The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-10
ALLEGED COAL CONSPIRACY.
SPECIAL GRAND JURY TO MEET
IN CHICAGO TO-DAY.
State Attorney Will Lead the Investiga-
tion-says He Has Evidence Which
Will show That a Conspiracy Exists
Between Certain Coal Operators, Rail-
roads and Coal Dealers.
roads and Coal Dealers.

Springfield, ILL.,, Jan. "A special
grand jury will meet in Chicago to-mor-
row to investigate the alleged conspir-
acy between certain coal operators,
railroads and coal dealers to increase
the price of coal on the Chicago market.
Attorney General Hamlin left tonight
for Chicago and will lead the inVestiga-
ton. He took with him evidence which
he says will show that a conspiracy
exists and the whole matter will be
thoroughly investigated.
Chicago, Jan. 9.-To determine wheth-
er conspiracy has existed to force up
the price of coal, Judge Willard M. Nc
Even tonight, on the petition of States
Attorney Dineen summoned a venir of
seventy-fiVe men of which twenty three
will be selected for special grand jury
Tomorrow morning. Forty witnesses
were named in subpoenas and the whole
was given to the sheriff to serve.
Deputy sheriffs to the number of
twenty were sent out simultaneously to-
night by Sheriff Barrett to notify pros
pective jurors and witnesses.
The small dealers are not the mark
at which the states attorney aims.
While the names on the list of witnesses
were withheld, it is known that they
are those of mine owners and wholesale
dealers in coal.
States Attorney Dineen used names
given to him by the Illinois Manufac-
turers' association and men Of standing.
The states attorney in his petition to
Judge McEwen for a special grand jury
says:
From credible information brought
to him the state attorney has reason
to believe that there exists among cer-
tain owners and operators of coal
mines, and certain dealers in bitumi-
nous coal doing business in Cook coun-
ty, q combination to do an allegal act
injurious to the public trade, to wit:
To prevent competition in the sale and
delivery of such coal in the county, and
to regulate and fix the price thereof,
and that such combination has been
entered into and exists to fix and limit
the amount and quantity of such prod
ucts as are mined in this state, and
also such as are mined and produced
elsewhere and brought into the county
for consumption, and to regulate and
fix the price thereof 1t is a matter Of
time great quantities of such products
have been brought into the county for
sale and consumption, and that the
same is sold only at exorbitant prices,
so much beyond the cost of production
and transportation that such owners
operators and dealers receive unreason-
able profits and the consumers are re-
quired to pay exorbitant prices; that
by reason of such combination and the
Withholding of sales hereunder to OBJ
tain such prices, great distress and suf-
fering prevail among the poor in the
community, who are unable to pay
such prices for such necessities, and
great hardships exist among the differ
ent lines of Industries requiring con-
tinuous supply of such products to car.
ry on their business, by reason Of the
pretended inability of operators, own.
ers and dealers to supply the demand
at the ordinary market prices"
The order for a special grand jury
followed quickly, Judge McEwen stat
ing that in the opinion of the court
public justice required such action.