Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-23
RAIL HEADS INDICTED
C. S. MeIIen, E. J. Chamberlin
and A. w. SmitherS Named.
MONOPOLY PACT ALLEGED
New Haven and Grand Trunk Roads
Held in Restraint of Trade.
SEVEN OVERT ACTS CHARGED
Said to Have Conspired to Prevent
Extensions of Line and Opera
tion of Steamships.

NEW YORK, December 26.-CharleS ).
Mellen, president of the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad +. J..
Chamberln. president of the Grand
Trunk Railway of Canada, and Alfred W.
Snithers. chairman of the Grand Trunk
board of directors. We're indicted by the
federal grand jury here this afternoon,
charged with violating the Sherman anti
trust law in the alleged monopoly agree
ment between the two roads.
The indictment AYERS that Mellen.
Chamberlin & Smithers We're engaged
August 3, 1912. and have since engaged in
an unlawful combination to prevent the
construction and completion of certain
extension of the Grand Trunk railway
into New England.
Operation of Steamers Involved.
1t also is charged they conspired to pre-
vent the operation of steamships between
Providence and New York and transpor-
tation of persons and property in inter-
state and foreign commerce over these
lines of railroads and steamships.
Seven overt acts are alleged by the
government. 1t Is charged that the de-
fendants met in New York August D,
1917, and discussed a memorandum there
tofore exchanged between Messrs. Cham
berlin and Mellen, which provided that
the Grand Trunk should sell the New
Haven system all it's interest in the Gen.
tral OF Vermont and its subsidiaries.
which would include all the proposed ex-
tensions into New England.
Charge Business Division Planned.
The second overt act alleged embraces
charge that Chamberlin wrote to Vice
President J. E. Dalrymple of the Grand
Trunk, saying that he and smithers had
had a satisfactory interview with Mellen
and 1t was agreed that Dalrymple and
Benjamin Campbell of the New Haven
should meet quietly in Mellen's onices
and discuss new divisions of New Eng
land business.
The third act alleges that the defend
ants held further meetings in New York
city September 20 of this, year; the
fourth. that they held another meeting
in New York October / the fifth, that
at this last mentioned meeting Mellen
initiated and gave to the cO-defendants
memorandum providing. among other
things, that the Grand Trunk is ''to
retain the Central Vermont and the ex-
listing controlled lines, and continue it's
existing business as at present"
Defendants Willing to Surrender.
The sixth overt. act alleged is that
Mellen caused the withdrawal of a petit
ton previously filed by his directors
with the public service commission OF
New Hampshire, asking authority to
extend one of the New Haven lines
paralleling and competing with a por-
ton of the Central Vermont railway.
The seventh overt act. as set forth, is
that November =. 1872, Chamberlin caused
the work of constructing line from
Palmer. Mass, to Providence, r. L., to
be abandoned.
None of the defendants was repre-
sented in court when the indictment was
handed up. but counsel for the govern
ment said that all three would surrender
themselves within few days, notwith-
standing the fact that Messrs. Smithers
and Chamberlin are not residents of the
United States.
Mr.. Smithers' headquarters are in Lon
don; Mr.. Chamberlin's in Montreal.