Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-08
HARTMAN IMMUNE
FROM PROSECUTION
ANTHRACITE CASES MAY BEGIN
NEXT WEEK
President, Root, Taft, corteIyou and
Interstate Commerce Commission
Hold Important Conference
at Washington
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated freSS.
WASHINGTON, June THAT e. H.
Hartman, the railroad magnate, is i'm
mune from criminal prosecution, as the
result Of testimony before the inter-
state commerce commission in New
York recently; that the question of
prosecution of bituminous coal carrying
railroads should be left in the hands Of
the attorney general and the prosecu-
ton of the anthracite coal roads Will
begin In Philadelphia probably next
week, were conclusions reached at a
notable conference held at the White
House tonight. The Hartman case and
the cases of the coal carrying roads
were discussed for three hours by Pres
ident Roosevelt, five members of the
cabinet, two members of the Interstate
commerce commission and special coun-
sci for the government.
Following the general conference At
torney General Bonaparte remained
with the president to discuss the So
called harvester trust. 1t is not unlike
ly that the question of prosecution of
that organization will be left in the at
torney generals hands.
Roads Involved
The bituminous roads involved in
clude the delaware, Susquehanna &
Schuylkill, the Pennsylvania & Read
Hudson, the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Hudson, the Central Railroad of New
Jersey and the Ohio. The Pennsylva-
mia railroad and one or two others may
become involved as the suit progresses,
but at this time no formal complaint
will be filed against them.
Those who participated in the con-
ference were President Roosevelt Sec
retary of State Root, Secretary of War
Taft, Secretary of the Treasury Cortel-
YOU, Interstate Commerce Commission
ers Knapp and Lane and Frank B. Kel-
logg of Minnesota, special counsel for
the government. The conference began
shortly after o'clock. Secretary Loep
was present. The conference adjourned
a few minutes before midnight.
Secretary Taft announced that Secre-
tary Loeb would issue a statement on
the subject Special Counsel Kellogg,
who walked from the White House to
his hotel, declined to state what had
transpired at the meeting and referred
all questions to the statement which
Mr.. Loeb was to promulgate. Secreta-
ry Loeb at midnight issued this state
ment concerning today's cabinet meet
ing:
'oThe conference was held for the pur-
nose of affordinC ample discussion con-
cerning the matters which have been
under investigation by the interstate
commerce commission. The commission
has not yet formulated Its report ana
all of the discussion was OF a puTeiy
preliminary kind After report has
been made the attorney general will,
of course, carefully consider 1t.
The discussion took on very VIDE
range. Much of the time was given TO
the Hartman Alton deal.
Every, phase of that transaction was
thoroughly gone over and discussion
was, participated in more especially oy
the president, Mr.. Kellogg, Attorney
General Bonaparte, Commissioners
'Knapp and Lane. The conclusion was
nromptly reached that however damag-
ing the evidence might be against Mr..
Hartman, the testimony he had given
in the interstate commerce 1nvestiga-
ton had given him complete immunity
from criminal prosecution.
Inquiry Not Complete
Commissioner Knapp explained that
he did not complete his investigation,
and that therefore he was not prepared
to give a definite opinion as to the sur
ficiency of the evidence to warrant the
government in instituting at this time
suit to nullify the Alton deal. AS soon
as the interstate commerce commission
has completed It's hearing IN tne case q
report will be made to the attorney
general, who will at that time take
charge of the matter and determine
what. If any. action shall be taken. 1t
is not expected therefore that any suit
will actually be begun FOR some time
The question of the prosecution OF the
bituminous coal carrying roads Was
discussed at some length, but the mat
ter was left in the hands of the attor-
ney general for such action as he might
see fit to take. There appears to be
some question as to whether any action
will be taken in the immediate future.
The prosecution of the anthracite coal
carving roads will in all probability
be begun in Pennsylvania within the
next week.