the Lake
Shore In favor of the Standard Oil
company was given. The failure to
return indictments, it is officially
stated, was due to the fact that the in
vestgation developed the fact that the
court here was without jurisdiction of
the alleged offenses upon which tes-
timony was given and all the evidence
secured here Is to be transferred to
the federal officials at Chicago where
the cases are to be prosecuted. Fol
lowing the discharge of the grand jury
today which made no report, District
Attorney Sullivan gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
ION Monday, Attorney General
Moody and myself met in the United
States attorneys office in New York
City and reviewed the evidence
brought before the present grand jury
relative, TO the alleged violations of
the federal law, by the Standard Oil
company in connection with the trans
portation of its products blythe Lake
Shore and Michigan SOuthernN Railway
company. We came to the conclusion
that the aforesaid testimony fixed the
legal jurisdiction for indictment and
prosecution elsewhere than in the
jurisdiction of the northern district
of Ohio, and Special Counsel Oliver
lc Pagin confirms onr joint opinion
in this respect, and thus confined the
inquiry before the present grand jury
to an an investigation of the alleged
violations of the law as they might be
subject to prosecution in other juris-
dictions.
Evidence very valuable to the gov
ernment in any prosecution which
may be commenced elsewhere has
been adduced before the grand jury,
and will probably at once be put into
force and effect in the proper juris-
diction. probably Chicago, by the at
torney general.
THE attorney general has directed
that the summing up of the evidence
taken before the present grand jury,
the preparation of the case and con-
duct of the trial in Chicago, be as
sumed by myself, with the help of a
specially appointed assistant attorney
general and the United States attor-
ney in Chicago
1T appears from this statement
that as under the facts as they now
appear there is no lawful jurisdiction
in this particular judicial district, the
grand jury, therefore, did not vote
upon the question of indictments, but
the sitting of that body at the present
time was very important in not only
developing where the prosecution of
the alleged offenses should be had bur
also brought out important testimony
that can be effectively used all alone
the line, according to the program
adopted by the attorney general in
his earnest and vigorous campaign
against the corporation and individ-
ual violators of the 'Elkins law and
the act to regulate commerce among
the states"