New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-22
WISE LETTER LOST
COMES TO LIGHT IN
MfG4ZINE.
Disappearance of Uicbcrsham
Sugar .Nissi1c 4rOuSCs
L. S. attorney.

United States Attorney Wise would
like to know how The Cosmopolitan
Magazine" got hold Of a personal letter
written to him by Attorney General
Wickersham last June. I'm one of "A
series Of articles entitled Tragedies Of
the Sugar Trust" in the January num-
ber. this communication. written on A
Sunday night. is published in full
II follows:
Washington. Sunday. June -. 1909.
NJ Dear Wise.
senator Root has sent mo the proof
~ a petition signed by Bowers. Milburn
and Guthrie, in support Of their aonten-
tion that the statute Of limitations has
run i'm favor Of Messrs. Parsons. kissel
and Harmed. III the only overt acts done
To carry out the objects of tho unlawful
conspiracy were those referred e. i'm IN"
brief I should think they were insult
cient TO save the bar of the statute.
4 strong effort will he made tomorrow
10 persuade the President To- interfere i'm
some way 10 prevent tho indictments.
hut aside from that. no indictments
should be returned against any one II
there is no reasOna bic ground To believe
they can be sustained-if, for instance.
the offences charged are clearly barred
by the statute. ] need hardly say this To-
YOU.
What I want to impress uuou YOU is
that n you have any reasonable doubt
Ia the matter, YOU either have tho grand
iurv ask the court for instructions. or. IL
that Is not feasible. that you advise the
department Of the specific charges ON
which YOU rely 10 save the statute befoI"
actually having the indictments brought
in. You may telephone either To me or
20 Mr.. Ellis. IL should be out Of the
department when YOU call. on this point.
Faithfully yours,
GEO W. WICKERSHAM
Y S-As I am writing from my house
and have no copy % this, viii YOU
kindly have your typewriter make aud
send me copy
nearly all the directors Of the American
Sugar Refining Company wss under
consideration at the time. n was found
four days later. ON July I. Last autumn
demurrers % the indictment against
Gustav Kissel and Thomas r Harmed
were sustained by Judge Holt. the coun-
sci for the indicted men pleading the
statute ~ limitations. The government
has appealed against this decision.
II was strenuous time when Mr..
Wise received the letter from Mr.. Wick
Sugar Refining Company against the
American company for $50. 600 600 had
been settled for approximately $1,000
GOO. and the evidence brought out al th,
hearing of the case had been submitted
10 the federal grand jury. The govern
ment believed that there had been a con
spiracy in restraint Of trade in violation
Of the sherman act. Mr. Wise WAS get
ting ready 10 go 10 Paris To b. present
al the hearings in the Investigation of
the purchase Of the Panama Canal in
connection with the governments suit
against THE World"
when Mr.. Wise received tho letter he
filed il away with his personal GORE
spondencc. lie had not forgotten about
H. but had no occasion 90 refer To- IL
until the publication 81 the text IN The
Cosmopolitan" was called 10 his atten-
tion by one 81 his assistants H. looked
An MS nlc The letter was no. there.
Several days later search Was made in
the general fles Of the Office. There il
was tucked away among other CORE
spondence under the letter w"
And now Mr.. Wise is wondering how
THE Cosmopolitan Magazine" managed
10 know Of the receipt OF the letter and
how a copy IL IL or the original Was
obtained 10 insert the text in the article
an ..-rhe Tragedies Of the Sugar Trust"