Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-03-30
CONNORS INDICTED.
General Superintendent Of Armour
and Company Under Arrest.
ARMOURS CONFIDENTIAL ENPLOYE..
The Active Head OF One Of the LarS-
est Packing Companies in the
World Arrested ON Bench
Warrant.

Chicago, March 29.--The federal
grand jury returned an Indictment
against Thomas ]. Corners, general
superintendent Of Armour & Co., on
a charge Of interfering with a witness
summoned to appear before the jury
now investigating the so-called beef
trust. Mr.. Corners, who is ]. Ogden
Armour's most confidential employe
and the active head Of one of the lar
gest packing companies In the world,
was arrested on a bench warrent by
a United States deputy marshal and
brought to the grand jury room where
he was released on $4,000 bond. After
his release Mr.. Corners refused to dis
cuss the matter. The Indictment
Charges that John Edward Shields, OF
Brooklyn, a former employee of Ar
mour & Co., who testified before the
grand jury, was approached, favored
and entertained by, Mr.. Connors and
specifically states that on March 20
the offense upon which Mr.. Connors
was indicted occurred. It is also charg-
ed that Shields was given the use Of
Armour & Co., Offices at 2O5 La Sale
street to transact his business while
in Chicago and also the use of private
telegraph wire in the Office of the pack
ing company
Another allegation is that Shields
was entertained by Connors and that
Connors suggested to the proposed wit
ness that he should testify favorably
to Armour & Co., and not to tell all that
he knew concerning the matter un-
der investigation. The second count
of the indictment charges that Mr..
Connors did not limit his attempt at
influencing witnesses to Mr.. Shields,
but that other witnesses who have not
as yet appeared in Chicago have been
approached by him and attempts made
to influence them as to the nature OF
the testimony they would give before
the grand jurors.
When the special grand jury con-
vened last week Shields was one OF
the first witnesses to appear, He came
to Chicago from New York. He had
testified before grand jury sitting in
New York ard there is said to have
divulged facts which led the federal
officials to believe him in possession Of
many other details concerning the
question under consideration. He was
requested to come to Chicago and the
federal officials were instructed to
watch the men closely. Two men were
detailed to watch Shields. One OF
these secret service men obtained
Shields confidence and thus learned
facts which doubled the precautions OF
the government to prevent any OF the
witnesses from being coached. Shields
was followed by these detectives and
it was learned that he frequented the
offices of Armour & Co., having pri-
waite wire at his disposal and answering
all his private correspondence there.
Every move of Shields was closely
watched. The matter reached climax
when one of the secret service men
submitted report to his superiors.
The section of the statutes under
which the indictment was drawn pro-
vides that any person who interferes
with witness shall be subjected to
fine of $500 or imprisonment for three
months or both.
R. Budatz, department manager for
Armour 6 Co., at Omaha, and Edward
WEIGH Of Armour & Co., at Kansas
City, were the only other witnesses
besides Shields that were heard yes
terday.