New Britain herald., 1915-10-28
MERIDEN ROAD WAS
 BOUGHT SECRETLY
Judge Robertson Held Line for Over Two Years for 'NeW Haven"

New York, Oct. 2s.-The activities of Judge A. Heaton Robertson of New Haven, one of the eleven former di-
 rectors of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad on trial for al- legged violation of the Sherman anti trust law, figured yesterday for the first time in the presentation of the governments case. He was repre- scented as having secretly purchased for the New Haven interests the Meri- den, Waterbury and Connecticut River
 railroad, line which John M. Hall, then vice-president of the New Ha- ven, thought should be swept off the face of the earth"
 Judge Robertson kept it for more than two years, according to corre- spondence introduced yesterday. meanwhile turning over to the New
 Haven its rolling stock, and finally the road itself under a lease au- thorized by the New Haven board of directors. This, it appeared, was aft CT the patrons of the road had been complaining because it was not oper- ated and the New Haven management feared that the real ownership would become known and make political trouble in the Connecticut legislature unless the road was operated.
 History Of Transaction.
 The history of the transaction, in- troduced in the form of letters writ ten by Hall, was put in by the govern ment in pursuance to it's effort to show that even after the New Haven directors were apprised by the Trans Missouri rate case decision in 1897 that the Sherman law was applicable to railroads, they continued in their alleged illegal acts. Charles S. Mel len who occupied the stand Dr his sixth day of testimony, served the government as the instrument for identifying the signature of the let ters, but did very little testifying.
 Edward D. Robbins one of the de- fendants, but then attorney for the Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River, also figured in the transaction. That road, one of the lines allied to the New York. and New England road, had, along with the New Eng land, gone into the hands of a re- ceiver and Judge Robertson bought it at the receivers sale in 1896. Hall wrote to Robbins asking him in whose name the check should be made
 Have Robertson Pay Check.
 "I should like to have it arranged so that payment of the check shall not be disclosed,'' he wrote. 'I don't see why Judge Robertson can't pay the check right to you.'
 The fact that it was subsequently based by the New Haven was shown by the introduction of minute of the board of directors.
 "This road,'' said MT. Mellen, in tracing it's route on the map, was the same road the New Haven wanted me to bring a suit again when l first went with them in 1892"
 Brandeis Plaintiff's Attorney.
 The disclosure that Louis Brandeis of Boston, was the attorney for the plaintiffs in the so-called Goldsmith suit, which resulted in the New York and New England going into fore closure in 1895, was made to the jury l yesterday. The government alleged l that this suit was secretly prosecuted | at the behest of the New Haven. Ad- | ditional testimon indicating the New | Havens complicity in the matter vkls | introduced with the reading of a | guarantee of identification made to | Austin Corbin, the original instigator | of the suit, by J. P. Morgan, Lucius l Futile, William Rockefeller and c. P. l Clark, all directors of the New Ha- | ven. .t
 The expenses of the suit it was brought out, cost the New Haven | S1O,000