New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-16
ALTON IMMUNITY CASE
CONFERENCE TO BE HELD.
Rouapartc Says Statement -dbout
Hartman Was Unauthorized.

-.i,pton Aug. 15.-Announcement
= to-day by Attorney General Bonaparte
- ~, important conference would take place
- AJonday at the Department Of Justice In
nsicb the subject of the promise of immunity
W. ,,rosac11tion given to the Chicago & Alton
N,l-.o,, officials by former District Attorney
s., would be discussed. The statement
sno,n the Attorney General follows:
,..o-nev General Bonaparte stated this
to that he expected TO have a conference
,.on5av next with District Attorney Sims.
- District Attorney Morrison and Mr. Will
go on the subject OF the Chicago & Alton
~ and that until he had held such a
eo-ence nc statement in regard TO the mat
i,-olved could, Of course. he made He
,s that he understood that certain testimony
- statements were to be presented to him. and
Ia receive careful examination and consid-
Grafton"
..,o-nev General Bonaparte asked if
- lands had replied to his letter inform
-. hin, that Judge Morrison had made to the
r-.i.ago & Alton officials the promise of inn
,i,,- n consideration of their furnishing evil
ssnce in the standard Oil Company's case. He
-,-,,iad that he had not heard from Judge Ian
ds
=. NAV be noted. toe he added, that Judge
-,5is did not publish my letter to him that
,srs state the attitude OF the Department Of
1,s.ioa in the Chicago & Alton immunity mat
scr as ne understand It now
.r ran SAY" continued the Attorney Gen
ral that since 1 have occupied this posi-
son have never agreed 70 grant immunity TO
any one The promise in question was made
airing a former administration of this de-
o-srnent That District Attorney Morrison gave
,he nronaise there is no doubt. and that the
,,.ornev General at that time (Mr Justice
yooayl was oognizant Of 1t is quite certain.
attorney General Bonaparte returned his
o~oe in the Department of Justice to-day from
baltimore where. yesterday, he attended the
state convention of the Republicans Of Mary
lsn5 He expressed himself decidedly pleased
with the action Of the convention. When 1T was
suggested 10 him that it had been said the work
of the convention was cut and dried by Repre-
sentatives Mud and Jackson. he responded,
Iaughingly:
well. if Mudd and Jackson did 1t. they GER
.ainlv did q pretty good piece Of work
The Attorney General declined to discuss at
This tine what further action he intended TO
take against corporations that he believed to be
in violation Of the law.
Us # possible for you TO indicate what suits,
any. the Department OF Justice may institute
against corporations indtviduals?''
1T is utterly impossible, ne repleo i can
not discuss that matter at all I will say this
there is no reason for any officer Of any cor
poration or enterprise whatsoever to apprehend
trouble with this department 4 he is entirely
sure he has not violated the law
Attorney General Bonaparte was asked what
action If any might be anticipated by the De-
parlrnent Of Justice against Edward H Harri-
man further than the proceeding Instituted
against him and Mr.. Kahn IN the United States
District Court in New York to compel them TO
answer questions propounded by the Interstate
Commerce Commission
That is a subject which / cannot talk about.
he replied. y now am considering the report
Of the commission the Hartman case. j
have reached no conclusion"
Re vas -eminded that an official statement
had been made public recently by the Depart
meHt OF Justice !n which Il said that ''no
other proceedings against him (TIarrirnan) and
no proceedings against the Union Pacific have
consideration"
That statement was not authorized Attor-
ney General Bonaparte responded Il cannot
say whether any action may be taken
against MI Hartman not.
II is not the practice of this department e
discuss for publication contemplated actions.
little while ago some of my critics complained
that I said too little; now some others are
urging that / am talking freely. II is z
hit difficult he added with laugh, ito satisfy
everybody. But as to the Hartman case.
can say no more than that il is being con-
sI6ered~
~ N #