The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-24
CHARLESS MELLEN IS INDICTED UNDER THE SHERMAN LAW President of Grand Trunk and A. ". Smithers
 Also Indicted NEW HAVEN-GRAND
 TRUNK AGREEMENT Charged That Agreement Between Two Roads Restrained Trade.
 Mellen and Chamberlin to-.
 Enter Pleas Today
 

New York, December 23.-Charles $. Mellen president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad; Edson j.. chamberlin, president of the Grand Trunk railway of Canada, and Alfred w. smith ers. chairman of the board of directors of ths Grand Trunk, were jointly indicted by the federal grand jury in this city to- day under the sherman anti-trust law.
 They are charged with conspiring to re- strain trade in connection with memo randum of agreement between the two roads, under which, it is alleged. the Grand Trunk proposed to abandon the ex- tension of it's railroad lines to Providence. R. l., together with a projected steamship line between Providence and New York.
 The penalty for the crime charged is one yeac in jail, a fine of s5O0 or both.7
 Mir Mellen and MT. Chamberlin, upon being notified of the indictment, prom ised the federal authorities through their counsel that they would appear at l O clock tomorrow to enter pleas.
 Mir. Chamberlin, whose home is In Mon treal, now is in New York, and Mir. Mellen will come from New Haven. Mir Smithers Is a British subject and is said to be In London. Unless he volun- tarily surrenders extradition proceedings will be necessary to bring him within the Jurisdiction of the court. 1t Is believed by the federal authorities, however, that he will sail for this country as soon as he hears that an indictment lies against him,
 .I af set forth" the Grand Trunk system, the indictment charges, would have actively competed with the New Haven system for the carriage of interstate and foreign commerce."
 At quiet meeting" between Melen. Chamberlin and Smithers in New York, on August ,. 1912, the indictment charges the defendants first engaged in an un- lawful combination and conspiracy to pre- vent the construction and completion of the proposed extension of the Grand Trunk railway system in New England, and the operation of. the Grand Trunk steamships between Providence and New York Two other meetings, it Is alleged, were held in New York on September 70 and october l, 1912. to complete the al eged conspiracy.
 Seven Specific Charges
 Seven of the acts are set forth in the indictments They include the meetings In New York and the exchange of two memoranda between Melen and Chamber lin; one memorandum, arranged for in- terchange of traffic, at certain points, joint use of certain lines and set forth that the New Haven should protect the Grand Trunk in every way in its power, in it's present 'differentia rates from New England points and such new territory as it Is pkoposed to open up to 1t here- by"
 Another act alleged was that Chamber lin wrote to J. F. Dalrymple, vice pres ldent of the Grand Trunk, stating that ''he and MT. Smithers had had long and satisfactory interview with MT. Mellen, ard that 1t was agreed that Mir. Da- rymple and MT. Campbell (yice president of the New Haven) should meet quietly at MT. Mellen's office for the purpose of discussing new divisions on New England business and determine whether we could come to an agreement with that company something on the lines suggested by MT. Mellen."
 The sixth act charged that Mellen "caused 10 be withdrawn a petition there tofore filed by his direction to the public service commission of New Hampshire, asking authority to extend one of the New Haven lines paralleling and competing with a portion of the Central Vermont"
 The seventh was the alleged abandon- ment by .'the defendant Chamberlin of the work of constructing the Southern New England line from Palmer to Providence"
 The indictment recites that from May 22, 1912. until November 9, 1912, there was expended on the line In the construction of steamships the sum of s2,000,00, and there had been incurred further obliga- tions amounting to $2,O0o0co more.
 Washington, December 23s-Attorney General Wickersham will follow up the