The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-25
Plead Guilty In
 Steel Wire Case
F. w. Roebling Will Trust to Courts Mercy and Others Likely to Follow Lead
DISSENSIONS AMONG THE 83
Those Who Plan to Fight Are Alarmed and Bring Pressure On Those Who Won't

F. w. ROeDl1ng OI ftOoDIlilS OOHS Company of Trenton, it was an- nounced last night by his attorney, Francis Rawle of Philadelphia, will plead nole contendere to the indict- ment found against eighty-three in- dividuals who are alleged to have thus practically admit the truth of the indictments found against him and will trust to the mercy of the court to impose a fine and not a prison sentence.
 "All the men under indictment" said MT. Rawle last night, acted un- der advice of counsel and all gave up the association which has been pro- nounced in defiance of law as long as eighteen months ago, and in some in stances three years ago. This was done in good faith, as at that time no one knew just what the provisions of the Sherman act meant"
 In all eighty-three prominent busi- ness men were indicted in connection with this alleged trust, and as a number of them have already pleaded not guilty the action of Mr. Roebling is regarded with a good deal of alarm, as it is likely to make the task of the Federal officials a good deal easier in connecting the links in the chain of evidence that may be missing.
 It was reported yesterday that others of the indicted men would fol- low Mir Roebling's lead and practi- cally plead guilty. believing that they would be more likely to escape with a fine than if they were convicted al the end of a costly and tedious trial On the other hand, many Of the eighty-three defendants are deter fIox regard the attitude of their colleagues with alarm.
 There has been a bitter conflict among the indicted officials, it is un- derstood and every effort is being brought to bear on those who think il wiser to plead guilty to stand firm The pressure is all the stronger in that against the officials as individuals, and because of the announced inten- tion of the government to attempt ir the future to get prison sentences in- stead of mere fines.
 The indictments were returned or June 28 by the United States Granc Jury against the officers of the Ameri can Steel and Wire Company and thirty-five other corporations anG partnerships Among those indicted were Frank J. Gould, president of the Old Dominion Wire and Nail works William F. Palmer, president of the American Steel and Wire Company Herbert L. Satterlee, sonfn-law of J P. Morgan, president of the HabishaN Wire Company; Ferdinand and Car Roebling of the Roebling's Sons Com pany, and Erskine Hewitt, secretary of the Trenton Iron works.
 Two weeks ago MT. Satterlee anc twenty nine other defendants appear ed in the criminal branch of the Unit ed States Circuit court and pleaded not guilty. They got until Sept. to enter demurrers.
 The indictments charge that the de which among them controlled the wire trade. It is alleged that in violation of the Sherman Antitrust act they conspired together "to the great anG irreparable injury and detriment financial and moral, of the people o1 the United States to fix arbitrarily artificial and non-competitive prices would have obtained if the alleged com bination had not been in exist. ence
 It is alleged that nine pools were formed on June 1, 1908, as follows The Fine Wire Magnet Association the Underground Power Cable Associa tion, the Horseshoe Manufacturers
 
 sociation, the Telephone Cable Asso cition, the Rubber-Covered Wire As sociation, the Lead Ehcased Cable As socia tion, the Wire Rope Manufactur CTS, and the Waterproof and Maglet Wire Association.
 Each member of these associations received a rating called an allotment the indictment charged, which was found by discovering the ratio of his fn ho faI nf all members of the pool during term o1 years. Then, the government charges each member of the pool had to re- port within the first ten days of eacl month how much in excess of it's al lotment the business of each member had actually been. For such excesse: a certain remittance had to be made in varying percentages, according tc the agreement underlying each pool These remittances were known, the indictment alleges, as guaranteed de posits", and in the event of any mem Der resigning from the association his guaranteed deposits were forfeited The members were also, it was charg- ed, compelled to pay a general de- posit" of from s1,O00 to $5,OOO, and g small percentage of from 1 to pel cent. on the selling price of all their orders of each previous month.
 Schedules of prices, it is also charg- ed, were fixed on a non-competitive basis, and the members of the pools were required to report each day the details of all their shipments, with the names of their customers, and, in the case of contracts, the time of deliv- cry. All this information, together with the guaranteed and general de posits, the indictment says, were sent to Edwin E. Jackson, Jr., who was the Supervisor" of the pools, and he cir culated the reports among the mem bers of the pools.