Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-15
SUE COMBINING COAL MEN
Ohio and Detroit Authorities Move and
Chicago Expects Indictments.
COMPANY CHARTERS ARE IN GRAVE PERIL
Burglars RsnsacIc Minneapolis House,
Pass Jewels and Plate by, but
Take Four Hundred Pounds.
of Anthracite.

COLUMBUS. O., Jan. 1.-THE quiet In
vestigatiOn Governor Nash has been maxi
ing OF the cosl rituatiUn for several days
riPened into e . this afternoon, when
Attorney General sheets hled suits against
six big coal companies TO Gust them from
their charters.
The companies against which suits are
brought are:
The New P%ittsburg Coal company, the
Sunday Creek Coal company, the General
Hooking Fuel company. the Congo Coal
company, the Interstate Coal company and
the Hooking Coal and Iron company.
No railroad company is implicated in the
case. 1t is charged that these companies
have entered intoAa conspiracy to limit
the output of coal and increase and gen.
orally control the price. The suits are
brought under the state Law known as the
Valentine antitrust act.
Indictments are Expected.
CHICAGO, Jan. 14-Conspiracy indict-
ments against members OF at least three
hard and soft coal combinations doing bus
mess in Illinois and Indiana are expected
as a result of the labors. OF the grand jury
IN the fuel famine inquiry.
II is considered possible that these in
dlctments will include Witnesses who have
appeared before the investigating body.
This, it is asserted. can and probably will
be done through corroborative evidence Sc
cured, tending to prove guilt brought to the
attention Of the grand jury by the witness
own Testimony.
The jurors we're advised todar. It is be-
lieyed. in what instances the evidence is
deemed strong enough to con'ict and true
bills may be found late today or tomorrow.
Assistant States Attorney Albert G.
Barnes, who is the chief prosecutor In
criminal cases, has t~@S called In to aid
in designating the men &t~inst = % sufa-
cient evidence has been secured and his
advent is taken TO nEan that criminal
prosecutions are a certainty.
One hundred and ten wagons loaded with
coal purchased by funds subA-ribed in re-
sponse to the mayors appeal proceeded to
various stations established throughout
the city today for the relief Of destitute
families. Two hundred and fifty tons Of
fuel were thus distributed.
Legal Proceedings at Detroit.
DETROIT, Mich, Jan. 1L.-Aftsr much in
vestigation for a number OF days Prosecut-
ing Attorney Hunt today filed an informa-
ton against the Detroit Coal exchange, an
organization OF thirty local coal dealers,
charging violation OF the state antitrust
law of 1899 and asking for an Injunction.
In the information Prosecutor Hunt quotes
section 5 of the constitution of the ex-
change, which declares that members shall
not sell coal under the minimum price fixed
by the exchange and provides a fine for
violations OF this section by members.
Prosecutor Hunt declares that this is in
violation Of the antitrust law OF 1899 and
/ asks for an injunction to restrain the ex-
change and its members from maintaining
the exchange or any other combination.
Judge Hosmer will hear arguments on the
Injunction January 26.
The municipal coal commission will begin
dealing coal, a ton only to each purchaser,
on Friday morning. The commission has
$500 tons OF soft coal at the yard and 400
tons on the way. The price has been hxed
at Sc per ton. The dealers Of the city are
asking $3.50. for the same Coal.
The commission will not deliver any coal,
the aim being to help the poor people who
have to 60 to the yards and purchase in
small quantities, but arrangements have
been made with teams to be on hand to de-
liver the municipal coal at so cents per
ton. = .ef .
The best bid received for anthracite il
SO at the mine, which would make the
cost delivered here S1o.71 per ton.
Hold Coal in Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 14.-While thousands
80 noonIo IN thIo oitv have haan hePpinR