The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-13


lire his shoulder leaning against tn
: mantel his arm extended along H. HI
; oegan TO examine the old man will
= details Of the Story s rs he had ID just related Ella ed
but with respect To the personnel OF the
FEDERAL court In this city
The The old man replied that both the
Judge and the district attorney were
products, OF recent political upheaval in
his state. The former United state,
Iog JqIdge' man in but middle. life. had
!b The Tpe@eny ppespy de ,de previous
than lawyer, had yielded an election tc
The senate In order to obtain this life
orally regarded as an honorable man
but one not greatly learned In the law
The district attorney was man
ton as reward for conspicuous party
service in the last national election. He
nad -, ORGANIZED s a certain large elemen,
was struck for this position. The man
was ambitious and hungry to be rich.
The position OF United States district at
tice Of the best value In the federal
anxious TO secure, Jeremiah Patton had
heard this criticism OF him. Some edi-
lhim of seeking the civil business of large
interests under yelled suggestion OF
acts of congress. Mr.. Patton thought
these corporations were principally those
| that were said TO be constant vlolators Of
the interstate commerce laws. Still. the
| district attorney was reputed TO have
great influence with the new Judge. His
advice was usually followed with respect
impression was that the Judge. not yet
familiar with the federal procedure, as
sumed the advice OF the district attorney
to be correct The distric, attorney was
| successfully posing as an able lawyer.
while In fact, he was an obscure prac-
titioner of indifferent learning This
| had heard about this court
randolph Mason took his arm from the
mantelshelf and turned to the banker
e eon said g T TGsun t6s best to ST. Louis
are able to obtain. When you are in
dleted; insist upon an immediate trial;
TO 1t. and put your objection on the
record When you are acquitted"
The old man interrupted Mason with
acquitted. Mr. Mason" he said. "stet-
heimer will arrange his jury for that. If
1t ,rh Is ~ necessary E, But he won't have TO
sacrifice. A jury could not be got that
would acqquit bank president under
such circumstances. Belmont Lane has
brought me UP to the door OF the penl-
tentiary. The United States court will
put me inside and turn the key in the
Randolph Mason paid not the slightest
attention to the mans words. He merely
repeated the last sentence of his state
ment:
when you are acquitted" he said,
you Will come at once TO me, and l WIN
adjust the remaining features of this
problem"
Jeremiah Patton returned to St Louis
on that very evening, and followed the
order OF subsequent events in the news
papers Of that city, The federal court
indictment was found, Patton's attor-
ncys demurred to this Indictment. This
demurrer was oYerruled. They then de-
manded an immediate trial, and the court
ordered the case 10 the jury, Two weeks
were consumed In the examination OIL
talesmen; new panels were obtained and
every man In the city had conceived an
opinion against the prisoner. Finally
curious medley Of Jurors was secured,
and the government began the introduce
Up 10 this time Mason had done moth
Ing. Now he sent for Jacob Solmeyer, a
explained, to him what he was to do.
know in detail how Solmeyer carried
out his Instructions He went al once to
St Louis and called on the district at
torDey. He explained that certain large
operators Of Chicago and Kansas City
were laboring TO effect n consolidation Of
all The big firms In certain line In the
hundred million dollar capitalization, un-
der the laws OF New Jersey. that the
matter was stu in an early, formative
nish the large sums necessary 10 pur- |
chase such plants as would not voiun-
5arily come gn;o, Into the trust feared that
attempt 10 bring the matter into court. |
and thereby affect the bonds OF this syn
dictate. which they would hold as their
flee OF this great projected company
could be placed In some large city OF the
west. where the district attorney OF the
United States was person of conserva
tive ideas, they would furnish the
money; otherwise they would not Sol |
meyer represented these bankers. and
this was the problem they had presented |
to him for solution, He had gone care |
fully over the entire field, and finally |
settled upon. the district attorney of st, |
Louis as filling every requirement OF his
clients. II he could act, Solmeyer would |
pay his five thousand dollars as a re-
iaincr: then. when the bankers held their !
fore them and arrange about his annual |
retainer The size OF this annual re-
laIner solmeyer hesitated to suggest,
but intimated something in the ne!ghbor
hood OF twenty thousand dollars,
The district attorney glowed with Joy
and eTeSsHd Sd imDorIanSs m rita put nh the five
Soimeyer returned 10 his office in New
York.
tinued. All the affairs OF the bank were
gone into. Masses OF documentary evil !
dcnce were introduced. The district at
,orncy was determined to make his repu-
matte pose every piece OF red fire that he
could lay his hands on. The courtroom
swarmcd with reporters. The evidence |
was printed IN detail In all the great |
dsilies Patton WAS looked upon as an
lutoIerablc scoundrel who had wrecked |
the bank OF which he was president, and |
looted his dcpositors by borrowing great |
sums for n company which he owned,
on Saturday afternoon. the district
attorney closed for the government and
rested his case. On the following Sunday
Jacob Solmcyer telcgraphed tho district
attorney that there would be a meeting
of the bankers Tuesday evening. and
10 come at once 10 New York. Stet-
hcimer called Solmeyer by long distance
telephone explained his situation in re-
gard 20 the Patton trial. and asked u
the meeting could not be postponed. Sol
meyer answered that 81 postponement
was Impossible. that some members of
the syndicate were the heads OF great
banking houses In Europe and could not
await any mans convenience; that the
district attorney must attend the meet
ing or return the retainer paid him and
a handon the scheme
Uncertain what course TO follow. the
district attorney, took counsel With his
wife She advised him 10 get rich while
he could while the winged hand OF op-
VA. rauchc1 him. Money |