The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-03
CRIMINAL ACTION
URGED AGAINST
N. H. OFFICIALS
Assistant Attorneys General
Recommend Prosecution I'm
der Sherman Antitrust Law.
MEN HIGH IN ROADS
COUNCILS INVOLVED
Fixing Rates, Juggling
Finances and Disregarding
Safety of Public Few of the
Charges.

WASHINGTON. Oct 3-Criminal pro-
,secution of officials of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford Railroad on
Z charge of violating the Sherman
Antitrust law is recommended in a
report to James c. McReynolds, At
torney General. by T. W. Gregory, q
special Assistant Attorney General,
and Jesse c. Adkins, Assistant Attor-
ney General, who have been assigned
70 the case The report will probably
be laid before Mr.. McReynolds today.
While the details of the report are
closely guarded it is stated that it
could scarcely be made more severe
in its arraignnent of the New Haven
officials for the methods they have
adopted in esta blishing the transport
taeion monopoly of New England, fix
ing rates. juggling the finances of the
system and disregarding the convent
ence and safety of the public.
Mr. McReynolds is expected to act
favorably upon the recommendations
contained in the report The names
of the officials against whom the gov
eminent Will seek to have indictments
returned could not be learned official
" but they will be men either now
prominent in the affairs of the road
or who have been so recently.
II the government seeks to indict
Charles S. Mellen, who recently re-
signed as president of the system, the
VIII not stand in the way, provided
the alleged violations of the law were
committed under his mana cement.
The failure OF other administrations
to obtain convictions under the GRIM
5naI section OF the Sherman law is
not going to prevent the Wilson ad-
ministration from keeping up the eff
fort Mr.. McReynoIds holds much the
same idea as did George w. Wicker
sham. Attorney General in the Taft
Cabinet. that the people of the coun-
try must be educated to the view that
much a crime as robbing a bank, so
that 5urzes Will be more readily to
convict when the government presents
IA clear case OF 1awbreaking.
Most Of the lawyers in Congress be-
1feve that the Sherman law is strong
enough as IL stands to send those vio-
1aang it to jail. but many Democratic
leaders are of the opinion that it
would be well to strengthen it in this
respect. and this undoubtedly will be
done at the next session of Congress.
The proposed criminal action
against the New Haven officials
would be the first important criminal
case under the Sherman Antitrust
law instituted by the present admins
1ration. The Taft administration was
generally unsuccessful in obtaining
convictions under the criminal pro-
opposition to the law by members of
grand Juries and trial Juries. The
most notable case of this sort was the
trial of the criminal cases against the
beef packers in Chicago This case
was unusually strong and the evidence
was convincing and prepared with
great care by the best legal talent
Notwithstanding all this the jury ac-
quilted the defendants
The grand jury in New York de-
clined to indict in the case against
Sugar Trust officials In the bath
tub cases at Detroit, however, convic- |
lions were obtained at the second
trial In the criminal cases against
the National Cash Register Company, |
Of Dayton, Samuel H. Patterson, pres
sdent of the company, was one of
those convicted