Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-13
Three Months Trial over Alleged
Criminal Violation of Sher-
man Antitrust Law Comes
to End Late Sunday.
JURY IS OUT 81 HOURS
Barney, Taft, Hemingway Rob-
ertsOr, Brewster and McHarg
Acquitted-A Disagreement
over Rockefeller, BROKER,
Pratt, Ledyard and Robbins.

New York, Jan. Six of the eleven
former directors of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford railroad, charged by
The government with criminal violation
IF the Sherman antitrust law. were found
not guilty late to-day by the jury which
for nearly three months has been trying
the case. The jury disagreed on the
others.
Those acquitted were y. Newton
Barney, Pennington. Conn: Robert w
Taft, Providence, II. L. James S. Hem
inEway, A. iIeaton Robertson and Fred
er1ck r. Brewster, New Haven. and |
Henry *. Mclarg. Stamford, Conn
Those on whom the jury disagreed were
William Rockefelcr New York: Charles |
f. BROKER. Ansonia. Conn Charles NJ
Pratt. Brooklyn; Lewis Cass Ledyard.
New York, and Edward d. Robbins, New
Haven.
or the Ave defendants whose guilt or
innocence was not decided. William
Rockefeller was the only one whose term
of service as n New Haven director
continued throughout the entire time of
the alleged conspiracy. He antedated
Charles $rooker by three years Messrs
Ledyard and Pratt took part In the
transactions which led to the acquisition
Of the stock of the Boston & Maine In
1907. Edward d. Robbins was general
counsel of the road and figured in the
Metropolitan steamship transactions
which accompanied by tho formation Of
number of alleged dummy corporations
resulted in the transfer of the steamships
Harvard and Yale to the Pacific coast
The other directors were little mention
ed in the evidence, and their chief de-
Tense was that they depended upon the
advice Of Charles s. Mellen or Robbins
in the acts charged against them, which
virtually consisted of casting their votes
In favor OF propositions which came be-
fore the board of directors for approval.
TRIAL BEGAN OCTOBER IL.
The defendants We're indicted on Febru-
AIRY 2s 1915. The trial began October -,
last. It was estimated tonight that it en-
tailed an expense to the government and
defendants OF three-quarters of a million
dollars
The verdict was returned at 40 o'clock
this afternoon after 81 hours of delibern-
ton and tho jury was discharged. The
final vote on the five defendants upon
whom the jurors could not agree stood
to for acquittal. r. l.. Bats. chief coun-
sci for the government announced that In
due time he would move for a new trial
OF these five This will be done he said
before any effort will be made to try the
six other former directors of the road who
We're indicted. but who obtained the right
to be tried separately
IMPOSSIBLE TO AGREE
The jurors did not reach their verdict
until after they had reported to Judge
Hunt earlier in the day that they could
not agree. Up to that time-noon-they
had been celebrating with a view to
! bringing I'm a verdict on the guilt or
innocence of the defendants collectively.
/ The court then instructed them 10 make
/ further efforts to concur and that if
/ they could not agree upon ali. to try and
reach a decision on some The vote on
/ tho question Of all at that time also stood
$ To 4, for acouittal. it was learned
| ON returning to the Jury room the
jurors renewed their discussion with the
courts instruction In mind and unani-
mously eliminated the six defendants who
were acquitted Two OF the four jurors,
who had voted against the defendants
originally stood firm. however, against
Messrs. Rockefeller Ledyard, Brookor
Pratt and Robbins, Then the other two
switched TO their original position, leaving
to as the final verdict.
IS BALLOTS TAKEN.
From tho time the case was submit
ted to them at 80 o'clock Friday af.
ternoon. the jurors took in all eighteen
ballots. The first stood six for &c.
Quittal, four for conviction and two
blank. 1t was not until Saturday that
they reached the eight 10 four align
mont.
William Rockefeller, who Is ILL., ant
Henry X, NcHIarg. were not present
when the jurors haggard and untidy
filed in the courtroom to render theil
verdict, The nine other defendant.
were in their usual seats Some 81
them, during the long hours OF wait
ing had laughed and joked with coun
sci and newspaper men. others hac
evidenced much nervousness. particu
larly after Judge Hunts instruction.
to-day urging the jury to bring in
verdict as to some individually. witt
the entrance of the jurymen. with thei,
hats and coats in hand. prcsaginG
verdict, the mental state of the de
PENDANTS was obviously one of tens,
strain
, GENERAL HANDSHAkING
After the usual questions by the cour
as 10 whether they had agreed upon
verdict. the foreman of the jury read OF
. the names of those acquitted, then thos
! of the defendants upon whom they ha
failed to agree Tho court thanked tn
jury, but hardly had he concluded hi
remarks when defendants attorneys an
others in the court room were on thei
( feet and there was general handshak
u ing. Without, regard for their statu
Il under the verdict, the defendants shoe
n hands with the jurors and with govern
!. mont counsel
n Charles :. Melcn, former president c
f tho New Haven and the chief witness
il the case, was not in court
T. While they had discussed all the prime
nal phases of debate were tho matter {
chief issues of debate We're the matter q
o the alleged suppression by the New Have
}; of the competition of the Joy STEAMSHIP
h line and the acquisition of the Boston
Il Mainc railroad, by which the EoyernmeT