Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-11
FUEL FAMINE PROBED
Chicago Grand Jury Starts to Work UncoI-
ering Alleged Combine
JUDGES CHARGE IS BRIEF AND POINTED
Calls Situation Orire and Infamy Whicl
Must Be Apparent to All.
BIG NATIONAL CONVENTION IS CALLED
Detroit Committee Decides on Fresh Gath
ering in Washington.
le NATIONAL CONVENTION IS CALLED
ADVANCE ANTHRACITE PRICE
Factories Close Down for Lack of
Coal, While Milwaukee Asks Com
EresA to Admit Canadian
Product Free of Duty.

CHICAGO, Jan 1O.-The prompt action OF
States Attorney Charles S. Deneen on in
formation furnished him by the committee
Of the Illinois Manufacturing association re-
suited in the oonvening this morning Of a
special grand jury TO investigate the prices
demanded for coal by Chicago dealers.
Twenty deputy sheriffs worked almost all
night to secure service OF summonses on
seventy-fve veniremen and of subpoenas for
the appearance OF prominent coal dealers
who are believed to be in a coal combina-
tion in defiance Of law.
When court was called this morning a
majority of the talesmen were on hand and
the work of impaneling a Jury proceeded.
The formal order for the grand jury was
issued by Judge willard NJ. McEwen late
yesterday upon a petition by the states at
torney declaring his belief that there eI-
lists between certain coal operators, owners
and dealers a combination Injurious to the
public trade" and that in consequence
great distress and suffering prevail among
the poor in the community"
Judge McEwen suspended court proceed
ings while he issued the order for a special
venire con'Lning the grand jury. The order
was taken st once to the jury commission
ers and seFenty-fve names were handed
Sheriff Barrett for immediate service.
Attorney General Hamlin, who was in
telephone communication with Mr.. Deneen
several times yesterday, arrived in Chicago
today and will take an active part in the
prosecution. II is also expected that the
Retail Grocers' association. the Builders
Managers association and the railroad COM
mittee Of the city council will assist in the
proceedings.
Twenty-three jurors we're quickly Sc
lected and the oath administered. Judge
McEwen's charge was brief and confined
largely to defining the duties of the Jurors.
"It is not necessary TO indulge in any
language" he said after reading to them
the states attorneys position, "to impress
upon you or upon any fair-minded man the
crime and infamy of such a situation as is
here set forth. Your duties with regard
to the Investigation are set forth in the
oath you have taken"
The Jury then retired to enter upon its
Investigation.
Call National Convention.
A national convention at Washington for
the purpose of impressing on President
Roosevelt the urgent need for immediate re-
lief from the stringency OF the coal situa-
tion, was decided on today at a conference
at the Grand Pacific hotel. The call for
! the gathering will be issued by Mayor May
bury OF Detroit, acting chairman OF the
permanent committee Of the Detroit coal
convention. It was this committee today
which agreed on the necessity OF a national
! meeting at the capital.
The conference opened at 10 this morning
and it was decided to reconvene the Detroit
convention at Washington at the earliest
a.. IT. gzuI q
series of speeches in which attorney Gen.
eral Knox was censured for not enforcing
the laws, by which It was urged redress
could be secured.
Following an executive session, Mr. May
bury explained the action OF the conference
in the following formal statement:
It was the order of the convention at De
| troit that this committee should call th'
/ convention 10 reassemble whenever such
course was deemed necessary. The decision
/ OF the committee is that the convention b,
/ recalled a. Washington at the earliest prsc
! ticable date.
! The convention will not be confined I,
| the delegates who attended the Detroit ses
sion, but in addition the chambers OF com
merce. the boards Of trade and other civil
| organizations Of the country will be asket
! TO send delegates. In addition the govern
| ors Of all the states and mayors of all tn,
| larger cities will be asked 70 designate tn,
| representative
I
| Senator Tarsney, Rev. R. A. White an,
Mayor Maybury indicated that the conven
tion at Washington would be devoted
largely to the presentation OF charge
against Attorney General Knox for failinl
10 grant the relief that the laws make pos
sible. In fact. more than three hours 0
spechmaking was concerned chiefly witt
arguments to that effect.
New York Also Moves.
NEW YORK, Jan. 1O.-Mayor Low toda,
sent a letter to the presidents OF the an
/ thracite coal roads and to G. B. Aarkl
/ Of Markle Bros. inviting them TO confe
with him on the coal situation. In hi
/ letter the mayor tells OF the difficulty ex
perienced in getting coal The conference
! IS proposed for Tuesday next.
Milwaukee Has Famine.
MILWAUKEE, Jam 1O.-Following
meeting OF business men here today to pro
vide means Tor relieving the fuel shortag
| in Milwaukee. Mayor David S. Rose tele
graphed the following message TO Unite
states Senator joseph Quarles at Wash
ington:
nv Dear Senator: The people OF our cit
| are confronted by coal famine and II
I working great hardship. We are eudeavol
ing 10 arrange 20 purchase coal I'm Canadi
The tax Is 67ih cents per ton Is it not pos
sible TO secure the immediate passage OF
rt solution through congress AT least su:
pending the collection Of the duty on har
coal? bill ought 20 be presented putin
hard coal on the free list. ] do not thin
! that the true conditions are realized. Gre1
suffering Is resulting from the famine an
we look 10 the future with alarm
Detroit Bays Coal.
/ DETROIT, Jan. lO.-The municipal COS
commission appointed by Mayor Maybury I
manage the civic coal business has arrange
to begin the immediate purchase Of Goa
J. L. Hudson. prominent merchant who
chairman Of the commission announce
that he would loan the commission SO Ot
pending the passage Of an enabling act B
The legislature 10 legaiize the use OF $50 .OC
Of the eity's fumes
Kansas suffers Severely.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. iO.-Thr coal famin
IN Kansas is taking on a more serious as
pect Dealers In Topeka announced toda
that they were practically out OF coal. wit
10 immediate chance OF obtaining NOR
(CO1tinued on Second Pagel