The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-17
HEADS MAY
FACE new CHARGES
Government .~Contemplates
Step Against Officials of
New York Central.

Washington. Dec. 1.-THE criminal
Indictment OF one or more officers of
the New York Central Railroad com.
panS on the charge of rebating may
FOLLOW conferences held by District
Attorney Wilkerson Of Chicago with
Attorne yGeneral Wickersham and
Interstate Commerce Commissions.
Harlan.
Government ohicials decline to dis.
euss any phase Of the conference. but
II 10 known that the department of
Justice is giving serious consideration
to the indictment of railroad officials
under the criminal section Of the rail-
road rate law. which involves the
possibility that they ma be sent to
prison for two Years. The ease is
expected to test thoroughly the eff
cheney Of the criminal feature of both
the railroad rate and the Sherman
antitrust laws as corrective means
to prevent violations by corporations.
Echo of O'Gara Case.
should the step contemplated he
x 1t Will be largely as the result
OF the attitude Of the railroad officials
in the O'Gara Coal company case
The Lake Shore, the Big Four and
the Chicago. Indiana and Southern
Railroad companies, subsidiaries Of
the New York Central. have been in
dicted for granting rebates of $4,000
to the O'Gara Coal company. The
penalty Provided in the law is a max
imum fine Of $4,000.
Interstate Commissioner Harlan in
vestigated the rebating charges and
Rush Butler. who is here with MIR.
Wtlkerson. was special attorney for
the commission in the investigation.
On the information obtained by MI.
Harlan the government had the rail-
road companies indicted. Department
OF justice officials regarded the case
as So complete that II vas thought
the railroads would in,crpose no Sc
rious objections and the trial could
be expedited. But it appears that the
government has become incensed over
the attitude of the railroads and that
In retaliation 1t is probable the indict-
ment OF the railroad officials them
selves under the criminal section Of
the law will be. attempted.
should the government decide t o
proceed against the officials PERSONAL
~ the proceedings will have no effect
upon the suit against the railroad
companies for rebating.
Discuss Telegraph Strike.
otner things being considered at
the conferences between the depart.
ment OF justice heads and Mr.. Wilker-
son are the oleomargarine tax fraud
cases and the planned government
intervention in the strike Of the cleo.
trical employees of the Postal Tele-
graph company at Chicago.
In the latter case, under the rail-
rate law OF 1910. telegraph COM
panies are made common carriers n
are brought under the control Of the
interstate commerce laws. The COM
pany's cables are .heinr cu+ ord oc,a
poured into the conduits to impair
the efficiency in operation. The au-
thority Of the government to inter-
vene and preserve peace is regarded
by officials Of the department Of ius>
tice as beyond question.
Mr.. Wilkerson viii see Commission
er OF Internal Revenue Cabell tomor.
row regarding the oleomargarine
cases. which have been under investi-
cation by the federal grand jury in
Chicago. The question which con-
fronts the officials is whether the pow
er Of the government in making com.
promise has been exceeded.