The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-20
Government Hopes for Dis closures From the Former New Haven President Which Will Substantiate Sensational Charges
MELLEN HAS BEEN GRANTED IMMUNITY
 FOR HIS TESTIMONY
Prosecution Breaks Record in Length of Time Taken to State Case-TwO Days Consumed


 len, former president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad com. pany, will take the stand tomorrow as witness for the government in the trial of William Rockefeller. Lewis Cass Ledyard, Edward D. Robbins, and eight other defendants charged, as directors tation traffic of New England by unlaw- full methods Through Mr. Mellen the government ex- poets to prove A large majority of the alleged unlawful acts committed by the New Haven directors which Robert l.. Batts, attorney for the government ha g for two days been describing to the Jury. MT Batts completed his address today. the longest of it's kind in the history of the federal court in this district MT. Mellen probably will not take the stand until the afternoon session, IS the government will first introduce mass of documentary evidence, using as wit resses therefor Arthur Clark present 1 secretary of the New Haven, and Ar thur Russell it's valuation counsel The former president of the New Ha- ven. whose testimony before the federal grand jury and the interstate commerce commission gained him immunity in the case. Is prepared without reserve, the government attorneys believe, to disclose publicly for the first time the full story of the numerous transactions by which the alleged monopoly was effected in so far they came to his knowledge. He will be cross-examned for the de- fense by Richard A. Lindabury, regarded as one of the abest corporation lawyers in the country, and those who have heard MT Mellen testify in other proceedings look for keen battle of wits between the two men.
 Part Played by Mellen
 The recital of MT. Mellens own ac. tivities in New Haven affairs virtually l formed the warp and wool of Mir. Batts address. He was mentioned today as l having gone to President Roosevelt ir I 1907 to learn whether there would be l any federal activity against the New | Haven In connection with it's ownership l of steamship lines. and of having fruit | lessly advised the New Haven directors to sell them to Charles W. Morse, rather l lilHn FISK lne c0dnte Ol IntlT DtlnR ut- | clared unlawfully held.
 Mellen, said the federal attorney. car | ried ready cash around in his pockets | to pay due bills to persons who were procured secretly to acquire for the New | Haven stock of the New York and Port | Chester Railroad company at the time when that company was threatening to | use it's right of way to build a line out of New York that might be connect
 ed with trolley lines to Boston in com | petition with the New Haven.
 | And Mellen never asked the name o1 l the person he paid the money to-" con l tnued the attorney. 'The New Haven.'
 he added, mot only did illegal acts itself, but encouraged others to dc l them"
 | An instance, he said. that a represent
 ative of the company engaged in buy l ing up Port Chester stock was giver l a commission of z F per cent on all the
 money he spent, which encouraged hin l to spend a great deal more"
 Methods Employed
 ''We will show you how MT Meller | reported how he was having trouble ir I buying up this stock on Fourteenth
 street" said the attorney, referring tc l the New York city thoroughfare or | which Tammany Hall is located. 1 Another phase of New Haven affairs | which the government expects to prove 1 by Mir. Mellen. one that has never beer 1 brought out in previous proceedings | was mentioned today by MT. Batts ir | stating that the New Haven was SC cretly purchasing Boston and Maine 1 stock from Kidder. Peabody & Co.,, Bos-
 ton bankers at time when 1t had in. 1 formed the Massachusetts authorities that it had disposed of it's Boston and Maine stock holdings This stock amounting to about 10000 shares, was sold at profit by the Boston bankers according to the evidence in the pos. session of the government, to the Bill lard company. one of the New Ravens so-called dummy corporations. and fir turn sold by the Billiard company tc | the New Haven at another profit. ] "We will show you" declared the fed eral attorney. "where these profits went"
 | The government attorneys were somewhat concerned tonight as to the whereabouts of Warren D. Chase oi 1 Hartford, Conn.,, one of the witnesses subpoenaed to tell of the activities oi 1 Edward D. Robbins, general counsel of the New Haven. In the tangled trans actions through which many of the New Haven's steamship lines were taken 1 Chase Is alleged to have been Robbins agent in tho formation of dummy cor porations Since he was subpoenaed about three weeks ago the government | attorneys have seen nothing Of him and i before adjournment today they had l the clerk of the court call his name N, one responded The attorneys said that if he did not appear tomorrow additional steps would be taken to re- aui"o his attendance.
 Mir. Batts took up more in detail the | story of the alleged monopolstic growth of the New Haven.
 | Rnads Taken Over
 l Regarding the acquisition of certain | ines in eastern Connecticut he charged i that they were taken over in 1903 in I order to prevent the proposed construc-