Norwich bulletin., 1916-01-10

New York Jan. 9.-Six Of the eleven former directors of the New York. New Haven and Hartford railroad, charged by the government with criminal vio- lation of the Sherman antitrust law, were found not guilty late today by the jury which for nearly three months has been trying the case. The jury disagreed on the others.
 The Men Acquitted.
 Those acquitted were D. Newton Barney, Pennington, Conn: Robert w. Taft, Providence, R. l.; James s. Hem Frederick F. Brewster of New Haven, and Henry K. McHarg, Stamford, Conn.
 Those on Whom Jury Disagreed.
 Those on whom the jury disagreed were William Rockefeller. New York; Charles F. Brooker, Ansonia. Conn; :; Charles M. Pratt, Brooklyn; Lewis Cass Ledyard, New York, and Edward D. Robbins, New Haven.
 Jury Out 51 Hours.
 The verdict was returned at 4.3G o'clock this afternoon, after 51 hours o1 deliberation, and the jury was dis charged. The final vote on the five defendants upon whom the jurors could not agree stood 8 to 1 for ac- quittal. R. L. Batts, chief counsel fol the government, announced that 1T que ClIIl6 H0 WOutQ InON0 TUT d klCh trial of these five. This will be 3sne he said, before any effort will be made to try the six other former directors of the road who were indicted but who obtained the right to be tried sep arately.
 instructed by Court.
 The 5arors-did not reach their yer Judge Hunt earlier in the day thai they could not agree. Up to that time -noon-they had been deliberatins with, a view to bringing in a verdict on the guilt or innocence of the de fendants collectively. The court ther forts to concur and that if they could not agree upon all, to try and reach g decision on some. The vote on the question of all at that time also stood to 4 for acquittal. it was learned.
 Two Jurors Held Out.
 On returning to the jury room. the jurors renewed their discussion with the courts instructions in mind and unanimously eliminated the six defend ants who were acquitted. Two of the four jurors who had voted against the defendants originally stood firm, how ever, against Messrs. Rockefeller, Led yard, Brooker, Pratt and Robbins Then the other two switched to theiI original position, leaving to as the final verdict.
 From the time the case was submit ted to them at 1.30 o'clock Friday af- ternoon, the jurors took in all IS bal lots. The first stood six for acQuattal four for conviction and two blank. Ii was not until Saturday that they reached the 8 to alignment.
 Rockefeller Not Present.
 William Rockefeller, who is i'll, and Henry K. McEarg were not present rryha he drrrn ho rd nd rrnfidyr filed in the cou< room to render their verdict. The nine other defendants were in their usual seats. Some o1 them, during the long hours of wait- ing. had laughed and joked with coun- sel and newspapermen. Others dis played much nervousness, particularly after Judge Hunts instructions today urging the jury to bring in verdict as to some individually With the en- trance of the iurymen, with their hats and coats in hand, presaging a ver- dict, the mental state of the defend ants was obviously one of tense strain
 Read Names of Those Acquitted.
 After the usual questions by the court as to whether they had agreed on off the names of those acquitted, then those of the defendants upon whom they had failed to agree. The court thanked the jury, but hardly had he concluded his remarks when defend ants attorneys and others in the court a general handshaking. Without re- gard. to their status under the verdict the defendants shook hands with the jurors and with government counsel.
 Charles S. Mellen, former president of the New Haven and the chief wit ness in the case, was not in court.
 Discussed Principal Phases.
 |. principal phases of the case, the jurors said, the chief Issues of debate were the matter of the alleged suppression by the New Haven of the competition of the Joy steamship line and the ac- quisttion of the Boston and Maine charged, the New Haven completed its monopoly of the transportation traffic of New England. The so-called Billiard transactions were virtually ignored the 3urers said, having in the opinion of most of them been ruled out by the charge of Judge Hunt.
 There was also conparatiyely little discussion on the Metropolitan Steam ship deal, the question being whether it was . private transaction of Rob- bins or a joint transaction of all the New Haven directors. The Grand Trunk was also not a pertinent issue 1t was said, The jurors explained that they sought to follow the instructions of the court in his charHo that they should decide first whether the alleged conspiracy. of which the defendants were accused. was In existence in 1890 when ire government charged it be- gan and was continuous down to the date of the indictment. They reached no agreement on this question, they said. Apparently. for the purpose of debate. the jurors assumed that such a conspiracy existed and then took up the defendant phase, The participa- ton of one Of the tiefendanta in fhe