The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times., 1919-12-18
RECEIVES
TEN.YEAR SENTENCE
TO FEDERAL PRISON

The following is the Associated
Press report in regard to the sentence
passed by Judge Landis:
Chicago, Dec. l6.--Federal Judge
Landis today sentenced Samuel G.. Pan
dolfo, organizer and head of the Pan
Motor company, st. Cloud, Min, con.
victed Of using the mails to defraud,
to serve ten years in federal peni.
tentiary and fined him $4,000.
Attorneys for Pandolfo gave notice
that his case will be appealed to the
United States circuit court of appeals
At once.
Pandolfo was found guilty on four
different counts of the indictment.
Judge Lands sentenced him to serve
five year Imprisonment on each Of the
four counts, but stipulated that two
of the sentences ran concurrently and
at the expiration of those that the
other two run concurrently, which will
make the sentence ten yeais. He was
fined $1,000 on each one OF the four
counts or total Of $4,000
Twelve other of ials of the Pan
Motor Company who were tried with
Pandolfo, were acquitted.
The following editorial appeared in
the St. Cloud Daily journal Press in
regard to S. c. Pandolfo as follows:
THE VERDICT
The verdict of the jury in trial. Of
the officers and directors or the Pan
Motor Company, was to he expected
as to the directors, but the verdict OF
guilty on four counts against the pres
ident of the company, was not expect,
ed, and is keen disappointment.
The four counts, as we understand
it, relate to the selling of stock be-
fore Mr.. Pandolfo came to st. Cloud,
and on these counts the Judge charged
the jury that the st. Cloud directors
could not be held.
The verdict of the jury is, therefore
that since the plant was located in
st. Cloud, that no official was guilty
of any unlawful act.
the alleged unlawful acts, commit
ted by Mr.. Pandolfo, was in selling
stock before the company was organ
iZed and the use of the mails in such
sales, although he later made good
in building up big plant, and but
for government interference would
probably have been making cars in
large numbers at least since July last.
st. Cloud people who know the St.
Cloud directors never had any doubt
as to the outcome as regards these
gentlemen. They became members of
the board Of directors simply to help
their home city in the building of a
big industrial plant. They asked moth
ing for themselves, and no better lot
of men can be found in any city. They
are all men of the highest character
and no jury in the land could have con
victed them of any dishonest act-and
to have done so would have been a
rank miscarriage of justice.
The Journal-Press has several times
expressed its opinion of this attempt
of the government to break down an
important industry, and the result SO
far as the directors were involved
amply sustains its position, that II
was persecution, rather than prose-
cution. To drag men from their own
STAGE, where there are courts and
honest jurymen, and subject them to
weeks of expensive litigation, when
any man with an honest sense of fair
play would have known they were not
guilty, is certainly a most drastic act
The government has expended an
immense amount of money in this case
1t has raked the country over with
postofiice inspectors and employees OF
the so-called department of justice
over four hundred witnesses are said
to have been subpoenaed by the dis
trct attorney, and only "a put on the
stand. One witness was even brought
from France, whose testimony was
not of the slightest value. When con.
gress starts in on an investigation OF
the reckless expenditure or the tax
payers money by government officials
good place to tsart would be in the
federal courts.
Mr.. Pandolfo is playing in hard luck
but in spite of the verdict of the jury
ne came through the fire of the trial
as a real man. He was wonderful
witness, and the most searching eros
examination by the government attor-
neys for many hours, never caused
him the least confusion, or to change
his evidence in the slightest degree
He did not attempt to evade any OF
the responsibility, but accepted what
ever was coming. Some man is Pan
Sow the war is ended, and why i
was ever started is still an unsolveC
mystery, with the government figh
against a legitimate industry over
there is no reason why the Par Moto
Company should not 20 ahead and be
come great success. All it needs i
more working capital, and over mil
lion dollars is due it on stock pay
ments. The company has well-equil
ped plant, and has perfected probabl,
the best automobile for the price ol
the market today. The way to sue