The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-08
SHIPPER INDICTED
/ ON Nine COUNTS
Z. b. Taylor Company Charged
With Violating Interstate
Commerce Act.
MIsDEsCRIPTIoN ALLEGED
Government Claims Roads Were
Dciraudcd by Demand Tor
Unfair Rates.
MISDESCRIPTION ALLEGED

! agents Of tho Interstate Commerce
Commission. the grand jury In the
United states District Court yeste,rdi ga,
! nine counts against the +. r. Taylor
| Company, of this city, charging mis-
description Of freight shipments to
avoid the payment of legal rates or
transportation.
The nine allegations presented to
the grand jury by the g e, ., y e. I
mixed shipments described the pack :
ages as containing only goods of the
lowest assihcaton. The law pro-
vides that when a. package contains
several classes Of freight, each shall
be described. and the rate shall be
governed by the article having the
highest ella SStflcatiOn.
Reported to Commission.
1t was charged that the F.. B. Taylor
COMPANY had been reversing thin ,ss;
class. glassware as second and earth
enware as fourth, the rate on the lat
ter being the lowest. Representatives
ton Bureau. an Organization main
tanned by the railroads. alleged that
shipments sent out OF Richmond BY
the firm containing the articles ennm-
carthenwarc. the barrel or box being
classified as earthcnware when the
rate on toys which was higher. should
After those alleged discoveries the
bureau made report to the Interstate
Commerce Commission. whose duty 1T
is to protect railroads a s we'll as ship
pers and the commission sent agents
to Richmond to make an independent
invest gation on the part OF the United
states government The government
agent appeared before the grand Jury
yesterday
Like Double Iniict mcnt.
While there are nine specific counts
in the indictment. they are In the ma
ture Of a double count, due to an
amendment TO the law which provides
thai an attempt 10 obtain transpor-
tation at a lower rate than that pre-
scrihed is a violation of the statute.
Each charge case therefore. charges
that tho Z. p. Taylor Company wilfully
obtained rates to which it was not
tain such rates. Tho Indictment was
purposcly drawn that way to meet
either phase Of the case. inasmuch as
the amended Law provides that an at
tempt is virtually the same s obtain
ing classification TO which the
shipper was not entitled.
IT was said at tho Federal building
Yesterday that this was the first in
dictment Of the Kind herca bout. and
certainly the first since the law. was
amended in June. 1910 to include an
attempt as violation.
Carries Heavy Penalty.
Tho section bearing particularly on
the Taylor Indictment Is as follows:
ANY person, and any officer or
who shall deliver property for trans
! rortation to any common carrier. sub
| icct to the provisions of this act or
/ for whom. as consignor or consiCnee.
| any such carrier shall transport prop
| erty. who shall knowingly and will
| fully. by false billing. false classifi-
cation, false Weighing. false represent
tation OF the contents Of the packages.
or false renort of weight. or by any
other device or means whatever
whether with or without the consent
or connivanco Of the carrier. its
agent or aTents, obtain TRANSFORMATION
for such property at less than the
regular rates then established and In
| force on the line Of TRANSFORMATION.
| shall be deemed guilty Of fraud which
| is hereby declared to he misdemca-
nor. and shall. upon conviction ,here-
! Of in any court Of tho United states
| ~ competent jurisdiction within the
| district in which such offense was
| committed. he subject for each offense
| to fine not exceeding $4,000 or i'm
| nrisonment In tho penitentiary for a
| term not exceaeinc two years or both.
| In the discretion Of the court"
| Among Tho witnesses appearing for
! the prosecution were: r. r. Phinney
| local agent for the Scahoard Air Line:
| y. +. Bcdlcr Of Richmond inspcctor
| for the Atlantic Coast Line: r IT. Lea
! local freight agent for the Southern
| Railway, and G ~. Croslnnd OF Wash
| incton. representing the Interstate
| Commerce Commission