Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-10-13
BIG F|NANC|ERS
|N,COURT TO ANSWER
CRIMINAL CHARGES
Financial, Social and Com
mercial Leaders Before
United States Court

New York, Oct. 1S.- Arraignment,
preliminary to the governments trial)
of William Rockefeller Theodore N.
Vail, Robert M. Taft, Lewis Case Led
yard, James S. Hemingway, George f.
Baker, Henry X. McHarg and other
nationally known financiers and law
yers charged with criminally cOnspir-
ing as directors and counsel to unlaw-
fully control New England transporta-
tion through the New Haven railroad,
began in the U. s. District court here
today.
Probably never in any courtroom in
this country has such a distinguished
coterie of financial, social and com
mercial leaders gathered to defend
themselves from criminal charges drawn
in an indictment against them by their
own government.
William Rockefeller (alleged con
spiracy leader), is John d. Rockefeller &
brother and one of the wealthiest men
in America. Theodore N. Vail il
president of the American Telephone
& Telegraph company. Hemingway is
an Indiana politician. Ladyard wa;
the late j. P. Morgan's personal coun
sci. McHarg is q southern capitalist
Baker is New York banker and Nor
gan house pardner. Il. Dewitt Cuylei
is a Philadelphia capitalist. Francis 7
Maxwell is a Hartford capitalist
Others named in the indictment are
George Macculloch Miller, Charles F
Brooker D. Newton Barney, Charles
NJ. Pratt, A. Heaton Robertson, Fred
erick +. Brewster, Edward D. Robbins
John ]. Billiard, Edward Mulligan.
4 Alexander Cochrane, Boston capital
ist, is indicted, but the case agains
him may fall at today's hearing.
William Skinner, silk baron of Holy
oke. and bames $. Elton, Waterbury
Conn. banker, were indicted, but thu
charges were quashed because thel
Interstate Commerce Commission testi
mony immunized them.
These are the capitalists and lawyer
federal grand jury has declared prol
ably guilty of plundering and wreck
ing the New Haven road. They wili az
pear TODAY before Judge William a
, Hunt and admit or deny the charges
Pleas of not guilty and long'draWI
trial are expected.
Prison terms and heavy fines TO
Rockefeller, Vail, Baker and their a.
sociates constitute the government
} nunishment IL the defendants ar
proved guilty.
F. The government will attempt TO sho'
} that they, as directors and counsel 10
t directors Of the New Haven, violate
;. the conspiracy clause of the sherma
= Anti Trust law By eonspiring to pyr'
a mid the roads finances and, throng
bnyinp up the Boston & Maine an
other rail lines, gained unlawful col
trol of New England transportation;
Diselosures at the time the road
a affairs were investigated showed 'hs
y millions of dollars Of small investor,
money were banded and juggled I'M
]. snch n financial taugle that y took e.
merit investigators many months 10 y
: AZ the bottom Of the affair
!, widows. orphans, small landhoide,
: aud other small investors, particular
!, in New England, who had sunk = I
J ,Seir life.nviug in New Haven sloel
Z which they had grown TO consider
almost infallible financial institution
souna themselves, when the inyestig
- t;on finally concluded, either poo
q paupers or deep in debt. ,ru
, Iedvard. Pratt, Brooker, Mciiai
. Brewster and Cochrane asked agd we
e denied. separate trials, AZ,
!. Baker. Cuyler, Vail Maxwell and Mv ~,
liean we're granted separate ur