Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-06-08
The BLUFF
ABANDONED
The Government Will Not
Prosecute Hartman
That Conclusion Reached
at a Five Hour White
House Conference.

Washington, June THAT Harri-
man. the railroad magnate is immune
from criminal prosecution as a result
of his testimony before the interstate
commerce commission in New York
recently and that the question of the
prosecution of the bituminous coal
carrying railroads should be left in the
hands of the attorney general and the
prosecution Of the anthracite coal
roads should begin in Philadelphia
probably next week were conclusions
reached at a notable conference held
at the White House tonight when the
Hartman case and the cases of the
coal carrying roads were discussed for
three hours by President Roosevelt,
five members of the cabinet, two
members OF the interstate commerce
commission and special counsel for the
government.
Following the general conference
Attorney General Bonaparte remained
with the president to discuss the So
called Harvester trust. 1t is not un-
likely that the question of the prose-
cution of that organization will be left
in the attorney generals hands.
The bituminous roads involved in
clude the Delaware. Susquehanna and
Schuylkill, the Philadelphia and Read
ing. the Lehigh Valley, the Delaware
and Hudson, the Delaware. Lacka-
wanna and Hudson. and the Central
Railroad of New Jersey. The Penn
sylvania railroad and one or two 9TH
ers may become involved as the suit
progresses but at this time no formal
complaint has been filed against them.
Those who participated in the con-
ference were President Roosevelt. Sec
retaries Root, Taft and Cortelyou.
Commissioners Knapp and Lane.
Frank b. Kellogg. special counsel for
the government and Private Secretary
Loeb. The conference adjourned a
few minutes before midnight.
Mr.. Taft announced that Mr.. Loeb
would issue a statement on the sub
ject. Mr.. Kellogg. who walked from
the White House to his hotel declined
to state what transpired and referred
all questions to the statement which
Mr.. Loeb was TO promulgate.
At midnight Mr. Loeb issued this
statement: THE conference was held
for the purpose Of affording ample
discussion concerning matters which
have been under investigation by the
interstate commerce commission. The
commission has not yet formulated a
report and all discussions were of
purely preliminary kind. After the re-
port has been made the attorney gen.
eral will OF course carefully consider
. hA for
wide range. Much of the time was
given to the Hartman and Alton deal.
Every phase of that transaction was
thoroughly gone over and the discus
sion was participated in more espec-
tally by the president and Messrs. Kel-
logg. Bonaparte. Knapp and Lane. The
conclusion was promptly reached that
however damaging the evidence might
be against Hartman, the testimony
he had given in the interstate com
merce investigation had given him
cOmplete immunity from criminal
prosecution. Commissioner Knapp
explained that he did not complete the
investigation and that therefore he was
not prepared to give definite opin-
ion as to the sufficiency of the evil
dence to warrant the government in
instituting at this time a suit to nulli-
fy the Alton deal.
AS soon as the Interstate Commerce
Commission has completed its hearing
III the case a report will be made to
the attorney general who will at that
time take charge of the matter and
determine what. If any action will be
taken. II is not expected therefore.
some time.
The question of the prosecution of
the bituminous coal carrying roads
was discussed at some length. but the
matter was left in the hands of the
attorney general for such action as he
might see fit to take. There appears