The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-04
The Damage Case Was on Trial
All Day.
is Not YET CONCLUDED
A. TAFT Gives Farther Testimony as to
How His Firm Was Driven Out OF
Business by the Butchers
Association.

court adjourned last evening and will
be resumed this morning.
A. TAFT. one of the plaintiffs. was on
the witness stand again yesterday
morning and gave further testimony
as to how his firm was driven out OF
business by the Retail Butchers Pro-
tective association because il had re-
fused to Join the association. as other
wholesalers did. by depositing $500 in
cash as a guarantee that IL would not
sell meat to dealers who were not MEM
bers of the association.
George Haltsnhon. another OF the
plaintiffs. testified that II they had not
been boycotted they could have sold at
least Is head of beeves a week at q
profit of abou $500 q month.
do you know who fixes the prices
for the sale Of meats here In this
city,"
ITO the best of my knowledge. the
Butchers Protective association"
The witness said he had at one time
been brought up before the association
for ~arraignment on the charge that he
had sold meat below the schedule price.
The charge was read by Secretary lie
Blanc. They confronted the Gus
with the damning evidence Of his of
Tense in the shape and substance of the
Identical piece OF meat he had sold for
less than the regulation price. He was
not a member of the association him
self, but was at the time In the employ
of Sam Binder, one of the defendants.
who was fined on being convicted OF
the crime charged.
william Hart, the third plaintiff.
said hat his firm had not been a
member of the association and the lat
ter notified all retailers that they must.
under no consideration. buy meat OF
~ -
and then, receiving notice from the as
ISOLATION. they refused to accept the
meat and the witness couldn't dispose
of IL to anyone else and II spoiled on
his hands. One dealer. who didn't
want to see the plaintiffs suffer. had
them deliver meat to him after dark in
the evening and before daylight in the
morning. They also supplied some of
the boarding houses. but had to do that
secretly also. The retailers, said the
witness, are governed by h whole
salers, and every dealer is required to
join the association or he can't remain
in business. The retail men dare not
buy from any wholesaler unless the lat
ter is a member of the association.
During June. July, August and Sep
TENDER of last year the plaintiffs. said
the witness, found IL impossible to sell
any meat and had to keep their live
stock at a great expense, and finally
had to dispose of il at a loss of about
$500. One dealer who p~atronized the
plaintiff came after his meat himself
and secreted his team behind a Chinese
wash house and then neake in the
back door of the butcher shop and
carried out the meat he purchased. The
witness said his firm had been damaged
so. 900 or s12. 900 by the boycott. He
said ii did not require a great deal of
capital to engage in the butcher bust
ness, as the money invested turned
over" or came back" i'm three weeks
or a month. The profit is about $40 or
s12 a head on cattle. The plaintiffs did
their own work and had no other ex-
penses. so that they were able to sell
meat cheaper than the other whole
salers.
The plaintiffs testimony was closed
shortly after court convened for the
afternoon session. A. j. Campbell
made a statement to the jury outlin-
ing the defense. He said IL would be
shown that the defendants, who are
all wholesale dealers. were not men,
bers of the Retail Butchers Protective
association and never in the remotest
degree interfered with the business of
the plaintiffs. The only connection the
defendants had with the association
was that the latter compelled them TO
put up a cash bond of 5000 not to sell
meat to any dealer who was not a
member of the association. Mr.. Camp
bell said II was necessary for men to
band themselves for their own protec-
ton. Business men and laboring men
do 1T, and society was first formed that
way. So long as such organization is
for the general welfare. no one has
cause to complain. The retail butchers
found that a few men would go out in
the country n buy an old COW and
then peddle the meat about town and
practically ruined the business OF the
regular dealers. The latter were COM
PEELED to organize for the protection OF
themselves and the general public and
to see that nothing but first-class meat
was sold to the public.
Charles Bresbin. secretary of the
Butchers association. was the first
witness for the defendants, and pro
duced the bylaws, which were intro
duced in evidence and read to the jury
The preamble declared an exterminat
Ing war against all unfair wholesalers
and retailers. Attorney Harwood OBJ
| jected to the introduction of the by
laws because 1t had not been shown
tina they were adopted by the associa-
ton. The only RECORD that they were
adopted was contained in the books
| damage suit was Instituted. and upor
the witness testifying that the recon
was lost. he was allowed to testify
that the bylaws had been properly
adopted. The membership roll and tbs
schedule Of prices fixed by the asso-
citation were both introduced In evil
dence, against the objection of Mr.
Harwood. who said the roll and ths
schedule had been manufactured since
the beginning of the damage suit.
Ralph Lewis Of the Beaverhead Meai
company testified n told the jury
that last year his company disposed o.
2.4e7 head of cattle and averaged
profit OF only 70 cents per head. The
only profit they made was on the hides
He said his company was not a mem
Der of the Butchers association and
that ne never knew TAFT until he saw
him in court.
Levi Cartier OF the Butte Butcher
ing company testified TO about tn,
same effect.