The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-10-11
new HAVEN MEN
TO FACE TRIAL
ELEVEN DIRECTORS AND oENER
Al COUNSEL or ROAD TO
BE TRIED FoR CON-
SPiRAcv.
Three Given Immunity and Six sepa.
rate TriaIs-Forner President
meIien to Be star Witness.

NEW YORK. Oct 1o.-Eleven d.
rectors and former directors OF the
New York. New Haven & Hartford
Railroad. and Edward ID. Robbins,
general counsel OF the road. face trial
this week on a charge OF conspirfng
to monopolixe the transportation traf-
nc OF New England. They are to be
called to the bar In the Federal Court
before Judge Hunt. on Wednesday.
While the trial IL one of q number
OF proceedings that have been direct
ed In the past few years against the
New Haven road. involving the ques-
ton OF alleged violation OF the Sher-
man antitrust law. II II the first un-
der which the directors themselves
are brought into court. with the pros
pect OF facing imprisonment. The
maximum penalty. IL they are convict
ed. Ii one year In prison and IS 900
fine. as provided in that section Of
the Sherman law known as the GRIM
inal clause.
The Indictment OF the defendants,
which occurred last November, repre-
sents the efforts Of the government to
carry to an Issue IN the courts the
question OF the personal guilt OF the
directors OF an alleged monopolistic
corporation. The proceedings were
taken. II is understood. at the direct
fnstigation OF President Wilson.
There were originally 81 defend
ants. whose names are among the
foremost in financial affairs in the
United States. Three OF these gained
immunity on the ground that they
had testified at previous New Haven
proceedings. and six were granted
separate trials on the plea that they
were not directors when certain of
| the acts charged in the indictemnts
were committed.
Twelve TO Co On Trial.
The twelve others who go to trial on
Wednesday are:
William Rockefeller. Lewis Cass
Ledyard, George MacCullough Miller,
! Charles F. Brooker. Charles NJ Pratt,
Edward ID. Robbins. ID. Newton Bar.
ney. Robert w. Taft. A. Heaton Robert
son. James s. Hemingway. Henry X.
McHarg and Frederick F. BREWSTER.
The six last named are still listed
as directors OF the New Haven.
( The six granted a separate trial are
George +. Baker, T. Dewitt Guyler,
Theodore ". Vail. Francis T. Maxwell,
Edward Milligan and Alexander Coch-
rane. The three given immunity were
William Skinner. James Shelton and
John Billiard.
The indictments we're procured
chiefly on the testimony of Charles s.
Mellen, former president OF the New
Haven who is expected TO be the gov
ernment's star witness at the trial.
They charge in general way that the
New Haven directors for the past
twenty-five years. in fact from the day
OF the enactment of the Sherman law.
July 2. 1890, combined under the con-
troll or the road virtually all the rail-
roads. trolley lines and water lines of
New England which they did not drive
out OF business, thus extinguishing all
competition. More than 100 corpora.
lions are mentioned in the Indictment
as thus having been unlawfully con
trolled. For the government more
than 100 witnesses have been sub.
poenaed and il IL believed that the
trial will last three months at least.