Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-27
TRUST ATTORNEY ACCUSED.
Beef Packers Lawyer Charged With
Bribery.

By authority OF President Roosevelt, cor
respondence has been made public at the
White House relating to the method alleged
to have been employed by attorneys for the
beef packers who are under indictment at
Chicago to influence public opinion on be-
half of the packers.
The documents are a communication made
to Attorney General Moody by United
States District Attorney Morrison of Chi
cago, setting out certain alleged facts re-
garding the payment of a sum of money
to a Chicago newspaper reporter by one Of
the attorneys for the beef packers let
ter of the Attorney General to the Presi-
dent, transmitting Mr.. Morrison's report,
expressing the opinion that no way exist
ed under the law by which the alleged Of
Tense could be punished, and a letter from
the President to the Attorney General d.
recting the publication of the correspond
ence in order that the public might be in
formed Of one situation, at least, which the
government has to meet in prosecuting the
case against the packers.
The Presidents letter to Mr. Moody is as
follows:
In view of the fact that there seems
to be no opportunity for action before the
courts against the counsel of the beef pack
erS, who, 1t appears from District Attorney
Morrisons statement, has been guilty of
brfbing a reporter-the reporter having dis
seminated false and misleading statements
as to the case against the beef trust-it
seems to me that the only course left is to
publish Mr.. Morrison's letter and the other
documents in the case. This l direct to
be done. Extraordinary efforts have been
made in this case, as in one or two similar
cases. to poison the public mind by the
dissemination of false and misleading state
ments, and 1t is right that the public should
know why and how their circulation is Sc
cured"
The Reporter Dismissed.
George Wheeler Human, editor-in-chief
Of the Chicago Inter Ocean, issued the fol-
lowing statement last night in regard to
the correspondence made public by order
of the President:
"Mr. Hassler, the accused reporter
ceased tonight to have any connection with
this newspaper. He undertook to report the
trial of the packers under these instruc-
tons and no others: Tell the truth and
treat the packers fairly
"a reporter who takes money, even
though he does so innocently, as Mr.. Has
sler appears to have done in this case, has
lost his usefulness to the Inter Ocean. The
insinuation that the general policy of the
Inter Ocean has In any way been fixed by
Mr.. Hassler is, of course, ridiculous. Here
after, as heretofore, the truth regarding the
trial OF the packers will be told without
prejudice against either prosecutors or the
prosecuted"
The Attorneys Statement.
ington, Judge Brown the attorney involved,
said;
1.-THE small Christmas present that gave
Mr.. Hassler, who Is old friend and
neighbor of mine, was my own money, and
had no more bearing on the packers trial
or his reports Of it than in any other case
that might have had in hand at that time.
I gave presents of the same nature to
thirty or thrty-fve persons. The fact that
I am one Of the general counsel of the
Inter Ocean and a personal friend of the
editor shows the utter preposterousness of
the insinuations uttered by the United
States district attorney in this case
What the Reporter Says.
In statement giving his side of the
affair Mr.. Hassler said:
Judge Brown s Christmas gift of 500 was
a personal present. AS to its having the
slightest bearing relation to my re-
port of tle packers case. 1 am willing to
stand on the records of the case In justifi-
cation of the accuracy and fairness of my
reports. I wish also to state that the pres
ent offered by Judge Brown to Mr.. Elwell
Of the City Press Association was also a
purely personal one, taken out of Judge
Browns own pocket, and having nothing
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