The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-07-07
BEEF PACKERS
ARE INDICTED
Federal Grand Jury At Chicago Re-
turns Eighteen True Bills.
BIG FIRMS ARE BRANDED
Report is Scathing Arrangement and
Characterizes Dealings of Packers
as Gigantic Conspiracy.

After an investigation which has
lasted something over three months
and during which more than one Aun'
dred witnesses were examined, the
federal grand jury at Chicago Satui.
day afternoon handed in its report.
Seventeen men prominen, in the pack.
ing industries of the country were in
dicted for violation OF the Sherman
antitrust law and four officials OF the
Schwarzchild & Sulzberger company,
were indicted for alleged illegal re-
batting with the railroads. Besides
these individual Indictments, bills
were oted against five large cor
porations, Armour & Co., Swift &
Co., Nelson, Morris & Co., Cudahy
Packing company and the Fairbanks
Canning company.
The indictment voted for alleged VI
olation OF tAe antitrust law were
Identical m each instance. The in.
dictments contained each eight counts,
which were spread over sixty-three
typewriter pages.
The first and second counts on the
indictments pertaned only 10 beef
sold in ;he domestic market. The
ninth and tenth counts relate 10 beef
sold in foreign trade. The third
count charges a conspiracy in re-
straint Of trade and commerce among
the states and with foreign nations
in fresh, dried, smoked. cured, can.
ned and picked meats, and in certain
hy-products of the packing industry,
viz: Sasage castings, sausage contain.
ers, oleo stock, stearine ami oils and
also in butter, eggs and poultry
This count charges that the trade
which the defendants were carrying
on in the above named commodities
was 10 be restrained in several ways:
First, competition in the buying of
cattle at the stock yards in different
cities was to be prevented and do
stroyed by the defendants. who 70.
CURED their purchasing agents 10 re-
Frain from bidding against each
other.
Second. competition as TO the sale
Of the above commodities in foreign
and domestic markets was 10 be pre-.
vented and destroyed by the defend.
ants fixing non-competitive and I'M
reasonable prices for such commodi.
ties and requiring their representa-
tives in the different markets 10 fix
prices by agreement from day 10 day
according to what the market would
stand.
Third. the supply Of the above com.
modities was TO be curtaied and re.
stricted whenever necessary to main.
tain the prices so fixed.
Fourth, the United states was III.
yided up into territories between the
defendants and each was 20 keep
its own territory without interference
by the others,
Fifth, there was a division as 20 the
volume OF trade allowed 10 each de-
PENDANT in a given markc' II on-
packer sold more than his percent.
age during given week ne was
obliged 70 ray an ANTE" Of 90 mucn
per hundre weight according 20 the
territory in which the matter occur
red into a pool 10 cover he excess
NJ sales ana this fund was divided
among tho packers who fell short IN
their sales.
As soon as the indictments All been
handed into court District Attorney
Morrison suggested that Zach ~ The
defendants be- placed under bonds OF
$4,000. and whoH ,hc cour. asked Il
bench warrants were 10 bo se-ycl !. h-
was informed by the lis'r'c' attorney
that the legal advisers for al. the
mon included il to indictments had
agreed 20 produce r.n men on Mon
day or as soon as possible afr July
4'h. Judge Be'aca aclG.os.eI IN this
arrangement.