The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-19
Chicago Special Grand Jury
Finds a True Bill
Against 45 Mine Operators ands
Dealers in Coal.
CONSPIRACY CHARGED
To Do an Illegal Act Injurious
to Public Trade.
Bail Is Fixed at 81, 800 in Each
Case.

Chicago, Jan. ia true bill was re-
turned this morning against forty-five
coal operators and retailers, charging
conspiracy to do an Illegal act injurious
to public trade The indictments are
against corporations and individuals do
inb business in Illinois and Indiana.
Bail was fixed at $500.
Following is a list of the corporations
and individuals against whom indict-
ments are returned:
Chicago, Tilmington & Vermillion
company, Big -Four Coal company.
Gardner, THmington Coal company, TIL
mington Star Mining company, Bel s
Zooler Coal company, Murphy. Keen
Coal company. Carbon Coal company.
Tilmington Coal Mining company, Car
diff Coal company, the Star Coal COM
pany of Streetor, Ill. the BraceVille Coal
company, Acme Coal company, Illinois
Third Vein Coal company, the Tenona
! Coal company. the Devlin Coal COM
pany, Spring Valley Coal company.
/ Marquette Third Vein Coal company
! Oglesby Coal company, w Sanford, c.
/ H. Lusk, Frank E Luken, z. H. Keeler,
4 Gus Ancutt, Frank McGrew, F. NJ.
1 Durkee, c. L. Marston. r. c. Brown.
1 Hugh Shirkie, J. j. Higgins, J. Smith
! Talley Joseph Martin. Edward Shirkie,
H. r. Mclean, John Shirkie, Walter s.
! Boyle, Bruillet Coal company, Oak Hill
Coal & Mining company Coal Bluff
4 Mining company. Parke County Coal
| company, Glen G k Coal & Mining COM
pany, Nevins Coal company, Indiana
/ Fuel Coal company, Mcclellan Sons &
Co, Creston Coal Mining company
! Aceonoa nying the return of the in-
dictments was an explanatory report
setting forth the grounds upon which
the jurors based their action. THIS
shortage. they declare, they found due
primarily and principally to the recen<
great strike in the anthracite coal
helcs.''
4 Bituminous coal could not be mined
and stored in sufficient quantities to
supply the deficiency caused by the re-
stricted output from the anthracite
mines FIRST, because the caaacity OF
the mines could not be Increased so ma
terially on short notice: and secondly.
because the storing of bituminous coal
during the summer months IS lneXpe-
dent owing to danger of deterioration
through stacking and of destruction by
fire through spontaneous combustion
In Chicago, the report continues, the
amount Of anthracite coal received IN
1902 was I. .507 637 tons less than in 1901
to offset which there was an increase OF
only 798,721 tons of bituminous coal.
The difficulty experienced by the rail-
roads in handling the large quantity
required for daily supplies. owing to the
failure TO store bltuminOus coal during
the summer months. also. they founG
constituted one of the causes of the
famine.
The railroads they believed to be do
/ ing all in their power to move the coal
promptly to market. and the accumula-
: ton of coal laden cars in railroad yards
does not exist to an unusual extent al
| this time of year.
C. ]. Devlin, the owner of the Devlir
Coal company. mentioned in the above
dispatch, said today:
L suppose that the grand jury. sus-
pecting the existence Of a combine, sim.
ply took a list of all the coal companies
and operators they could get and re-
turned an indictment against them all
so that they would be sure to include
the right ones
"As far as the Devlin coal company j.
concerned we do not handle any com.
mercial coal We have not done so foi
a long time All our coal is used by tn,
Santa Fe railway, and even If we want
ed to do so we could not put any Goa
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