The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-02
TO fine STANDARD OIL
PROBABLY THE LARGEST FINE
RECORDED IN JUDICIAL HI
TORY WILL BE RECORDED.
Ardmoreite Special.

Ardmoreite Special
Chicago, Aug What Is expected
to be- the largest fine recorded In the
judicial history of the United States
probably will be- assessed by Federal
Judge Kcnesaw Vi. Lands against the
Standard oil company before another
day has passed. Tomorrow Is the day
set for imposing the penalty, and at
torneys who have followed the case
closely are acquainted with the fear.
lessness Of Judge Lands believe that
the fine will be very nearly the limit
allowed By law. That there will be
an appeal is certain, attorneys for the
oil trust having been allowed sixty
days after the final entry In the re-.
bate case In which to file exceptions.
This will give the lawyers until Octo-
bcr 3 in which to prepare their bill
This stipulation was allowed by
Judge Lands IN order that John $.
Miller. leading counsel for the Stand
ard. might pass his vacation in Eu.
rope.
40 matter whether the fine Is large
or small. there is certain to bee much
delay in its payment. II 1t Is ever
paid. The Standard has always In.
sisted on a decision from the court OF
last resort, and this may require many
years In the meantime, there are
several other indictments against the
company for violations OF the Elkins
| law which were returned also last
/ fall. as well as a score of suits In the
/ federal districts Some OF these in.
| dicments in the Northern Illinois
/ district are nearly as vollfninous and
| important as the one ON which to-
morrow's fine will be based. Ppacu-
| cally the same kind OF evidence fig.
ures i'm all these cases. and hence VI
| Is likely that unless attorneys for th'
. oil company become more nformiul
in the future. John u Rockefeller and
| his associates will have 90 make many
more trips TO Civ" evidence in th,
near future.
Opinion is divided as to whether In,
Standard will be- given the maximum
fine of $292lO,ooO. Many believe
that Judge Lands will deem it cNpe
dicnt to make the fine much smaller
but there are large number OF at
torneys and financiers some of then
intimates of the judges who are firm
Is of the opinion that the penalty as
sessed will not be one cent less than
that allowed 10y the statutes. The on
ly excuse judge may be- called upui
To Offer in imposing less than maxi
mum fine ia criminal cases like thi
is a bona fide reason for clymenc,
I'm this case Judge Lands offered th'
standard OH company full opportuniu
to prove that ,he New Jersey concern
had been a law.ao.dius corporation
Such contention is not borne out Do.
the records iu the case and 60 is upol
the records that Judge l.audis wi.
reach a decision as to the amount o
the Zine.
During the trial it was fully show
that the standard Oil company O
Indiana is one branch Of a great cor
porauon. with annual earnings q
from $5O.OOooOO to SS0,OOO.oOO Thu
the maximum fine of over $4,000 0Ol
possible under the conviction of tn
company on Lice counts of the in
, diJmcnL represents probably les
than ouc.halr of It's total earnings fo
one year As the period covered D.
the indictment however, was Gig,
teen months, being portions of tur'
years, the maximum penalty coul
hardly he construed as "crucl an
unusual punishment by court .
Ia.