Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-27
INDICTED HARTMAN LINES
FINDINGS COVER THROUGH SHIP
MENTs TO THE ORIENT.
Some of the Higher Officials Involved.
MI. Hartman Says He Know
Nothing About 1t

SAN FRANCISCO, September 27-Slx
indictments were returned yesterday by
the federal grand jury against the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company ami the South
ern Pacific Company. In these ind,ct-
ments the names Of Edward II. HarrI-
man, John c. Stubs and r. p Schwerin.
II IS understood, are mentioned
This sensational action on the part OF
the grand jury, by and through which tho
interstate commerce commission and other
Washington authorities are to bring some
very prominent steamship and railroad
men into the federal courts on criminal
charges for having violated the new ratio
law, is being surrounded with much Sc
crecy. 1t has caused big surprise IN local
federal circles and has been done SO
quickly and 50 secretly as to astonish the
railroad and steamship people An agent
or the Interstate commerce commission
mas systematically worked up the evt-
dence In this matter. but whether IL can
be considered as being rela-cd to the re-
cent efforts of President Roosevelt and tho
interstate commerce commission To hsya
civh or criminal proceedings or both
brought against Hartman and the so-call-
ed Hartman railroad combination. is not
known - nv
Oriental Shipments Involved.
j M
relate particularly to violations OF the law
OH shipments from the orient through the
port or San Francisco TO Chicago. The
particular instance in which tho Ia, q.
SAID TO have been violated relates to shin
ments OF mating from Kobe ia CbIcayo
lhese shipments being very heavy ana mn.
hierous during many months of the year.
special Agent Duncan OF tho ipfars,at,
commerce commission has been out on this
Ease Tor a number of months and also
III Japan investigating these shipments ara
INV NJ" the racine Mall and Southern Pacific
nave been making rates on them at yartous
IInes lower than the published tariff
~ rs tne making OF a lower rate than tho
banlis , tarlr on which the indictments
nave been based. 1t is known that Dunrsn
submitted a mass of data for the In forn,o
tIon and guidance OF the federal grand
Jury IL Is also known that Duncan has
oeen watching the office of w / Hard,r
agent or the Southern Pacific. 4th snd
iio"hsend streets through whose office ali
,hese shipments have passed after heinz
, rflr,e rom Pacific Mail vessels here Ell,
4oute east. He had Hardy subpoenaed az
witness before the grand jury together
WIN several Of his clerks and n1mher
ot clerks employed by the Pacific Mail
Big officials Not Summoned.
II is positively known that the grand iurv
old not have before it in this matter any Of
the leading officials Of the two commando.
outside Of Hardy.
ii. A Jones, freight traffic manager OF
the Southern Pacific, said today when asked
IL he had been a, witness before the grand
jury that no one had served him with n
subpoena to attend. G. w. Luce. general
freight agent Of the company, and Auditor
Segur OF the company are in the east, but
1t Is known that they were not called az
witnesses. The head man of the PacIao
Mail here-R. p. Schwerin-said TODAY that
neither he nor any officer OF his company
Aad been before the grand jury.
MS Is the first time in the history OF
transpacific traffic through this port that a
federal grand jury has ever made indlct-
ments for violations of the interstate law
Just what period of time Duncan's investi-
cations cover is not known, but presumably
a period antedating the Hepburn act which
went into effect in the fall of 1906
Mr.. Hartman Says Nothing.
NEW YORK, September 27-When Mr..
Hartman was informed last night of tho
| action of the federal grand jury in San
Francisco he said This is all news to me-
He refused to make any further comment