Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-05
ARMOUR AND VEST.
Chairman Vest TOuchingly Discusses the
Absence of the Big Packer.
Philip Styles Him the Champion and Advocate
Of the st. Louis Deserted Cattle
arkets-Adiournment.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, Sept. 4.-The senatorial IN.
! vestigation into the dressed beef and trans
portation industries arrived at a position thi:
morning, when it became necessary to resort tC
vigorous measures or acknowledge the whole
affair to be a stupendous farce. G. E. Swift,
the millionaire dressed beef dealer, had been
| subpanaed for the third time and it was reported
that he had agreed to appear before the com
mission this morning. He did not come and
the messenger who served the summons was
called.
''what did Mr.. Swift say?'' asked Senator
Farwen.
''He said he would be here without fail -
you are sure you saw him in persona asked
Senator Vest, who was evidently laboring under
suppressed indignation.
The messenger accurately described the deIin-
quent packer.
.'Yon saw Mr.. Armour again?''
" did. -
''And what did he say?''
''He told me it would be extremely inconven-
lent for him to be here at this hour, but he
would send word as to when he would come
HE has sent no WOrd?''
''No.''
Senator Coke took huge piece of plug to-
bacco from his pocket and transferring a large
hall to his mouth, rolled it about refectively.
1t began to look serious and the three senators
leaned over the table and engaged in a whispered
consultation. Just then Secretary George T.
Williams of the Union stock wards and transit
company entered the room. He was ordered
the other day to again appear before the COM
a list of the stockholders in his company. At
the request of Senator Vest Mr.. Williams took
seat in the witness stand.
''YOu have that liSt?' asked Senator FarWeQ.
Mr. Williams murmured: NO
why not?'' demanded Senator Vest with
flashing eyes.
y Thought it best to see counsel about the
matter, and have been advised not to furnish a
list
''Then you decline, as secretary of the COM
pany, to produce list Of the stockhOlders?''
II DO. -
''That is all, sir.''
Mr.. Williams was only too glad to get away,
and again the senators consulted together. Sen
atOr Farweu was asked what the commission
proposed TO do in case Messrs. Armour, Swift
and Morris failed to make their appearance.
I'VE nave not considered such an emergency
Twin you take measures to force them to
come imp
81 can't say. I do not think it will be neces-
sary."
At the afternoon meeting Chairman Vest, in
discussing the absence of Mr.. Armour and other
gentlemen, said ne was sorry q number of per-
sons, including the heads of several of the prom
inent dressed beef firms, had refused to attend
the sessions OF the committee and had paid no
attention to its subpGnaes. Mr.. Vest said there
no doubt about the power of the commission
to compel the'attendance of persons summoned
before it as witnesses, and read several statu-
tory clauses providing for punishment by fine
and Imprisonment of parties willfully failing
to appear before committees of either
house OF congress. Mr.. Vest, continuing, said
that although they could compel attendance they
could not compel unwilling witnesres to testify
to all they knew and he feared If they had those
parties brought in before them now they would
find themselves in the same predicament they
were in at the start All they could do, there
fore, was to report the facts to the senate with
view to having the matter placed in the hands of
the district attorney OF Columbia and brought
by him before the Federal grand jury.
q have here telegram" con-
tinued Senator Vest, ''about which
/ had desired to personally ask
Mr.. Armour had he appeared here. I intended
m INIT
inasmuch as he has refused TO appear here will
now make him positively aware of its contents.
1t sent to me by g gentleman about
whose responsibility there can be question.
FREELAND, Padre. Is, 1888.
Can't allow Schwab to continue killing live
stock. If he will not stop make other arrange
ments, and make the price so we can get his
trade. ARMOUR q Co.
The following was unanimously passed, after
which the committee adjourned:
Whereas, Phillip Armour, Nelson Morris,
Louis f. Swift, Frank F. VOgel, Joseph S. New
man and Jacob z. Meyer have been duly and
fore this committee, and have repeatedly re-
fused to obey the same, it is ordered that the
facts be reported to the chairman of the ser
ate of the United States at its next session,
in pursuance of the charter of the Revised
Statutes of the United States.
After this action had been taken a reporter for
the Associated Press called on Mr.. Armour and
asked for an interview. Mr.. Armour thereupou
made the following statement: 1.-The reason we
was that we knew we could not expect fair treat.
ment from the hands of Mr.. Vest, who is noto-
riously on record as opposed to the dressed beef
business. He is the champion and advocate of
the st. Louis deserted cattle markets and OPP
posed to Chicago interests. He has been
friendly to all the hostile beef inspection bills
that have been introduced in the various state
against Chicago dressed beef which,
if passed, would have destroyed this business
We are perfectly willing to appear before an inn
partial committee and give any information per-
tanning to our business which is not of strictly
private nature. We have never exerted any
influence to depress the price of cattle or in
crease the price of dressed beef. On the other
hand, it is a well-known fact that cattle are
81 per hundred higher than they would
be if it was not for the dressed beef industry
and we can get great deal more out of 4 bull
lock than butcher or q man who kills in small
quantities. We have never had any associa-
ton with Swift, Hammond or Morris directly or
in the purchase of cattle. The tele-
gram that Mr.. Vest read this afternoon for the
sake of getting it on record was directed to our
own agent, whom we had perfect right to
tell that he should not kill cattle if he sold
our dressed beef and it is entirely stripped of
its force when the fact is understood that the
man was our own representative.
The committee of senators adjourned to meet
Friday at DeS Moines.