The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-08-28


irepnted to have great influence with
Atlle new judge, His advice was usual,
" followed with respect to the conduct
Of trials. Thu common impression
was that the judge. not vet familiar
with the Federal procedure, assumed
the advice Of the district attorney to-
be correct. The district attorney was
successfully posing as an able lawyer,
while, in fact, he was an obscure prac.
titioner Of Indifferent learning. This
was the gist of all that jeremiah Pat
ton had heard about this court.
| Randolph Mason took his arm from
! the mantelshelf and turned to the
banker. you will at once return to.
st, Louis" he said. Employ the best
counsel you are able to obtain. When.
you are indicted, insist upon an i'm
! mediate trial; oppose every delay, no
matter how favorable It may seem to.
! you. Object to3it, and put your OBJ
lection on the record. When you are
acquitted"
The old;man interrupted Mason with
an appealing protest. "But won't be
acquitted, Mr.. Mason" he said. "Stet-
heimer will arrange his jury for that,
II 1t Is necessary. But he won't have
: to arrange it. The people are mad
for a sacrifice. A Jury could not be
got that would acquit bank presi-
dent under such circumstances. Bel
mont Lane has brought me up to the
door of the penitentiary, The United
States court will put me inside and
7! turn the key in the lock-"
Randolph Mason paid not the slight
est attention to the mans words. He
merely repeated the last sentence Of
his statement
when you are acquitted" he said,
you will come at once to me- and
will adjust the remaining features of
this problem"
jeremiah Patton returned to st.
Louis on that very evening, and / fol-
lowed the order of subsequent events
in the newspapers Of that city. The
Federal court was at that time open
ing its session. An Indictment was
found. Patton's attorneys dem0rred
F., to this Indictment. This demurrer
was overruled. They then demanded
an immediate trial, and the court or
dered the case to a jury. Two weeks
were consumed in the examination Of
+ talesmen; new panels were obtained
and almost wholly rejected. It seemed
that every man in the city had con-
cefYed an opinion against the prisoner.
Finally curious medley Of jurors was
secured, and the government began
the introduction Of its testimony.
Up to this tins, Mason had done
nothing. Now he sent for Jacob Sol
meyer, lawyer of considerable prom
inence, and explained to him what he
was to do. know in detail how Sol
! meyer carried out his instructions:
He went at once to st, Louis and
: called on the district attorney. He
/ explained that certain largo operation
of Chicago and Kansas City were Ia
/ doring to effect a consolidation of all
the big firms in certain line in the
west into one gigantic company with a
i hundred million dollar capitalization,
under the laws Of New Jersey; that
the matter was still in an early, for
native state. The bankers who were
! to furnish the large sums necessary
i to purchase such plants as would not
voluntarily come into the trust, feared
that some unfriendly district attorney
might attempt to bring the matter in
I to court, and thereby affect the bonds
! of this syndicate, which they would
hold as their security. II, however,
the principal office Of this great pro
iected company could be placed in
some large city OF the west, where the
: district attorney Of the United States
was person OF conservative ideas,
: they would furnish the molss; other
wise they would not. Solmeyer rep
resented these bankers, and this was
the problem they had presented to
/ him for solution. He had gone care
fully over the entire field, and finally
| settled upon the district attorney Of
st. Louis as filling every requirement
of his clients. If he could act,
Solmeyer would pay him Eve thousand
dollars as retainer; then, when the
bankers held their meeting in New
York, he could come before them and
arrange about his annual retainer
The size of this annual retainer Sol
meyer hesitated to suggest, but In
timated something in the neighbor.
hood Of twenty thousand dollars.
The district attorney glowed with
Joy and increased importance, put the,
five thousand dollars in his pocket,
and Jacob Solmeyer returned to his
office In New York.
| The trial of jeremiah Patton con-
tinued. al the affairs of the bank
were gone into. Masses Of document
tary evidence were introduced. The
district attorney was determined, to
mako his reputation on this caseY He
burned with dramatic pose every piece
of red fire that he could lay his hands
on, The courtroom sWarmed with re-