Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1909-03-12
oil TRUST IS VICTOR.
Wins s2s,24o,ooo CASE IN FEDERAL
COURT.
JURY IS TOLD 70 AcoUIT.
JUDGE Anderson Decides Government
Has Not Proved Charges and
Throws Suit Out Of Court
May BE Appealed.

Chicago--As forecasted Tuesday.
the famous Standard Oil rebatine
cases in which Judge Lands imposed
fine of 329,240.0Q0 have been thrown
out Of court.
Judge A. B. Anderson, before whom
they came for retrial, after the United
States court OF appeals had reversed
the Lands fine, Wednesday afternoon
held that the government had not
proved the charges made in the indict-
ment and, following long argument
by District Attorney Sims, ordered the
jury to return verdict of not guilty.
May Continue the Fight.
From Washington comes the report
that an appeal to the United States
circuit court of apeals will be taken
from Judge Anderson's decision. This
would take the case back to the same
court that reversed the Lands decision
in an opinion administering a scathing
rebuke to the Judge.
That Attorney General Wickersham
will make every effort to get the case
before the United States supreme court
for final decision is believed in the
capital. District Attorney Sims has
not announced what action he Will
take. He is waiting on instructions
from Washington.
The decision rendered by Judge An.
derson means that all but two OF the
pending indictments against the
Standard Company are void, and will
be abandoned by the government.
The two not affected are cases in.
volving shipments of 1,915 carloads OF
oil from Whiting. Ind, to Evansville,
Ind, by way of BOLTON Junction. ILL.,,
over the Chicago & Eastern Illinois
railroad.
RI Six Cases Affected. Z
The six cases that are affected in
volve the indictments for shipments
over the Chicago & Alton railroad and
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy rail.
way, and the indictments, too, that
have to do with the storage charges
alleged to have been allowed illegally
to the Standard Oil Company by the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern rail-
road.
It was Judge Lands who directed
the case to be taken before Judge An
derson when Judge Bethea declined
to hear it after the supreme court
of the United States decided to allow
the reversal Of Judge Lands decision
by the United States circuit court of
appeals to stand undisturbed.
Beginning Of the Prosecution.
The big Standard Oil prosecution
had its beginning August q, 1905. On
that date ten indictments were re-
turned by a federal ;ra, !; Jury, charg-
ing the Standard o company OF In
diana with accepting concessions from
railways in shipments Of oil from
Whiting, Ind DeRurrers to two OF
these, involving shipments over the
Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad
and connecting roads to Grand juno
ton. Tenn, were quashed shortly af-
ter they had been returned. The
eight remaining bills were demurred
to, but the demurrers were overruled.
Appeal to Be Taken.
washington. The understand
ing here is that an appeal will
lie from Judge Anderson's court to
the circuit court Of appeals. Also an
appeal would lie from the circuit court
of appeals to the supreme court of the
United States in the event that the
decision in the former tribunal should
be against the company. <
In fact, that is best reason for stating
that the whole issue will come before
the supreme court of the United States
very soon through an unexpected and
novel move by the department. of jus.
tice.