, 1889-09-05
The Dressed Beef investigation.

CHICAGO, Sept. 4.-The senatorial in
vestigation into the dressed beef and
transportation industries arrived at a pc
sition this morning where it became nee
essary to resort to vigorous measures or
acknowledge the whole affair 3 farce. G..
L. Swift, the millionaire dressed beef
dealer, had been s~ubpoenaed for the third
time, and it was reported he agreed to ap
pear this morning. He did not come.
L. ID. Armour, on whom a III was
served. stated he could not come at the
hour named but would let the commits.
sioners know when he would be able to
attend. Secretary George L.. Williams
of the Union Stock Yards ompany who
was ordered TO appear with a list of the
stock holders of the company and other in-
formation. was on hand, but on the ad-
vice OF his counsel refused to give the
names. The first witness examined was
President Sherman of the Stock Yards
company. His testimony gave an insight
into the extent of the business and bust
ness methods OF the company. In au-
! swer to the question as to whether there
were any relations between the stock yards
at Omaha and Kansas City and those at
Chicago, ne said there was none.
AT the afternoon meeting, Chairman
Vest in discussing the absence of Mr..
Armour and other gentlemen. said he was
sorry these gentlemen had refused to attend
but although they could compel their at
tendance they couldn't compel an
unwilling witness to testify to
all they know. | have here a
telegram, continued Senator Vest, about
which L have a desire to personally ask
Mr. Arpnour hut 40 h. H. -g...I a.
appear here | will read it anyway. 1t was
sent me by gentlemen about whose re-
spectahili,y there can be no question. The
message is as follows:
FREEMAN, Dec, 1SSS.-Can't allow
Schwab to continue killing I've stock. If
he will not stop make other arrangements
and mend the peace so we can get his
trade lSignedl Armour & Co." The
following was then unanimously passed,
after which the committee adjourned:
Whereas, Phillip Armour. Nelson
Morris, Louis L. Swift, Frank Il Vogel,
j. 5. Newman and Jacob Meyer having
been duly and lawfully summoned to ap-
have repeatedly refused to obey the same,
it is ordered that the facts be reported to
the chairman OF the senate of the United
States at its next session"
a reporter for the Associated Press
called on Mr.. Armour and asked for an
interview. Mr.. Armour made the fol-
lowing statement:
The reason we did not appear before
the senatorial committee was that we
knew we could not expect fair treatment
from the hands of Senator Vest who is
VIGOROUSLY on record as opposed to the
dressed beet business. He is the cham
pion and advocate of the deserted cattle
market and opposed to Chicago's inter
ests. He has been friendly to all hostile
beei inspection bills that have been intro
dCced in various state legislatures against
Chicago dressed beef, which if passed
would have destroyed this business.
w are perfectly willing to appear be-
fore an impartial committee and give any
information pertaining to our business
which Is not OF a strictly private nature.
We have never exerted any influence to
depress the price of cattle OF increase the
price OF dressed beef. On the otherhand, it
is n well knewn fact that cattle are 81 90
per hundred higher than they would be
ii it was not for the dressed beef industry
and We can get a great deal more out of
the bullock than the butcher or the man
who kills in small quantities. We have
never had any association. with Swift,
Hammond or Morris directly or indirectly
in the purchase OF cattle.
THE telegram Mr.. Vest read this af-
ternoon for the sake of getting it on
record was directed to our own agent who
held the perfect right that he should not
kill cattle if he sold our dressed beef and
it is entirely stripped OF its force when
the facts are understood"