The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-04-17
Big squad of Them summoned Before the
Grand Jury in Chicago

Grand Jury in Chicago.
Chicago, April 16.-Forty officers,
agents, and clerks of the ten big rail-
roads running east from Chicago have
! been summoned to appear before the
| federal grand jury in this city on May
and tell what they know about dis
/ eliminating in freight charges against
the general public in favor of the big
meat packing concerns at the Union
stock yards, the large grain firms on
the board Of trade and others.
Inklike secrecy has been maintained
by the government officers in Chicago
regarding the coming investigation, and
every possible means has been taken TO
keep the entire matter in complete dark
ness until the railroad magnates were
in the tolls and the prosecution ready
TO strike
District Attorney Black professed ig-
nOrance when asked about the coming
drag net yesterday, but the chief clerk
OF the United State district court &C
knOwledged that subpOenas had been is
sued for a number of prominent railroad
officers and shippers, but refused to di-
vulge their names, Notwithstanding the
fact that the whole proceeding is of the
utmost public Importance. 1t remained
for the railroad men themselves TO
throw light on the subject.
The coming investigation is the result
Of the report of Detectives Marchand Of
the interstate commerce commission,
who has been at work in Chicago for
about two weeks securing evidence
against the different railroads, and Of
the recent prying into the affairs of the
dressed beef trust by government au-
thorities.
1t is said that District Attorney
Black is in POSSESSING Of sufficient evil
dence TO indict the freight officers of
every road running east from Chicago,
as well as every big meat packer at the
stock yards, and a score or more of the
large grain shippers on the board Of
trade. To these may be added a num-
ber of wholesale merchants who have
been favored with Illegal concessions by
the railroad companies.
As soon as the United States supreme
court decided that raidroad officers and
shippers must testify in full regarding
violations Of the interstate laws, though
such testimony incriminate the witness,
or be in contempt OF court, the COM
merce commission dispatched ennis
saries to Chicago to secure cut-rate evil
dence against the railroads and ship
pers, which was known to exist. 1t was
generally supposed that the commits
sion's agents were working against the
western roads, and not until the sub
poenas were issued was it known that it
was the officers of the east-bOund lines
that were to be put on the rack.
In the Brown decision the govern |
ment has a powerful weapon with which |
to open the mouths of the givers and |
receivers of illegal cut rates and re-
bates.
On January last all Of the important |
railroads between New York and Chi |
cago entered into an iron-clad agree |
ment, known as the Joint Traffic asso-
citation, the ostensible' object of which |
was strictly TO maintain the same |
freight and passenger rates to all. Pre- |
vious to the formation Of this pool the |
railroad officers frankly admitted that |
rates were secretly cut and concessions |
made freely to favored patrons, but say
that since January 1 not a pound of |
freight has gone east from Chicago ex-
cept at the regular published tariff.
This Joint Traffic association has been
nothing but a blind before the eyes of
the small shippers. The agreement has
had no effect with the big patrons of the
roads, who have continued to receive
their usual inside rebates. This practice
has been especially obnoxious at the
stock yards. The meat packers own a
of the refrigerator ears used in
this traffic. The BUSINESS is enormous
and the rate situation is rotten to the
core.
From twenty to twenty-five trains of
fresh meats, averaging twenty cars to
the train, leave the stock yards for the
east every day, and as this business has
to be divided among ten roads, me COM
petition is necessarily <ery bitter. The
fight for this traffic is sharper than that
for any other class OF freight. for the
reason that dressed meat is high-class
freight. and, even at cut rates. pays the
great deal more than grain
)r any other commodity.
The coming investigation promises TO
be a sweeping one, laying bare the in
side discriminatory methods practiced
oy the railroads and the shippers