Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-01
Found Guilty Of Fraudulent Use
of the Mails to Solicit
Stock Sales.
SENSATIONAL CHARGES MADE
U. 8. Attorney Wise Asserts At
tempts Were Made to Buy
Him Off and to Bride
Juror.

New York. May 2o.--Christopher Column
bus Wilson, president Of the United Wire
less Telegraph company, and four Of his
associates were convicted by a jury in the
United States circuit court late to-day
a. fraudulent use OF the United States
mails TO solicit subscriptions to wireless
stock
Judge Martin Immediately imposed
these sentences: Wilson, three years in
the United States penitentiary at Atlanta;
George II. Parker and f. Il. Butler two
ears each at Atlanta; w. \. Dibon and
w. W. Tompkins, one year each in some
New York penitentiary
Following a sensational Charge hv u
s. Attorney Henry A. Wise that one of
the jurors had been approached last Sun
day night In the interests of the defend
ants with the offer of a bride even Il It
ran into FIVE figures" and upon the dis
trict attorneys characterize ton Of the
convicted men as desperate prisoners
who would fee the jurisdiction of the
court If admitted to bail" Judge Martin
| refused to admit any Of the defendants to
hail. He committed the Ave mon to the
Tombs prison tonight under 10 days
stay Of sentence so that they might, IL
| they desired, carry the case 10 the circuit
court OF appeals
REPEATEDLY CALLED THIEVES.
In summing up the case at the end
to-day OF a flve-weeks' trial, the dis
trtct attorney declared that 1t had been
shown that Wilson netted 5000, 900
fl ON the sale of 5000 shares of stock,
hut in all $500. 900 went into his own
pocket" Subtracting also the proht5
which his associates were accused of
pccketing. only s7Oo,0 900 out of the So
100000 profit of the United Wireless
company in three years went INTO the
treasury of the company. The district
attorneys arraiRnment OF the defend
ant was replete with such expressions
| as thieves who were robbng the pub
lie" and the circulars sent out to IN
vestors he charac terized as "self-serv-
ing. ucker-catching letters
Each OF the defendants was convict.
ed on four counts, three charging mis-
, use OF the mails and the fourth con-
, splracy. The sentences which Judge
Martin imposed include. in addition 70
. the prison sentences, the costs OF the
trial, which amount to over $4,000.
The charge OF attempted jury hrib-
cry came from the district attorney
when, in the midst OF his demand that
the prisoners should not be admitted
to bail. counsel for the defendants
pc CHI poohed the idea that the PRISON
crS would run away.
/ MONEY WAS OFFERED WISE.
Mr.. Wise REDEEMED as he approached
the bench and exclaimed: Il know,
your honor. that money was offered to
pull me off know that one juror was
| offered any amount If money. up to five
figures if he would hang tie Jury.
know there was a ceretain lawyer in
terested in having money put in my
hands to withdraw from the prosecution
of a certain defendant"
As If actuated by a common impulse,
| the 10 lawyers employed by the defense,
| including w. Bourke Cochran, advanced
| toward Mr. Wise. who stood with his
FISTS clenched and eyes flashing. The
whole court room jumped up, expecting
to see an encounter.
Instead. one of the attorneys calmly
dema nded of Mr., Wise the name Of the
lawyer.
Il will name him at the right time
and place" shouted Mr. Wise