Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-07-23
CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS LATER
CIVIL ACTION BEGINS ToBoeoAN
OF COMBINATION IN
RESTRAINT"
EXHIBIT SHOWS LOOT DIVIDED
NEW ENGLAND SHAKEN IN DICE
I BOX AND ROADS BOTH
WIN

New York, July 23.-CiviI suit to
force the separation of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford Railroad
company from its subsidiary rail, trolley
and steamship lines, and the Sherman
antitrust act was filed in the federal
court here today by Attorney General
McReynolds.
The suit begun today has no actual
connection with thu criminal indict.
ments, which the attorney general will
ask federal grand jury to return
against New Haven officers and di-
rectors concerned in the upbuilding
OF the alleged unlawful combination in
restrain of trade. The criminal pro-
ceedings will be conducted independ-
emily of the civil suit and the failure
or success of one is not expected to
affect the others.
T. w. Gregory, special assistant to
the attorney general who wrote and
filed the brief. and M. Swacker, ex-
pert from the interstate commerce
commission, who has worked many
months on the case, are expected to
lay the evidence before the grand jury
on which indictments will be asked.
Tt was understood her today that these
officials have sufficient evidence to
make prima facie case against many
New Haven officers and directors, and
If this viewis correct, indictments may
be returned within few weeks.
The brief written by Mr. Gregory,
charges the New Haven with being an
unlawful monopoly, which controls
more than 80 per cent of the rail-
roads and trolley traffic of all New
England and more than S5 per cent Of
the steamship transportation of that
region. The brief suggests that If
the court does best it appoint a re-
ceiver to take over the property
Document offered in Evidence
The brief carries with it an exhibit
purporting to be COPY of an agree
ment between representatives of the
New Haven and the Boston and Maine,
made on March6. 1898 by which those
two roads divided New ENGLAND be-
tween themselves. This agreement
purports to have been made at the
home of the late ]. P. Morgan in New
York. At that time the two roads
concerned were entirely separate.
Under the agreement the New Ha-
ven was to aid the Boston and Maine
TO ACQUIRE the transportation lines north
OF a certain line. the Boston and
Maine to aid the New Haven to the
same end south of tnat line. Tn bill
does not show any termination of this
agreement, but years afterwards the
Now Haven. after II had secured the
lines south, and after the Boston and
Maine had taken up most OF those
north. in turn took over the Boston
and Maine, and became the almost un-
disputed master of the field from the
coast line of Connecticut to the st.
Lawrence river and the Canadian bor-
der.
Round About Methods Charged
The New Haven, the bill declares
resorted to many elusive and round
ahout methods to cover its tracks in
perfecting its combination; it acquired
properties. got control, Impoverished
competitors and bought them in and
resorted to many illegal practices TO
attain its end.
New England makes, the bill says
about $4,000, 100000 worth Of products
annually, and there is consequently
a heavy movement to and from that
section. so that transportation mon
opolv there is of vast interest 10 every
section Of the United States.