Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-04
(By Assoclatod Press.l


CHICAGO. Ills. Aug. 3-,Judgc
Kenesaw Lands today in the United
States district court fined the Stand
ard Oil Company of Indiana S29,240,-
600 for violations OF the law against
accepting rebates from railroads. The
fine Is the largest ever assessed
against any individuals or any cor
poraton in the history of American
criminal Jurisprudence and is slight
ly more than 13l times rs great as
the amount received by the company
through its rebating operations. The
case will be carried to the highest
courts by the defendant company.
The penalty imposed upon the COM
pany Is the maximum permitted I'M
der the law and 1t was announced at
the end of long opinion in which
the methods and practices of the
Standard Oil Company were merci-
lessly scored. The judge in fact
declared in his opening that the Off
Gals OF the Standard Oil Company
who were responsible for the prac-
tices OF which the corporation was
found guilty We're no better than
counterfeitcrs and thieves. Here is
his exact language: I'VE may as
well look Mt this situation squarely.
The men who thus deliberately vio-
late this law wound society more
deeply than does he who counterfeits
the coin or steals letters from the
mail"
Judge LanL.s commenced reading
his decision ut 10 o'clock and occu-
pied about one hour in its delivery.
He reviewed the facts in the case.
took up the arguments of the attor-
neya for the defense ana answered
them and then passed Judgment upon
the company which, he declared, VIC
lated the law for the sole purpose OF
swelling it's dividends. The court
held that the railroads have no more
right TO make secret rate for n
shipper than Il board of assessors
would have to make secret assess
mcnt of any particular property.
The court expressed regret that the
law failed to provide more serious
punishment than n fine but insisted
that the penalty should be sufficient
~ large to act as a deterrent and not
OF such size as to encourage the de-
PENDANT TO persist in lawlessness AT
the conclusion OF his opinion and
after announcing the amount of the
inc, Judge Lands directed that q
special grand jury be called for the
purpose of inquiring into the acts of
the Chicago and Alton Railroad Com
pany, it having been proved In the
case just closed that the Standard
OIL Company accepted rebates from
that corporation. This jury is sum-
moned for August IA.
Decision Arouses Great Interest.
Tho decision of Judge Lands
aroused almost rs much public inter
est as did the presence of John ID.
Rockefeller and other officials of the
STANDARD Oil Company in the court
room on July 6. Tie crush was so
great that the large force of deputy
marshals had much difficulty in con
trolling the crowd that was anxious
TO force its way into the court room.
The government was represented
Ill the court room by United States
District Attorney Sims and Assistant
Attorney Wilkerson. Attorneys who
tried the case for The Standard Oil
Company, John S. Miller, Moritz
Rosenthal and Alfred ID. Eddy, were
not present, the company being repre-
scented by MERIT Starr. partner OF
Mr.. Miller and Chauncey Martin from
the Office of Mr. Eddy.
When Judge Lands took his seat
he said quietly: THE u. S. VS.. The
Standard Oil Company. Is the de-
PENDANT represented?"
IF the court pleases,' said Mr..
Starr. "on behalf of the defendant
and In the absence of the regular
counsel. but with their authority
desire to make suggestion or two
pertaining TO the final order in the
case before"
Doesn't 1t strike you?" broke in
Judge lands, that 1t would be well
TO walt until l have finished with this