The Detroit times., 1910-12-07
Alleged Culprits Won't
Be Tried TefOre March

II Will he some time IN March, 1T
the earliest. before the cases can be
brought 10 trial here, in the opinion
of District Attorney Watson. and II
may take much longer TO get them on.
II all depends on what attitude the
defendants take. II they come In vol
unfairly for arraignment. much time
will be saved. IL. however. the gov.
eminent finds 1t necessary to issue
capiases and resort To removal pro-
ceedings in each instance. the process ;
Is going TO be rather slow. The prob
abilities are that the former course
will be pursued.
Il had a long-distance call from the
attorneys for the bath tub trust, in
New York City. this morning. and
they were of the opinion that their
clients would get together and come
In voluntarily" said MIR. Watsy0n. 20.
course, | don't know Just Wh1t nne
their defense will take. Ordtnar1ly
the course would be TO demtits III sthis
is done both sides will require con
siderable time to prepare Their jar
guments, SO ii isn't likely that the
cases will come to trial before some
time In the spring"
The Indictment Of the bath tub
trust officials was one OF the Slick
est" things the government has pull
ed of In some time, and IL was done
without noise and with surprising
dispatch. The trust was formed ia
April, but the agreement did not ~
Into effect until June l. Just one
month later the government filed a
bill In Baltimore to restrain the trust
from doing business rs such The
trust magnates ignored this proceed.
ing.
The government then quietly set
about to gather evidence on which u
base criminal prosecution District
Attorney Watson was taken into the
secret, but no one else In his Office
knew what was coming of when the
special agents dropped into town last
Monday, closely followed by a large
party Of independent manufacturers
who had been subpened as witnesses
The witnesses gathered in Mr.. Wat.
sons private ONCE, on the third floor
Of the federal building, while waiting
TO be called. SO quietly was the whole
thing conducted that the reporters
who called at the Office In the course
OF their daily routine did not even
suspect that anything out of the or.
binary was going on. One of them
caught a glimpse of Mr.. Grosvenor
the special emissary of the attorney.
general and asked Deputy u. s. Mar
shall Taylor who he was
oh, that's one of the jurors" re.
piled Taylor.
Prominent among the witnesses was
Walter J. Kohler. president OF J. NJ.
KOhler Sons CO., Of New York San
Francisco. Chicago and Sheboygan,
Wis, one OF the largest manufacture
ers Of enameled ware in the country.
Mr. Kohler was asked to join the trust,
He not only refused, but warned the
promoters Of the combine that they
were making trouble for themselves.
II know that this thing you have
planned Is against the federal law and
you are going to get into trouble with
Uncle Sam II you go ahead with It,
he told them, in substance.
After the trust agreement took eff
feet. the combine tried In every way
possible t., whip Kohler into line.
Trust agents secured a list OF his Gus
toners and wrote personal letters TO
them, knocking Kohler's business. but
he continued doing business AT the old
prices which were considerably be-
low the combines figures on many ar.
ticles.
John A. Kelley. Of the Iron City San
itary Manufacturing Co. Pittsburg,
was another of the Independents who
refused to be coerced.