Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-22
PREPARATIONS MADE
FOR DISSOLUTION OF
NEW HAVEN SYSTEM
Wilson'S Order That Criminal
Aspects Be Given Order
Creates Discussion
INDICTMENTS TO BE SOUGHT
McReynolds Indicates That He
Will First Endeavor to Get
Bill Against Mellen
INDICTMENTS TO BE SOUGHT

Washington, d. c.. July 22.-Prepa-
ra tions for the actual filing or the gov
ernment's long-delayed suit to dis
solve the New Haven railroad system
III accordance with President wilson S
instructions were being made to-day
by the Department of Justice. In
letter to Attorney General McReynolds
the President not only directed that
civil action be instituted against the
New Haven. but ordered that the
criminal aspects of the case he laid
before a federal grand jury.
Decision to proceed against the New
Haven ended the long continued efforts
to solve the case without litigation.
The President and his Cabinet had dis
cussed the case and the course of the
Department of Justice was approved.
The civil suit was to be fled against
the New Haven in the United States
court at New York Immediately. The
Attorney General also was to direct
the United States marshal at New
York to summon grand jury ana
work of laying evidence before II on
which to ask for criminal indictments
against officials and directors of the
New Haven under the management of
ex-President Charles s. Mellen were to
be begun at the earliest moment
To Have Full Charge
T. w. Gregory, special assistant in
charge of the cases, was to have full
charge of the civil suit and before the
grand jury was to have the aid of F.
NJ. Swacker. an Interstate Commerce
Commission expert, who assisted him
in preparing the evidence. How many
indictments were to be sought had not
been divulged early to-day. but cor
respondence made public plainly indi-
Gated that Mr.. MCReynolds expected to
ask for bill against Mr. Mellen. The
most significant fact in connection
with the proceedings was said TO be a
statement made public by Mr. McReyn-
olds months ago when the Interstate
Commerce Commission began its New
Haven investigation in which he
warned the commission to consider
whether immunity might be given to
certain men if made to testify as to
their actions as directors of the road.
The names he mentioned were Charles
S Mellen, William Rockefeller, George
Mccullough Miller Charles f. Brooker,
Edward Miner, Lewis Cass Ledyard,
George +. Baker and Edward d. Rob-
bins
In his letter to Mr.. McReynolds ad-
vising suit the President declared that
the decision of the New Haven di-
rectors not to keep their agreement to
dissolve peacefully has caused him
the deepest surprise and regret and
that their failure upon so slight a
pretext" was "inexplicable and en-
tirely without Justification"
Course Is just
The departments course. he as
serted, was just, reasonable and eff
cient. In the correspondence made
public by the department which ac-
companied President Wilson'S letter
were communications between the At
torney General and President and the
Attorney General and President Hus-
tbs. of the New HavenH
feature of the correspondence was
Attorney General McReynolds' letter to
the President which contained a re-
buke for the Interstate Commerce
Commission in subpenaing Mellen and
perhaps others fagrantly culpable"
with the possible result of embarrass-
ing the department by claims of M
munity in return for their testimony.
iii this connection Mr.. McReynolds
stated that criminal prosecutions had
always been in mind and that there
had never been the slightest hope
that parties guilty of criminal vio-
lations of the law would eScape."