Connecticut western news., 1907-07-18
ROCKEFELLER IS
 UNJUST ID VETERAN
so SAYS A LAKEvILLE MAN

Old Soldiers Rights Being Ignored
 by Magnafe The Government is
 now Making an Investigation of
 the Matter.
 A letter recently published in the Springfield Republican from Moses Lyman, a we'll known business man Of New York, who has country residence at Lakeville, Conn.,, tells such 8 remark able story of plutocratic Oppression, apparently aided and abetted by official connivance, that it is worthy of repro duction. If the informationupon which the story told by MT. Lyman is strictly in accordance with the facts and has not been exaggerated, the oppressive and tyrannical way in which Oliver Lamora. an old veteran and pensioner, has been treated by William Rockefeller, the Standard oil magnate, is in the last de- gree outrageous. MT. Lyman himself is a veteran of the civil war and his inter- est and sympathy have been strongly ex- cited by the misfortunes of his humble comrade. MT. Lyman's letter follows:
 civilian Rockefeller has an estate of 52,OOO acres in Franklin county, N. Y., around the once prosperous little village of Brandon. He wanted Brandon in order to round out his domain so from time to time he has bought out tho little homes of the village folk, tore down the buildings and burned up. the rubbish, not even allowing those who asked for the old material to \use as frewood to take it away He closed the streets as fast as he got rid of the houses, posted notices there and over his miles of terri tory that this was 8 private park, and warned the public not to fish, hunt or trespass on his domain.
 eran, poor, fearless and independent, re- fused to sell his home. He caught trout, too, in the St. Regis river, state water, running through Rockefeller's land. stocked with fish by the state of New York, and this added to the indignation 1. of the baron. He keeps not only force of workmen, but band of guards, who patrol the property and drive off men, ness to set foot thereon. In one of his suits it was testified under oath by one of his employees that these guards kept the public off as far as they were able to 1o oo Tbou !, ya drivoy, T,op,oro xusu for fishing in the St. Regis river along the trails or roads that have been used by the public for generation. Women and children found picking wild berries among the rocks and stumps have been cuffed away and their berries spilled on the ground. He has closed roads where ever he chose, and when citizens remon- strated and declared it was without right, hls henchmen have replied, Well, prove it and let your lawyers get them opened again.
 "He sued Lamora for catching trout, and the jury found h1m not guilty. Rockefeller appealed, and four times the case went against him. Finally a judge in the appellate division of the court instructed the jury to find yer dict for the plaintiff. The jury obeyed the judge, but disregarded the law. That imposes a fine of $25 for each vio- lation; there were three claimed, and this jury gave Rockefeller damages of six cents each, IS cents in all, but that kl, of on the poor veteran. Friends and neighbors knowing Lanora had done no wrong, respecting him and having in- tense and loyal sympathy ill his brave fight against oppressive plutocratic power, subscribed from % cents to S5 each to help him meet these unjust ex- penses imposed on him. When the masters of Standard oil get angry and determine to crush rival, history shows that they keep at it and succeed Word reached Lamora from the master of the wilderness that he had better get out of Brandon or Rockefeller would law him out Lamora remained and raised the price of his village home from $500 to S50OO. and the lord of the manor pro- ceeded to make good the threat.
 "He had induced his friend, the late Postmaster general Payne. to close the postoffice at Brandon and have all mail matter for the citizens whereabouts go to little postoffics at Bay Pond, three miles inside his private park, where is his summer cottage and where his dozen or so employees dwell. The citizens served at the Brandon office protested and 75 signed a petition for the reopen ing of that office; it went to Washing ton and was pigeon-holed.
 Lamora draws a pension from the United States government, and when :