The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-03
FIVE MILLION suit
AGAINST BROKERS
Conspiracy Charged to New
York Exchange.
DEFENDANTS NUMBER LOO
Bank Note Company Alleges that
President RansOme H. Thomas and
Members of Association Violated
Law by Maintaining a "BOnd
Trust" which Damaged Business.

New York, June 2-The New York
Bank Note Company to-day brought sui;
in the United States Circuit Court against
BansOms H Thomas. president of the
New York Steck Exchange, and against
the 1.i0o members Of the exchange, for
damages in the sum OF $5.o00.Oo0 The
complainant AYERS that il has been in
jured in It's good name and reputation to
that amount
The bill Of complaint contains thirty
seven allegations. the fourth reading as
follows:
That the individual defendants, failing
20 incorporate such association so that II
might be subject 10 legislative and judi
ciai control, have unlawfu!ly compelled
interstate railroad companies and large
industrial corporations in the United
States. by reason Of their commercial
necessities. to have their stock and bond
issues engraved only by the defendant
American Bank Note Company and its
subsidiary and allied companies. 1t has
thereby permitted and caused the forna-
ton Of stock and bond engraving trust.
which substantially controls such busi-
ness In the United States and dictates ex-
sonal ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of the defendant
bank note company and the individual de-
PENDANTS. who are stockholders or infiu-
entail therein"
sherman Law Violated.
The suit is an action for conspiracy un-
der the common law. but Cass & APPEL,
counsel for the bank-note company. de-
clare that the complaint describes viola
tions of the provisions OF the Sherman
Antitrust act
After devoting many pages to the names
OF the defendants. who include ]. Pier
pont Morgan, jr.. John D. Rockefeller,
William Rockefeller. George F. Baker.
jr., August Belmont Henry Clews. Robert
p. Doremus, Stuyvesant Fish, jr.. George
]. Gould. and his brothers. Edwin. Frank,
and Howard; Edwin Hawley. L. Clarence
Jones, Philip NJ. Lydig, James A. Patten,
Allan a Ryan, Mortimer L. Schiff, Grant
B. Schley, T. Sufern Taller. Harry Con-
tent. Ernest Thalmann. Jacob Field, and
many others not as we'll known, the COM
plant charges
Running Business Charged.
THAT the individual defenfants, in pur-
suance Of unlawful purposefand with the
intent and purpose of running this plain
tiff and preventing it from carrying on
the business OF stock and bond engraving
and preventing it from competing with
the American Bank Note Company, en-
tered into and are now engaged In an un-
lawful conspiracy to prevent railroad and
other corporations which are or desire to
become customers of this plaintiff, from
having stocks and bonds engraved by
this plaintiff, under penalty Of refusing
10 accept for listing such stock and bond
issues. and depriving said corporations
and industries of the market maintained
by such stock exchange
That such unlawful oppression is ex-
erted by the individual defendants herein
through their duly authorized agents. the
members OF the governing committee and
the stock list committee Of the New York
Stock Exchange. for corrupt and unlaw-
ful motives, without justification, and In
pursuance of the conspiracy herein set
forth. to deprive this plaintiff of its
right to engage in the business of stock
and bond engraving and to perform such
work fer its customers.