Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-07-16
NEGOTIATIONS ARE
DEPENDENT UPON
DIRECTORS ACTION
Question of Criminal Indict.
ments in New Haven Case
Will Await Outcome of
Dissolution Effort.

washington, July A-Final determina-
ton # the question of whether criminal
indictments shall be sought by the de-
partmcnt OF justice against directors OF
the New Haven railroad probably VIII
not be reached until the conclusion or
the negotiations for a peaceful dissolu-
ton of that system The fate of these
negotiations is said to depend largely
on the action of the New Haven board
at meeting in New York Thursday.
The department cannot reach the New
Haven directors for any of the financial
transactions which brought down upon
their heads the condemnation of the In
terstate commerce commission. It can
only act through the antitrust act, winch
has a section making it a criminal Of
! Tense to enter into a conspiracy in re-
strant Of trade.
Past experiences with this section of
the act has not encouraged law officials
OF the government to ask indictments
for directors or other officials of alleged
combinations which 1t sought to dissolve.
Juries have been loath to render YER
diets of guilty and judges have not been
disposed to impose prison sentences.
However, the widespread publicity given
to the New Haven case and the unquali-
fed assertion Of the interstate commerce
commission that the directors Of the New
Haven knew that they were acquiring
and combining competing properties may
put n different aspect on this case.
STATEMENTS NOT EVIDENCE.
The commissions statements are moi
l9tri hue ,q1t iGf
the question of how this information viii
, appeal to the grand jury. It has beer
Z known for months that tho department
| Of justice is in possession of vas
, amount of information concerning tin
New Haven much Of which is in accorc
with the information secured by tn
r commission. but some of which is said T.
contradict testimony given by prominen
= witnesses before the commissions New
5 Haven Investigation. This contradictor,
: evidence, offered to the commission a
t tho time Of the investigation, was no
accepted but if indictments are sough
, 1t might he laid before a grand iur,
: for the purpose of settling the question
. Of whether immunity has been give
l witnesses who helped the commission. I
' a contradiction is shown clearly som
officials believe that immunity Nigh
not he granted
1t was recalled here tonight that a
the time the commission purposed Z
subpoena Charles s Mellen and other di
rectors of the New Haven Attorney
General McReynods made public a let
ter to the commission in which he dis
cussed the effect of their appearance
: upon any criminal prosecution whic
the government may desire hereaft I
f institute"
Mr.. Mckeynolds said he was notifie
q that the commission intended to sum
mon Charles s. Mellen. VIM. Rockefeller
. George NJ. Miller, Charles T. Rrookel
= Edwin Miner, Lewis CaSs Ledyarc
9 George f. Baker and Edward D. Rob
bins
S 1t has been well understood in admin
e istration circles that the department
\ anxious to get the civil dissolution g
+ the New Haven out of the way before
, takes up any other phase of the cast
. According to the department theory {
= the matter the New Haven grip on tn
. transportation Of New England Is absC
= lutte and it is more imperative that it h
. broken than that a few indictments b
T asked for which could not in any wa
g restore competition in that section.