The farmer and mechanic., 1907-08-06
c~s,tiy for itstsatinr
tpy the Associated press ,

Cry tho Associated Press,
chicago. AK - aase k~reaaw -
Lands to-day tn the rsited rsatrs lata
trict Court nnca the STANDARD on
Company ~ Indiana So go Geo fot
violations of the la~ asatnsi accept.
irg rebates from railroads The nno 8,
the largest ever assessod agaius, any
individua or any corporation Ia the
history Of American criminal iurts-
prudence. and - .lizhtly noro than
Isl times as great a. the amount rv-
Ceivcf hy the company through tr
rebatlns operations The case Niii ba
carried g. thc higher courts ~ the de-
fondant company
The penalty imposed upon rhr com
pAny 81 tho maximum permitted under
the law. and ~ was announced At the
end ~ "A long opinion Ia whisn the
methods and practices - the standard
OIL Company we're mrrcii@aaly scored
The Judge. In fact declared In his
opinion that the officials or the stand.
ard OIL Company who we're reEponsI.
bic Tor the practices - which the ror-
poration was found guilty were 30
better than countcrfclterr and thieves
his exact language being
We may rs well look "a; This slfua-
tion ~iunrciy. The mrn ~hn thus dr.
liberatcty violate this iaw wuund ~.
cicts more dcspl, than doca lac who
coun Fcrfcits the coin or steals lrttcrs
from the mail"
Judge Lands commenced reading
his decision at 10 o'clock and occupied
about one hour IN IT. delivery is
reviewed the factz In the case. took
up the arguments Of the attorneys fot
the defense ard answered them aua
then passed Judgment upon tho com
pany. which he declared violated the
law for the sole purpose of swelling ~
dividends
The court held that the railroads
have no more right 70 make = secret
rate FOR shipper Than board 81
assessors would have - make secret
assessment Of any particular piece -
property
The court Expressed reEre, that ths
Law failed 10 provide more snrious
punishment than IA nne. but insisted
that the penalty shouid bc sufilricnus
large 10 at tas "A deterrent And not
Of such . size HH - eucouras" the
defendant 10 persist IN lhwlcssnces
J-hc Rallroad >cxt
At the conclusion ~ hiH opinion. nnt
after announcing the arsount ~ tbs
ane. Judge Lands directed That
special grand jury BE- called Tor thf
purpose ~ inauirfng into the nCi- oi
the Chicago and Alton Company. q
having been proved ia tho care just
closed tina. the com pnny accepted re-
bates from that corporation This jury
Is summoned for August iffh
The decision Of Judge t.andiI
aroused almost as much public inter.
est di1 the presence ~ Jonn -
Rockefeller and other officials ~ ths
standard OH Com pany IN the court
room on July Str. The crush ~an -
great that large force of Grpuf5
rnsrshalE bad much difficulty ia con.
trolling TIC crowd that Waa anxious tf
force !ta way into the court room
The government was reprcRsnt"d in
the court room b:- United states DIS
trict Attorney Sims and AssiatnHt Dis
trlct Attorney wilkinson. The attor.
neys who tried the Case for tho stand.
ard on Com pany. John miller,
Mertiz Ro~cnthal and Alfred y EDDY
were not present. the company bwius
represented by Merritt Starr. "a pnrtnet
of Mr. Miller and Chauncer Martin
from the once Of 1r Eddy
when Judge I4andia stock Mis- aeai
on the bench ne said quietly This
United states - the standard ca
Company is the defendant repre-
sentcd -
CIRCULATION of Mr. stnrr
III the court please said Hr starr,
ION behalf Of the defeudant and in
the sbssuce of the regular counsel
but with their authority. / d"rire -
make a suggestion or two pertaining
to the nHal prpeF IN the thE" R"isfF
Doesn't II strike you. broke 81
Judge Lands that Il would p" cell
10 walt until I haye finished with
THIS document then / Viii hear what
you hayc 10 say.
The Judge shook his manuscript
a. ne spoke and Ir starr sat d9Nu
During the reading of the opinion.
when the court said something "1p"r'
tally stinginR against the company o.
ltn methods. the spectator WpulG
laugh loudly. and the bailins were
tn court had not proceeded far ir
his opinion when he 1as irt"r-up'et
Nv some attorneys " no we're trying -
transact business HIth the clerk ~ fEt
court I,@aning over the railing III
front N him. the Judge inquired @l,t
ouict sarcasm. - arm net !nterrupflus
you gentlemen. am r." The attor
neys fed and the reading vas resumed
Not IT. Virgin Orcnsc
Loud ciapping broke out wheu th'
court said. When after All the cir
cl.fnstances or the trial have neer
brought out and the defendant per.
sfstentiy maintains that the conEtitu.
! ton of the United states guarantees
to II the right 70 make a private con.
tract for railroad rate this court Il
obliged 70 confess that he - unable
to indulge In the presum ptIon that IL
this case the defendant was convicted
Of it, virgin ofeuss
when the reading had been con
ciuded. Judge Lands turned 20 ~.
torney Starr and declared that ne " a.
ready 10 hear what ne had 70 nay.
Mr.. Starr said that IL had beer
promised that there would be a de
! lay in the execution Of Judgment. bu