The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-07-28
81 INDICTED, FINED.
WITHDRAW PLEA OF NOT GUILTY
TO CHARGE OF COMBINING
TO RESTRAIN TRADE.
HEAVY BLOW AT "WlRE TRUST"
Accept Sentence, Pay From $1,000 to
$1,000 and Costs In Each Case
Government Scores Heavily
Without Need of Trial.

New York, N. Y. = The federal
government scored heavily in its eff
fort to break up the alleged wire
trust" when 81 of the SO 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
81 900 to $1,700 and costs in each case.
The action came in the face of Wig
orous argument against the acceptance
of the plea by United States District
Attorney Wise. 1t had never been ac-
copied in this court, he declared, and
he protested against precedent.
''The best authorities" he said,
characterize it as plea indicating
a 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
he continued. This set of men, rep
resenting practically an entire in
dustry, is 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
offense. 1t is an offense which by the
act of congress is against the interest
of the business world. 1t seems to me
l am not going out of the way when
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 it 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 l certainly regard this as
calling for nothing except proper vim
dication of the law by a fine"
| Sentence to pay the costs and fine
of $1,000 in each case was then pro
nounced, with the provision that where
a defendant had been fined in one
case the fine should be $500 for each
| additional case. The names of defend
ants fined follow:
| F. w. Roebling, $1,700; Frank j
Newberry, Joseph w. Marsh, William
A. Sonner and Philip H. Smith, $1,000;
Charles J. Marsh, Frank N. Phillips
| and Charles R. Remington, $1,400;
Theodore F. Ryan, John C. Bridgman
and Henry H. Ashley, $1,000; w. F
| Fields, Alfred F. Moore, James H
| Mason, Alfred A. Cowles, Russell A
| Cowles, Thomas Wallace, Louis An
schultz, Joseph C. Belden, Edward L
Frisbie, Jr., Thomas B. Kent, G. Ed
ward Murray, A. M. Dickinson, Kar
| Roebling, Antoine Bournonville, anC
Charles A. Morse, $1,1O0, and Newell
| B. Parsons, James A. Doughty, George
| B. North, Robert w. Sieberling, Rob
| ert E. Lucas, R. Eccleston Gallagher
| William H. Hall, Jr., Ralph Watrous
| George L. Bowen, Everett Morse ant
| Frank M. Potter, Jr., $1,000.
| 1t is alleged that the SO indicted
| members of these associations entered
| into an unlawful combination and con
spiracy to restrain trade and that con
tinuously from June /, 1908, to some
later date were knowingly and will
fully 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. Satterlee, son-in-law of j. P
Morgan; Frank ]. Gould, and Charlie:
F. BROKER, Republican national com
mitteeman from Connecticut, are
among the 46 other alleged members
Of the associations who have pleaded
not guilty to the indictments.