Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-06-14
HARTMAN IS SAFE
WALL ST. RELIEVED.
Determination of the Government Not
to Prosecute Railway Chief Lifts
the Stock Market

NEW YORK, June S.-The decision
Of the federal authorities not to institute
criminal proceedings against L. II. Har-
riman in connection with his railway
operations was the principal subject on
Wall street. Mr.. Hartman is spending
the day at his country home and his
associates, while showing their satisfac-
ton at the news from Washington did
not care to discuss the matter Tor pub
LEGATION.
See Government Back Up.
Interests friendly to Mr. Hartman see
IN the latest turn Of affairs q DISPOSE
ti0n on the part Of the government to
abandon its case against the sO-called
Hartman lines, and Wall street profess
es to believe thar the entire matter will
soon cease to be stock market factor.
Wall Street Is Relieved
The idea that Mr.. Hartman would be
crminalIy prosecuted was never very
seriously entertained in financial circles
In the first place, Mr. Iarriman's
friends say that there has not been any
basis for such action. 1t is also pointed
out that most of the alleged Illegal acts
imputed to Mr.. Hartman and his asso-
ciatcs are barred by the statute of limi-
tations.
The stock markets resnonse to the
L
man issues with corresponding advances
elsewhere in the list.
Hartman Not to Be Prosecuted.
WASHINGTON, u. c., June Sc,
ii Hartman will not be prosecuted bv
the United States government for viola
ton Of the Interstate commerce or the
antitrust law unless some new evidence
develops IS to his operations
An important conference was held at
the white house last night, and, while
no formal vote was taken, the under
standing was that 50 far as the case
had been studied it did not appear that
Mr.. Herman could be successfully
prosecuted
1t Is probable that President Roosevelt
later on may make some kind of deciara-
ton of Il public character denUuncing
Hartman and his piratical methods.
At the big conference which was called
to meet at the white house at 8 O'Clock
last night, the President had with him
Elihu Root secretary of state: William
IL. Taft secretary of war; George +.
COrtelyOu. secretary of the treasury;
Charles J. Bonaparte. attorney general:
and James X. Garfield, secretary of the
interior. Besides these cabinet officers
there We're Chairman Knapp and Mr.
Lane of the interstate commerce com
mission, and +. L. Kellogg, special attor-
ney Of the commission. who has inves-
tigated most Of the big cases initiated
by that body.
Various Trusts Under Fire.
Reports were made to the President
regarding the possible prosecution of the
harvester trust the bituminous coal
roads, the anthracite pool the tobacco
trust. and other cases involving the gen
erai antitrust policy of the adminiStra-
ton On the whole, it was decided to
follow up the victory gained against the
Standard Oil, ana to push similar prose
ever enough evidence could be obtained
to justify action.
Great Harm IN Failure.
1t was the general opinion that it
would do more harm than good to at
tempt to prosecute Hartman unless
there was 4 reasonable chance that he
could be convicted As far as could he
discovered ii appears that he has acted
throughout much along the line of JUS
tice Brewers controlling decision in the
Northern Securities case. This decision
was 10 the effect that any railroad had
n right. as an individual has a right. to
go to work and buy stock from any 9th
er corporation or railroad, if permitted
to do SO by the terms of its charter.
1t was the opinion of most of those
at the conference that an unsuccessful
prosecution of Hartman would do vast
~ more harm than good. 1t would,
while it was pending, cast 4 cloud UpOn
many securities i'll roads which had come
under his system of operation. Financial
trouble easily might be precipitated. and
the administration would be held respOn-
sible if in the long run it should be de-
yeloped that Hartman had done moth
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