The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-09-20

80 rxr-c-s oral argument against IL
WEE ,te ecu-t convened on NOD
S.,-.-rt-r The Judge made the con
-t--a-es v,oz the notion OF the diS
go a,tc-zsy. This motion vas o
r--srzczsly resisted By the counsel Tor
rsvs-tah Pa.ton. They offered q Tor
al ossec-oz for tie prisoner Ehich
Vas c7e-uled. and the exception vas
entered o, tie record The judge dis
eh.rs1 TIE Jury. ordered a new panel
az took ID the trial Of some petty
-.vs-vs cases. the assistant district
s.tc-ey appearing 70: the govern
zsct
s.g.k@insr explained the meaning
Of tkis cortiruznes 20 tie public oy
e~ore-tiy suggesting he story toid 10
q. tztxe. The public vas appeared
WITT TIE promise o. more and promin'
EFT victims. and the district attorney
roo1 justified In the conduct Of Dis
czse Moreover. his reputation for
sh-ewensss was established, and his
sg-re az a tar+ighted. in~corruptible
prbltc servant on the trail OF higher
thlsres Heightened. witened. doomed
larger. he left Immediately for New
York accompanied By his wife. who
vas .zker 20 TIE station n an ambu-
Lance
JEcch soIneyer arranged a meeting
o. so-s Q. the more prosperous look
.-z G. IFS clients and took the district
s-to--ey before them They discussed
Ire r.ob.e-s Of the great combine,
cuAtsc-et tie lavyer az length upon
TIE status Q, their rights under the
interstate Commerce Act. the posi-.
bn!.y O. a Federal Investigation, the
ezsc- c, such : move on the bonds Of
Ire rrqs. as z security, and the
seopA 0. the act IL So criminal fea-
Iz-e=.
TIE dis;r!c: attorney slurred over
TIE d!Acul,les y tie Federal statue.
pointing out that the section providing
\ individual punishment for violation OF
tie &C. was already a dead letter, that
TIE &C. Itself vas largely a bugaboo TO
Epr4zse the farmer lie urged the
ccut!ae and promised immunity in
Missouri. S~olneyers bankers ad-
ic.-ret vithog, finally determining
upon the loan 20 the contemplated
combine However, they agreed 10
employ the district attorney, in case
TIE loan was made. and 20 pay him
twenty Eve thousand dollars a year.
so.-eyer gave the man an addition
z. ore thousand dollars, and he return
Cd % -. Louis.
On Thursday morning Jacob Sol.
meyer reported 10 Randolph Mason,
and told o: the transaction in detail.
lie vas puzzled 20 the finger tips and
curious 20 know Masou's object. But
he was a man OF discretion, aware Of
the value OF silence and he folly OF
any query put 70 Randolph Mason.
His theory was that Mason wished TO
make a case agains; The district attor-
rey looking 10 bis removal and In test
OF this theory lie yentured 10 present
his report carefully In writing. attach
ing 20 IL a sworn sterographic report
o. the district attorneys speech 10 the
bankers" including his offer OF pro-
lection against the Interstate Com
meTce Act.
Randolph Mason tossed the papers
into the CRATE when Solmeyer had fin.
ished. concluded the conference, and
dismissed him.
In the hall the old German blinked
behind his thick glasses. "Mein Colt!
Mr.. Parks" he said, vat does Ran
dolph Mason mean? He pay six thou
sand dollars 10 get der district 'attor-
ney on record, den he burns der rec.
ord"
"Solmeyer," ! replied, Il do not
know who was the man In the iron
mask. ] do not know what melody II
was the sirens sang. neither do /
know what Randolph Mason means"
And yet I was not in the least pug.
zled. thought ! saw clearly into the
solution OF II all. Mason's ruse had
failed-that was the reading OF the rid
die. He had planned 10 lure the dis
trict attorney out OF St. Louis and
thereby cripple the prosecution; but
the shrewdness OF the man had fore.
stalled him. Mason had warned Pat
ton TO oppose a continuance: he EVIL.
IDENTIFY counted upon his counsel 10
resist with such vigor that the court
would go on with the trial: he had not
dreamed Of a mere objection on the
record. The plan had gone to pieces,
| had just pieced out and rounded
up my theory as the correct solution
CT this otherwise inexplicable side.
play. when Randolph Mason ca;le on,
OF his room, walked past me in the
hall and started up the stairway. He
stopped on the third step and looked
down at me.
Parks" ne said, go out TO st
Louis at the next term OF the court
and move 1t TO discharge Jeremiah
Patton. On your table Is a citation to
the only case you will require" Then
he went on up the stairway, his hand
sliding along the mahogany rail.
Thus my theory, like that of Jacot
Solmeyer. was snuffed out.
My train TO st. Louis was eight
hours late because OF floods in the