Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-08-01
81 WIRE TRUST
OFFICIALS FINED
WITHDRAW PLEA OF NOT GUILTY
TO CHARGE OF COMBINING
TO RESTRAIN TRADE.
A CLEAR CASE AGAINST THEM
Accept Sentence, Pay From $1,000 to
$500 and Costs In Each case.-
Government Scores Heavily
Without Need Of Trial

wow IOTk, July 70. - Tue IeueTo
government scored heavily in its Of
fort to break up the alleged wire
trust" when 81 of the 83 men indicted
June 20 withdrew the plea of mot
guilty" and accepted sentence with
out trial on pleas of 'nolo contendere. .
Judge Archibald, In the United States
district court, imposed fines of from
$1,000 to $1,000 and costs in each case.
The action came in the face Of Wig
Drous argument against the acceptance
Of he plea by United States District
Attorney Wise. It had never been &C.
cspeed IN this court, be declared, and
b protested against a precedent.
The best Authorities" he said,
Characterize 1t as plea indicating
. compromise between the defendants
and prosecuting attorney" and he de-
MED that any such compromise ex.
listed.
1.-The facts in this case are fragrant"
10 continued. "This set of men. rep
rssenting practically an entire in
dustTy, 10 in open and perfectly clear
violation of a United States statute
combined to restrain and control trade.
The case against them is SO clear and
open that the most eminent counsel In
This country have advised them that It
would be fruitless to attempt to enter
defense"
Pleas Are Accepted.
The court, however, accepted the
pleas and remarked:
This is what you might call trade
Dmense. 1t is an offense which by the
act Of congress IL against the interest
Of the business world. 1t seems to me
am not going out of the way when l
Say that Just what was meant by this
law has remained in considerable un-
certainty up to this time.
I'VE now know exactly or very
nearly what 1t means and from this
time on there will be no excuse. but
feel justified in locking upon what has
occurred in the past in this light and
therefore I certainly regard this ~
calling for nothing except proper vim
dication Of the law by fine"
Sentence to pay the costs and fine
Of 81 900 in each case was then pro
nounced, with the provision that where
. defendant had been fined in one
ease the fine should be 500 for each
additional case. The names Of defend
aAts fined follow:
+. ". Roebling, Sl,70o; Frank J.
Esvberry. Joseph W. Marsh. William
4. Sonner and Philip H. Smith, $500;
Charles J. Marsh, Frank n. Phillips,
md Charles r. Remington, 81 400;
Theodore F. Ryan, John c. BridgmRn,
md Henry H Ashley. $1,000; W r
elelds, Alfred F. Moore, James 81
Mason, Alfred A. Cowles, Russell a
Covles, Thomas Wallace. Louis An
schultz Joseph C. Belden, Edward L
Frisbie. Jr-, Thomas B. Kent, C. Ed
eard Murray, A. M. Dickinson. Kar
Roebling, Antoine Bournonvllle. ant
Charles A Morse, s1,100, and Newell
B. Parsons. James A. Doughty, Georgs
B. North, Robert ". Siebering. Rob
NJ e. Lucas, q. Eccleston Gallagher
William Fl. Hall, Jr,. Ralph Watrous
George L. Bowen. Everett Morse ant
Frank NJ Potter. Jr-. 1000.
1t il alleged that the S3 indicted
members Of these associations entered
into an unlawful combination and con
spiracy to restrain trade and that con.
ttnpons1y from June /, 1903, 10 SONG
later daae were knowingly and will
sully engaged In this combination. the
purpose of which was to fix arbitrary
and non-competitive prices both for the
purpose of the raw product and fol
The sale Of their manufactured goods.
William P Palmer, president Of the
American Steel & Wire Company; Her
bert L. Safter1se. sor-iplaw Of J. p.
Morgan Frank. J. Could, and Charles
2. Brooker, Republican national CON
nh.eemsn from Connecticut are
among the IS other alleged members
II the associations who have pleaded
rot guilty TO the indictments.