The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-08-09
SEVERAL TRUST CHIEFS
NAV RE iaNnEn mi Dr.

i, Chicago, Aug. 7.-When scoring John ID.
Rockefeller and his associates as con
taminators OF society" and cR1tng the
Standard Oil company n trust, Judge Lam
dis fined 1t $29,A0,0W Saturday he outlined
a course of procedure which may land eev-
eral trust masnates In Jail. He started TO
carry out his idea OF prison sentence when
he called n special grand jury for August
IA to investigate practices of the Chicago
and Alton Railroad company as involved
an the oil case. 1t Is said that this prose-
'cution will be made on the grounds of
conspiracy, for which the federal statutes
provide prison sentences OF two years.
i John ID. Rockefeller's private fortune
may be seized to pay fines aggregating
SILT, $4,000. If the Oil king fats or refuses
to satisfy the judgment of the federal
court he Is liable to indictment for con
spiracy to do an illegal act, the govern
ment attorneys assert, and together with
all other officers of the Standard of Indi-
ana and the Standard Of New jersey, is
liable upon conviction to Imprisonment
for two years for each count of the indict-
9nents.
Fine May Be Swelled.
y The extreme liability of the two cor
porations includes all counts In the pend
ing eight indictments. Originally there
5000 counts. Two were quashed by JUDGE
Lands. The remaining eight. inclusive OF
the one In Which the fines were fmposed,
contain 4,422 counts. Tho penalty IN each
case may be from $1,000 to S2o,008. n the
maximum IS assessed In each count as IN
the 1,4G2 counts Of the first liSdtcsNsent, the
sum of SS,44s,o eco will be added 80 the ga
,240 1000 already decided upon by Judse Ian
dis.
Judge Lalid1s' obtter Mctusn plainly
shows his termination to collect all
fines from either the subsidiary sofpora-
1ion, which he describes a., q nero nct1on
Nor the purpose Of escaping lhNbaHfY, or
from the parent company. and failing in
both cases TO proceed against tie private
fortunes Of the principals.
After More Bad Ones.
Judge Lands ringing d~enunetaApn OF
the oil masnatee and hs comparison of
crush competition with mail robbers and
jcounterfefters has given the government
attorneys Inspiration to Investigate all
Jaws which may e4labie them to send vto-
lators OF the rebate laws to prison.
y Their ex~arnAn alton Of the laws stnse the
anfliction Of the a has cerv1need the
government lawyers they ca,, AID the exc
cution against tho corporation by eeiziug
the private fortunes OF every orneers of
either who has received profits
derived from illegal rebates. The govern
ment lawyers contend that q large portion
of the enormous profits of the corporations
consists OF illegal. rebates. In vtewsof this
assumption they hold the opinion that ev-
cry millionaire, having proprietary inter
est in the alleged oletrust. ia liable indi-
viduafly for the entire possible aggregate
Of all fines, and collectively they are all
liable. OF course collection of vast sums
from the corporation Will satisfy the 1udg-
ment and no action Will be taken gains
the individual In that case.
By the broades Interpretation OF the
law, he government attorneys say every
responsible director and officer OF the two
oil companies can be held under 1n1tct-
ments for conspirtng to do illegal acts and
upon conviction they are liable to impris-
Onment.