The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-25
TO ARREST DICKEY
Ice Trust Manager Hauled Be-
fore the Court.
Warrant Sworn Out by Council
man Nichols.
ARRESTED BY POLICE.
He Will Have a Trial in the
Police Court.
Arrest Made Under City Anti
Trust Ordinance.
PEOPLE ARE EXCITED.
Customers of WinsIow & Ra-
ney Having Trouble.
Many of Them Refused Ice by
Wagon Drivers.
New Ice Factory to Be Built at
Once.
PEOPLE ARE EXCITED.
Customers Of WinsIow & Ra-
ney Having Trouble.
Many of Them Refused Ice by
Wagon Drivers.
New Ice Factory to Be Built at
Once.

A warrant for the arrest of W. Lyle
Dickey, the local ice king. was placed
in the hands of Chief stahl
this afternoon on COM
plaint sworn to by Councilman H. S.
Nichols, chairman of the ice investi-
eating committee of the city council
The action is brought in the police
court on the strength of the antitrust
ordinance passed by the city council
about two weeks ago. The papers for
the suit were drawn up by James A.
Troutman, a member of the ice in
vestigating committee, and Assistant
City Attorney S. S. Urmy, and were
sworn to by Councilman Nichols.
The suit is brought against Nv. Lyle
Dickey and sundry others who are in
control of the ice business here. The
warrant issued today includes only the
name of Mr.. Dickey, but as soon as
the case is brought into court and de-
velopm ents reveal others who are con-
neeted with the monopoly, warrants
will be issued for them There are
others who will be involved in this case
besides Mr.. Dickey,' said Councilman
Nichols to a reporter for the State
Journal, who saw him soon after the
warrants We're sworn out.
has expressed it as his opinion that
the antitrust ordinance will not hold
good All I have to say about that is
that it was drafted from the state
antitrust law and it is bound to be
good unless the state law is knocked
OUT
The case will first have a hearing in
the police court, after which it win
eventually get into the Shawnee county
district court.
1t is charged that Mr.. Dickey, for the
Peoples Ice company, is conducting
the business of the company arbi-
trarily and without equity, having
gained a monopoly of the ice business
here. An attempt viii be made to
prove that the small and Independent
ice dealers have been crowded out of
business, slowly but surely, by the ice
trust.
It is a fact that since the Peoples
Ice company was formed here last
year, and assured the people that it
was meant that the Peoples Ice COM
pany intended to be a good trust, the
small dealers have been dropping out,
one by one, until now three remain,
and they are entirely at the mercy OF
the ice magnate.
Some of the dealers were bought up
outright; later by a series of raises in
the wholesale price of ice and the hedg
ing in of the independent dealers by
exacting conditions, they have nearly
all been forced out of business. Wins
low & Raney, one of the oldest and
best known ice firms, was the last
company to succumb. They have been
supplying nearly 800 customers here.
who are now begging for ice of the
Peoples company, and many of them
are being put off with the excuse that
they have no ice
NJ. J. Henderson, one of the other in
dependent dealers. has decided to re-
main in the business and stand the
last raise of one dollar per ton, max
ing the wholesale rate IS per ton, and
deliver ice to his customers at loss,
for time. hoping against hope that
something will turn up whereby he
may secure a source of supply.
Mr.. McNee1y, another dealer, is un-
decided whether to remain in business
and sell Ice at a loss until another
year in the hopes that other arrange
ments may be made.