The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-08-03
Judge Lands Taxes the STAN
dard Oil Company of Indiana
$29,25O,OOO for Violations
Of Anti Trust Act.
ACCEPTED REBATES OF
THE CHICAGO & ALTON.
These Aggregated S223,OOO
During 1903, a and g.
The Trust Will Appeal Its
Case to Supreme Court.

Chicago. Aug. 3.-Judge Kenesaw NJ
fandis assessed a fine of $29, ,25O,0 ,0Ot
against the Standard Oil Company ot
Indiana for violation of the anti-trus1
act in accepting rebates from the Chi
cago and Alton, aggregating $223,OOt
during 19O3-O4 and Oj.
The court stated emphatically that
while the Indiana company, "a million
dollar corporation" is the defendant
the New Jersey company, with capital
of a hundred millions is the real de
fendant At close reading of the
lengthy decision, Judge Landis order
ed grand jury for indicting railroads
and officials accused of having paid re-
bates.
Assessment of the fine almost caus-
ed panic among the trust attorneys
and for moments they were unable to
speak. They had believed the court
would hesitate to assess the minimum
of million dollar fine.
Attorney Starr was the first to
speak in a brief argument to arrest
Judgment, Landis was at first unwill-
ing but finally granted 60 days for
the defendants to prepare a bill of
exceptions. Prosecutor Sans said:
"The detailed decision of the court is
hn 1arlyp n dnli
and blazes the way for future trust
prosecutions.
The Landis decision is considered
a masterpiece. The court issued o re-
markable rebuke to the Standard law
yers for reading to him statement
after Rockefeller had been heard
from. when he gave them opportunity
to enter mitigating evidence and call
ed the statement studied insolence.
When Judge Landis ascended the fed
eral district bench this morning to i'm
pose a fine of many millions against
the Standard. he faced greater num-
Der of lawyers than was ever assembled
in Chicago. unless it were at meeting
of the Bar association. Two hundred
extra chairs were placed in the court
room last night for the accommodation
of attorneys who wished to be present
when the fine was named.
That he would assess the trust the
heaviest penalty ever known in the his
tory of Jurisprudence no one doubted.
Under the law he could fine the trust
S29.25O.000. and this he did. A jury
found the trust guilty on 1.462 counts
BY the time the company has appealed
and a verdict is handed down by the
supreme court of the United states. the |
interest that will be added to the orig |
inal fine will fix the sum at about $751; /
100000.
District Attorney Sims says that
decision from Washington should be I
had within a year. Neither John s. 1
Miller. whose fee in the case alone was
S1OO.OOO. nor Moritz Rosenthal. whose /
bill for $4,000 has been paid. nor A. /
ID. Eddy. the prime counsel in Chicago /
for John d. Rockefeller. were in court
Mr.. Rosenthal is at Far Rockaway.
The trust was represented by Chaun-
cey w. Marting. associate council. and
he was overruled. the fines assessed.
the legal phases of the case interpreted
by the bench and the next case called.
The government attorneys do not
think the Standard Oil company will
appeal directly to the Supreme court /.
They believe it will go to the United
States Circuit court of appeals.
Rockefeller Not In CHICAGO.
John ID. Rockefeller heard the news
of the courts decision at his home at
Forest Hills. near Cleveland. The
report that he is in Chicago is untrue
At the home of his son-in-law. Harold
u. Mccormick, it was said that MIR.
never had an any intention
of coming to Chicago at this time. Nor
is it so the Mccormick family declared.
that Mr.. Rockefeller is i'll and about
to undergo a serious operation
Assistant District Attorney James
II. Wilkinson was asked in what man.
ner the government would proceed to I
collect a fine as large as S31 600. 900
from a corporation having capital {
stock of S1.OOo.Ooo only as scheduled
by the Standard Oil Company of Indi- :
ana. the defendant. MIR. Wilkinson
said the corporation was worth $50 4
100000. But whether il is worth s
hat much" he continued, IF the
,ourts sustain Judge Lands. the Stand
ird Oil company, / imagine. will b
pay what it is called upon to c
,ay. without evasion. The company v
would be foolish to resist b