The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-27
SUGAR TRUST men
NOW ON DEFENSE
ATTORNEY PARSONS. ~ WEARS
Old. DENIES HE VIOLATED
SHERMAN LAW.
RECITES SEGAL CASE
GOVERNMENT CHARGES MIG CON-
BINATlON KEPT PHILADEL-
PMIA PLANT FROM OPEN
ING ITS DOORS.

NEW YORK. March 2e.--ln a
clear, ringing voice, without inc
slightest tremor denoting his eighty
three years. John F.. Parsons toaas
denied under oath every allegation
In the governments indictment
charging him with criminal violation
OF the Sherman law.
The Venerable lawyer. for nlore
than forty years an Acknowledged
leader OF the American bar ana Ior
half "A century one of the most prom
inent Presbyterian laymen IN the
United States, took tho stand IN his
own behalf late in the afternoon lie
will conclude his direct testimony to-
morrow morning. Then he will be
taken in hand for cross contamination
by United States District Attorney
Wise.
Whether any of the other defend
ants, Washington II. Thomas. Arthur
Bonner and George II. Frazier, VIII
be placed In the witness chair has
not yet been determined by their
counsel.
Judge Hand today dashed tho
hopes of the defense to have the case
taken from the jury and the indict-
ments quashed on the plea tfSat the
statute of limitations barred the pros
ecution. This forced the sugar trust
lawyers TO produce evidence to COM
bat the strong case made by the gov
eminent, which IL based mainly upon
hundreds OF exhibits of documentary
evidence, taken chiefly from the
files OF the sugar trust Itself
Main Charge In Case.
Every letter and other memora nda
thus presented by the prosecution
bears directly upon the governments
main charge-that through a loan OF
Sl.25o,000 OF sugar trust money, made
secretly to Adolph Segal. the big com
bination was enabled to seize control
Of the Pennsylvania Sugar Company's
new refinery in Philadelphia. and re-
strain interstate trade by not permit
ting that plant to produce refined
sugar.
After three-quarters OF an hours
examination Mr.. Parsons was relieved
Of further strain for the day by Judge
Hand suddenly adjourning court un-
Ill tomorrow. After leaving the stand
the aged lawyer laughed merrily with
his counsel Turning to the newspa-
per man. he said:
"A little thing like a criminal prov>
ecut!on can't hurt me-"
Son Henry Present.
IF this thing keeps up II Will be
extremely dangerous for lawyers to
serve their clients faithfully" volun-
teered his son. former Representative
Herbert Parsons, who had preceded
his father in the witness chair. He
| had told OF u talk with Henry Have
| meyer just before the date Of the
| Segai loan. The founder OF the sugar
| trust, he said. requested him to in
| form his father. who was chief coun-
| sci for the trust. that he had de-
| cided to make n loan OF $3.50, 600
! to Gustave +. Kissell. and for tho
| transaction. Herbert Parsons a lso
| testified that as late as 1906 he had
! personally. at tho direction Of his
father. demanded payment of the note
! from kissell. 1t was through kissell
that the loan to Segal had been made.
| mfr. Parsons. please take tho stand
| said Delaney Nicoll. as soon as the
! son had left the witness chair, with
out being cross-examined by United
States Attorney Wise. With quick.
| steady steps. and head held high. the
| eighty three-year-old defendant walk
ed to the stand. after taking the oath.
rs there any truth IN the charge
that you helped to choke the PIila-
delphia refinery and conspired to keep
Segal in debt 80 he could not pay the
loan" was asked.