The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-16

act to regulate the commerce" The
subpoenas were issued in Washington,
d. c., by Commissioner J. c. Clements.
and were served by J. 7. Marchand,
special agent of the commission.
Mr.. Marchand evidently expected that
an attempt would be made by the rail-
road men to evade testifying at the in
VeStigat ton. He came to this city quiet
" yesterday, and held a secret confer
ence in the United States marshaIs
office. Deputies armed with subpoenas,
awere soon started out, and up to this
evening had succeeded in serving them
on twenty railroad men and representa-
tives of packinghouses. Others are said
to have left the city TO prevent service.
Mr.. Marchand will, 1t is said, have
sufficient witnesses on hand to keep the
commission busy for several days. The
investigation is supposed to be the re-
suit of inquiries made last fall by Mr..
Marchand into the Kansas City rate
system.
The special agent of the Interstate
Commerce commission, 7. T. Narchand,
who is believed to be responsible for the
hearing before the commission called
for March q, in this city, has many per-
Sonal friends among the railroad men
here, who were wont to entertain him
and be entertained by him on his fire.
quelt visits to Kansas City, but now
he must be lonesome. Many of his
friends have left the city and others
show dissemination to spend much
time III social converse Mr.. March
and. All this is because he has hereto
fore been supposed to have been making
junketing trips over the country, stop
ping off at Kansas City as 4 matter Of
that he has a motive, which the hearing
before the commission next week may
further and perhaps reveal
Marchand, the social good fellow, is
very different from Marchand, the
sleuth, in the eyes of men who are in a
position to know things about the trans
portatiOn of packinghouse products
which they would be decidedly unwill-
ing to tell the Interstate Commerce com
mission. How quickly the reversion in
feeling was brought about is illustrated
by a change in the luncheon plans of
one leading freight man. He had met
Mr.. Marchand shortly after the arrival
of the latter in Kansas City last
Wednesday, and had arranged that him
self and another railroad man should
lunch with the special agent that noon
States marShals began serving sub
poenas on other freight representative
and at lunch time one of the expected
trio was absent. He has been seen in
Kansas City but once since; that was
on a car. en- route to the depot at the
foot of Grand avenue.
One freight man walked from his office
in the Exchange building to the Han
nibal bridge, paid his toll there and went
across as a foot passenger, taking a /
train at Harlem Several representa-
tives spent all of Wednesday afternoon
in a room at a leading hotel, were |
driven in a carriage to the Independence |
car line, and left that night on a train |
passing one of the junction points in
the easter suburbs.
Several of the freight men who re-
NAMED in the city criticise the action |
of those who SO hurriedly left. 1t is !
believed that no subpoenas
cad been issued for some of the abb
sentees, and it is pointed out that if the |
Ice on any Of them it will be easy of \
However, the tendency /
to regard the hearing as of little i'm
Dortance, which was more or less gen.
aral the first day, has given way to /
more serious consideration in view Of |
the possibilities that may develop.