New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-09
RILEY PLACED ON TRIAL
Indicted for Stealing Sugar 'ruS'
Letter and Minutes.
SOLD THEM TO MAGAZINES
stenographer and Man VINO
Wrote Article Tell of Negoti-
atoms with Defendant

Thomas p. Riley. special invesusa'or ioi
tho Interstate Commerce Commission, was
..o,,rh, % trial Yesterday before Judge
IT.. ord a iurv IN the Criminal Branch
% 49, I-rited States Circuit Court on
- ., having stolen from the office OF
tIa wise Irnited states Attorney In
49, y,,,. tho Sugar Trust letter written TO
Mr. wise by Attorney General "icAe'Si'ar'
in June. 1909. On. ,,s,,,
In addition to this charge the ihu'ct
ments returned against Riey .u'e MN
Of taking two letters addressed Wy -. ~
Heike former secretary. 10 john r. al
sons. counsel for the American sugar Nv
fning Company, and the minutes
meeting of the board OF direc'ois vi '"e
Sugar Trust which documents "e'e "e
by the government as evidence III c'N'''i'i
proceedings. .,.o,
From the testimony OF various witnesses
Il anpeared that Riley sold carbon copy
Of the letter to Charles p. Norcross' WIN
r,hIiebed Il I'm the Cosmopolitan Maya
zinc >. and that the information concerning
tho Sugar Trust was sold by him to MI
Norcross and to Judson &. WeIhVer' VIM
wrote an article on the Sugar Trust ]"
"Hampton's Magazine.
Extracts from the minutes Of the Amer
lean Sugar Refining Company were lnehu-
fed nv Henry r. Fletcher. a stenosraphei'
as the matter which he copied NJ f'lleS
d,ctation I'm Room l59 OF the feuei NJ
p,ildi,e He also identified letters TO j.
- Weuiver written AT Riley's dlctauoh'
+, ono NJ which the defendant referred 10
"oorias NJ minutes" sent and asked for
their return. Riley's Endorsement on the
back of a check for so from Haihp'o"
Magazine" IN full payment for Susa'
Trust articles" was identified by the VII
ness
The transaction between Riley ana
champions Magazine" was described oy
Judson c. Welliver. who said Riiey hau
been recommended to him by John D MAI
ble. an attorney for the Interstate COM
merce Commission Mr.. Welliver was theh
commissioned by "Hampton's Magazine
70 write an article on the Sugar Trust
and he met Riley AT the Hoffman House
and contracted with him for the material
IN pavment OF $3.50. lie declared that he
had no inkling as 10 the manner III "nioH
Riley had obtained his Information.
Henry A. Wise. United States Attorney
Identified the letter rom Attorney Cen
eral Wickersham. and said he gave no
authority 10 Riley or anybody else 10 pup
Iish the letter mo one has the right 70
authorize the publication Of any matter
or record before the grand jury he said
"and n I had done so 7 should have been
removed from my Office"
The letter, Mr.. Wise said. was filed
among his private papers. 10 which only
his secretary had access. He told OF Riley
cnpIovment as an investigator. and sald
that he was regarded as a trustworthy
man. Riley got his post under the IN
terstate Commerce Commission as re-
ward for disclosing TO Henry l. Stimson.
then United States Attorney. secrets re-
gardlng rebates which became known 10
him during his service rs traffic manager
for the American Sugar Refining Company.
ct knew that he furnished some informa =
ton to Mr.. Norcross or 10 w. r. Hearst.
or 70 both. prior to 1906 Mr.. Wise said'
(which information was forwarded to the
Attorney General, and upon which pro-
ceedings were started against some rail-
roads for Relating | knew of no other
connections he had"
Frank Leitheiser. stenographer 20 Mr..
Wise at the time Of the theft Of the let
ter said he took the Wickersham letter
10 Room No. I59 TO make copy OF II and
laid II on his desk while he stepped out
for few minutes Riley occupied tho
room with him, and when he came back
Riley was there.
Dad he say anything to you?' asked
| GoIdthwaite Dorr Assistant United states
| Attorney. who. with Abel l. Smith. repre-
sents the government.
He said That's a pretty good letter, isn't
| ito and | said Yes" answered Leitheimer.
| He also testified that no had seen Riley
copying from books Of the sugar company
which were then held as evidence.
William f. Bigelow. assistant editor of
the Cosmopolitan Magazine" identified
one Of the checks sent 10 Riley as having
| been sent i'm payment Of information fur
nshed by him TO Charles p. Norcross. The
| trial will be continued to-day