Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-12
WILL AID MRS. GAGE| SUGAR SUIT BEG|NS|
Petition for Writ of Habeas Government Outlines Its Case
Corpus Made Ready. Charging Criminal Acts.
BROTHER ARRIVES IN CITYlFWE ARE PLACED ON TRIAL
Spends Most Sister Violation Of Sherman
Government Hospital Law Held by Prosecution.
MEMBERS FAMILY SILENT TENTH COMMANDMENT BROKEN
in
Kings Handed by to Moses
and Has Ignored
Government Outlines Its Case,
Charging Criminal Acts.
FIVE ARE PLACED ON TRIAL
Violation of Sherman Antitrust
Law Held by Prosecution.
TENTH COMMANDMENT BROKEN
District Attorney Wise Declares Law
Handed Down by God to Moses
Has Been Ignored.

NEW YORK, March 12-Before Judge
Hand. i'm the criminal branch Of the
United States district court. the govern
ment outlined its case today against
Washington b. Thomas, chairman of the
American Sugar Refining Company: John
r. Parsons, the eighty-three-year old
lawyer who was formerly the company $
| chief counsel. and three associates. AL
of whom were placed on trial, charged
| with violation of the criminal clause of
the Sherman antitrust law. The maxi
| mum penalty upon conviction is one year
| Imprisonment and a fve-thousand- dollar
| fine on each count in the indictment of
| which there are fourteen.
Nearly 800 witnesses have been sub
ponaed by the district attorney, and as
almost as many are ready TO testify for
the defense. the trial promises 10 last
many weeks. Nearly all the forenoon
session was devoted to a statement of tile
governments case. Joseph e. Freeman.
secretary of the American Sugar Refining
Company, was the first witness.
Calls It Extraordinary Case.
This is one of the most extraordinary
cases ever brought into court" said
United States District Attorney Wise In
his opening address. Not in the nature
of the charges, but because OF the char
| acter of the men who allowed themselves
to engage in the acts which / shall lay
| before you.
These defendants are not charged with
the violation of a man-made law. bat
with violation of the law handed down
by God to Moses in the Tenth Command
| ment."
He read the Tenth Commandment t.
the jury and declared that it was this
foundation Of the Sherman law, will
violation of which the defendants ar.
charged. For twenty years, he said. they
had violated the law and had acquired
during that time, control of 40 per cent
Of the sugar industry of the country,
when, in 1903, they saw competitor NJ
the form of the Pennsylvania Sugar Re-
| filming Company, which. at cost OF
s.W0.OOO built and equipped REFINERY
at Philadelphia.
To prevent monopolistic control tho
stock of this company was to be pooled
for six years, committee of three stock
holders advising the voting trustee and
directing the business.
Closed Philadelphia Plant, He Says
Before the organization was completed
officers of the American Sugar Refining
Company, according to Mr.. WISE SO CON
trived as to lend the new company $1,2tO
| 600 for an operating fund. taking as Sc
curity 100000 worth of the Pennsylvania
company's bonds and a majority of 1T
capital stock. The source or this loan
| was not revealed until later, and then thu
American Sugar Refining Company closed
the plant, without waiting even for thu
papers to be signed.
The lawyers through whom the arI
rangements were made, Mr.. Wise said
were John E. Parsons and Thomas B
Harmed. attorney for Adolph Segal OF
Philadelphia. Segafs compensation fol
making the deal, Mr.. Wise added, wal
$4,000 in cash and an assignment Of
one-half Of the majority stock (26'oCa
shares) of the Pennsylvania company.