Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-10
Bonaparte ard Roosevelt Dis
cusS Criminal Prosecutions.
THE STANDARD OIL FINES
Attorney General Smiles His SYM.
patty for Rockefeller.
CASES AGAINST HARTMAN
conference at Oyster Bay-May Push
Court Proceedings Against Re-
bate Offenders.

NEW YORK, August 1o-Attorney Gem
eral Bonaparte perched briefly upon Man
haitian last evening in the course OF a
swallow flight to Baltimore from Oyster
Bay. where he had had what was practi-
cally an all-day chat with President
Roosevelt. Mr.. Bonaparte wore mysterious
but pleasant smiles when he was greeted
by anxious inQurers for news upon his ar
rival at Long Island City Also it might
be mentioned that he wore a white waist
coat with his blue suit and carried a small
and non-committal leather-covered arrange
ment that probably contained things more
engrossing than toothbrush, but which
naturally suggested to one cabby to cry:
Want keb, doc?"
Criminal prosecutions In the rebate
cases?" repeated the Attorney General
when asked what he and Mr.. Roosevelt
had talked about besides the weather. II
can assure you that the President by the
way, never has enjoyed better health, In
fact, I've never seen him looking
'Oh, Hartman? Well, of course / can't
go into all that was discussed between the
President and me today further than
that one of the principal matters taken up
was the interstate commerce commissions
recent report on the Hartman lines We
discussed the best means of getting at the
rebate offenders and We also talked over
the question of criminal prosecution"
Then criminal proceedings are to be be-
gun against Mr.. Hartman, Mr.. Rockefeller
and others?" Mr.. Bonaparte was asked.
returned with a smile. Il said they were
discussed. Please let me make It clear that
nothing happened today In our talk
that win be worth red headlines in the
newspapers"
The Men Higher Up.
But you have been quoted as saying"
1t was suggested to Mr.. Bonaparte. that
one criminal conviction against the men
highest up would do more to correct the re-
bate evil than all the fines and civil pro-
ceedings put together?"
well, that's putting it bit strong" cor
rected Mr.. Bonaparte, with more smiles
Before should wish to criminal pro-
ceedings begun / should insist that first of
all we had a case that lawyer felt reason
ably sure would mean q convction-what
a physician would call a good case. And
we want it against the man or men higher
up. There is no use in going after the
small fry. If we feel we have such a case
1t will be pushed against the individual or
individuals to the limit. These things are
a matter of the future.
THE President and I talked over so
many things today that really l can't
remember what they were all about. We
went over some appointments for instance.
and we discussed at length the western
land frauds, a subject in which the Presi-
dent is very much interested. The woods
are full of the land frauds out there, and
we shall push the criminal prosecutions
against the sinners as fast possible. AS
for the Hartman cases, 1 shall say only
that something will be heard of them from
the Department of Justice within a
MONTH"
Did you go into the Standard Oil fine
with Mr. ROOSEVELT" the Attorney General
was asked.
yves tbat xpac go,a into MO. H.
swer. The Standard fines was one of the
principal subjects discussed. Will the fine
have to be paid? Well, that is a matter of
the future, too First of all we must have
a decision on the appeal. After that
and the Bonaparte smile widened-"we shall
try to convince them that fines must be
paid
Mr.. Bonaparte was asked whether fines
to SzJ,240OO0 against company
capitalized at only S1,o0O,OOO left a loop
hole of any sort for the defendant company.
That's another conundrum," was the
answer with more smiles. "All these mat
tiers are of the future. VIII the other in
dictments against the Standard Oil be
pushed? In all probability l think they
will be taken up as soon practicable and
pushed as far as possible"
"Poor Old Standard OIL"
Did Mr.. Roosevelt seem especially
pleased over the Standard fines?'
The Attorney General gazed out over the
East river for some moments.
WELL" he drawled after a little while,
both Mr.. Roosevelt ard l are naturally
very sorry for the poor old Standard Oil,
and we sympathize with her deeply"
Mr.. Bonaparte, when asked whether the
slump in Wall street was caused by the
Big Stick being slapped around p-haZard,
replied that he is a lawyer and not a Wall
street expert, but that in his humble opin-
ion the slump was due solely to general
conditions" He said the President had
had several other visitors but his talk with
the President entirely private.
Mr. Bonaparte got TO Oyster BAY on the
more Hill. He remained there until
0 clock and raced down to the railroad
station just in time TO catch his train.
Southern Railway Case.
I'VE talked about many things" said the
General in the delay of a minute
Or two before the train started, land COW
cred most of the work of my department.
Among other matters we talked over the
appointment of federal judge for Florida
to fill the place left vacant by the death of
Judge Swayne, but we came to no decis-
on"
Asked If the Southern railway case had
figured in the talk, Mr.. Bohaparte said that
t had been touched upon, and then added:
THAT case, like the Standard OIL matter.
seems to have settled itself and there Is
nothing left to discuss. There will be
nothing further for us to do unless the case
IS taken to the federal court and II the
have no stomach for the fight we
cannot compel them to continue the con-
Test"
Mr. Bonaparte said that he was his
vay to Baltimore errand connected
With his office. He would not specify what
he errand was