Page 1 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission 

CEA CASES 

NAME: G. H. MILLER AND COMPANY; GILBERT H. MILLER; HOWARD RANDOLPH, D/B/A 

RANDOLPH AND COMPANY; REFRIGERATED PRODUCTS, INC.; J.W. HARDING; CENTRAL IOWA 

POULTRY AND EGG COMPANY; JOHN H. SNOWGREN; ALLEN HEADLEE, D/B/A HEADLEE PRODUCE 

COMPANY; E.E. HUMMEL AND K. HUMMEL, D/B/A HUMMEL PRODUCE COMPANY; ALBERT SCHIRM, 

D/B/A SCHIRM PRODUCE COMPANY; LEO HAGEN; A.L. MYRICK, D/B/A MARKET PRODUCE 

COMPANY; LEWIS R. VAN SANT AND ROY ROUNTREE, D/B/A DATED EGG COMPANY 

DOCKET NUMBER: 60 

DATE: FEBRUARY 24, 1959 

DOCUMENT TYPE: SUMMARY OF CASE 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Washington, February 24, 1959 

U.S. Supreme Court Denies Appeal of Egg Market Manipulators: 

The U S. Department of Agriculture today issued the following statement: 

The appeal of G. H. Miller and Company, of Chicago, and its president, 

Gilbert H. Miller, from an order of USDA's Judicial Officer, Thomas J. Flavin, 

imposing sanctions for manipulating and cornering the Chicago egg market, was 

denied today (Feb. 24) by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The court refused a writ of certiorari sought by the respondents to review a 

decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago. The appeals court affirmed 

the decision and order of the Judicial Officer of Sept. 25, 1956, revoking the 

registration of G. H. Miller and Company as a futures commission merchant and 

that of Mr. Miller as a floor broker, and directing all contract markets to 

refuse them all trading privileges for one year. 

The Government's complaint in this case, based on investigations by USDA's 

Commodity Exchange Authority, charged that Mr. Miller, the Company, and 13 other 

traders, acting collectively, attained a dominant "long" position in the 1952 

December egg future on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and controlled the 

deliverable supply of refrigerator eggs. 

Charges of price manipulation and cornering, violations of the Commodity 

Exchange Act, were sustained by USDA's Judicial Officer, who found that the 

respondents pressured prices upward by controlling the deliverable supply and 

creating an artificial scarcity. 

In denying a petition to review and set aside the Judicial Officer's decision 

the U.S. Court of Appeals found that the traders involved cornered the egg 

futures market, manipulated prices, and realized a profit on their manipulative 

venture of $ 162,695.15. 

The sanctions which the Judicial Officer ordered imposed on the respondents 

in this case have been held in abeyance pending outcome of the appeal to the 

Supreme Court by the principal respondents, and will become effective at a date 

to be determined by USDA's Judicial Officer, The sanctions are as follows; 

Registration of G. H. Miller and Company as futures commission merchant, and 

of Gilbert H. Miller as floor broker, revoked, and trading privileges on all 

contract markets ordered denied for 1 year. 
Page 2 

Howard Randolph, doing business as Randolph and Company, Guthrie Center, 

Iowa; Refrigerated Products, Inc., and J. W. Harding, Fort Worth, Texas, denied 

trading privileges for one year. 

Central Iowa Poultry and Egg Company, and John H. Snowgren, Marshalltown, 

Iowa; Allen Headlee, doing business as Headlee Produce Company, Coon Rapids, 

Iowa; A. L. Myrick, doing business as Market Produce Company, Fort Worth, Texas; 

Lewis R, Van Sant and Boy Rountree, partners, doing business as Dated Egg 

Company, Houston, Texas, denied trading privileges for six months. 

E. E. Hummel and K. Hummel, partners, doing business as Hummel Produce Compaq 

Oakland, Iowa; Albert Schirm, doing business as Schirm Produce Company, Walnut, 

Iowa, and Leo Hagen, Guthrie Center, Iowa, denied trading privileges for 60 

days. 

USDA 517-59 

LOAD-DATE: June 12, 2008 
Page 3