Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1905-03-02
MEAT PACKERS FACE TRIAL
1856 Witnesses Summoned In Trial on
the Charge of Violating the
Courts Injunction.
VERY RIGID Investigation
Under the Provisions of the Sherman
Antitrust Law is the Main
Purpose of Attack.


Chicago, ILL.,, Feb. 2s.-(Special to
rhe Alert. ).-Stock growers of North
Dakota and elsewhere. as we'll as the
meat consumers will watch with
great interest the outcome of the
suit of the United States government
against the meat packers, for viola
tion of the Injunction issued frcm the
United States court.
Meat packers of Chicago and fifteen
other cities must within one month
appear before federal grand jury to
prove themselves innocent of viola
ticns Of law and Injunction.
The United States authorities, act
ing on orders from Washington, CALL
ed last week for special grand jury.
before which evidence will be laid to
prove criminal violation of the Sher-
man antitrust law. Indictments of
the heads of the great packing houses
are expected to follow.
simultaneously in fifteen cities
Deputy United States marshals SER
we'd subpoenas on the clerks and
managers in the employ of the vari-
Gus packing firms to appear before a
grand jury in Chicago on March 20.
In all lSo summons were served l30
of them in Chicago. None of the
heads of the corporations we're SER
we'd, as the evidence to be giveL will
bear against them.
This latest move of the federal
authorities is the result of an eight
months investigation by secret SER
vice men into the conduct of the
business of the packers since being
placed under the Injunction issued
by Judge Grosscup on May 10, 1902.
This Injunction was recently sustain
ed by the United States Supreme
court.
It is charged that the Injunction
has been violated, but instead Of
visiting the trust with the wrath of
the court. it has been decided to
prosecute directly for criminal viola
tion of the law. The Supreme court
decision gives the government full
power to act.
The packers attorneys claim they
have not violated the Injunction of
Judge G1osscup, and have given the
government officials all the access
possible to books and records OF the
companies. They claim to court a
fair inquiry in to the facts and not
to fear the result. The defendants
in the beef trust case are, as to
corporations, Swift & Company,
Armour Packing Company, Cudahy
Packing Company, Hammond Pack
ing Company, Armour & Company,
The G. H. Hammond Company,
Schwarzschild & Su]zberger Company,
also a large number of individual
members of the above firms.
United States District A Attorney S.
81. Bethea said he could not discuss
the possible action of the grand jury,
nor what subjects it would investi-
gate. 1T is asid that the matter OF
refrigerator car rates, which was
opened up at the hearing Of the inter-
state commerce commission in Octo-
Der, when several men refused to
testify. NAV be taken up. In addi-
tion, the methods of the packers in
arranging prices and dividing terri
tory will be made clear.
The panel for the grand jury will
be drawn from 300 names from the
northern district of Illinois. The
men will be average business men and
artisans. Twenty-three probably will
be selected the latter part of the
week to report March 20.
IMPRISONMENT, FINE OR BOTH
The penalty for violation of the
Sherman law is fine Of not exceed
ing IS, 600 or Imprisonment not ex-
ceeding one year. or both, at the dis
cretion of the court, for each VIOLA
tion. For violation Of a federal
injunction the penalty is punishment
by fine OF in prlsonment at the dis
cretion of the court.
Great secrecy is being maintained
around the government Offices con-
corning the supoenas. The marshals
claim to have special instructions
from Washinghton to give out no
information.
@ STRUCK FIRST BLOW.
President Roosevelt struck the first
blow which started the trouble for
the beef trust, now rapidly cu4mini-