The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-31
Beef Trust Witnesses to Be Con
ceaIed in Chicago Hotels.
Will Be Closely Guarded by Gov
ernment Officials.
AUDITOR ON THE STAND
Testified to Price Agreements
Between Packing Houses.
Prosecutors Know just What
Testimony Will Be Given.

Chicago, March 31.-Conspiracy in
dictments are threatened against heads
of big meat packing concerns unless
alleged tampering with witnesses who
have been summoned to testify before
the federal grand jury is discontinued
at once. With two witnesses on the
stand who, it is asserted, Z admitted
that they had been approached with
suggestion that their testimony be
mild, the jury. it is declared, is get
ting ready to take drastic action.
I'VE will shut off interference with
witnesses" said Assistant Attorney
General Pagin, "even if we have to
resort to proceedings under the con-
spiracy statute to do So
Belief is general that Mr.. Pagin has
already laid out plans for new indict-
ments.
Fifteen witnesses were heard Thurs
day, three women being among those
who testified The women were said
to be stenographers employed by the
National Packing company.
The fifteen secret service men who
have been frequenting the corridors in
the building where the grand jury is in
session were not to be seen. District
Attorney Morrison was said to have
ordered that waiting witnesses, instead
of spending their time in the vicinity
of the jury room are to be concealed
in down town hotels until called be-
fore the jury. In this way the wit
nesses will be more readily prevented
from learning the identity of the
secret service men watching for pos
sible irregularities
Additional precautions were taken
to guard the secrecy of the grand jury
room. The first step taken was an
order from United States Marshal
Ames forbidding newspaper photog-
raphers the privilege of the corridor
,f,-I rxFf Fe@,,, ~ f.oIr
building, where the grand jury is do
ing its work. The newspaper report
ers also received a strong hint from
deputy marshaIs that it would be wise
for them not to accost witnesses while
they were in the building. Represen-
tatives of the packers are not per-
mitted to loiter near the grand Jury
room
Another former -employe OF Armour
& Co, who has not been connected
with the company for four years, who
was called before the grand jury, was
the most carefully guarded of the
witnesses. He has been in the city
several days and secret service detec-
tives have watched him constantly.
When the grand jury adjourned he
was ACCOMPANIED from the room by
secret service agents. One walked by
his side. Others followed They left
the third floor of the Monadnock
building by the stairway and after
reaching the second floor took an
elevator going up and eventually were
lost in the labyrinth of Railways in
the big block
This witness. it was reported, had
important information bearing on the
prices of packers products and their
regulation by agreements among agents
of the various firms. 1t was reported
further that much that it is expected
will be procured from the witness is
evidence similar to that the grand jury
expected to get from Shields, whose
testimony resulted in the indictment of
Mr.. COnnors. The witness refused to
discuss his information or to disclose
his identity to representatives of the
press and every possible precaution was
taken by the secret service agents to
prevent him being approached.
This witness was a former auditor for
Armour & Co. and has knowledge of
the system of checking accounts and
the details of the methods employed in
establishing price lists. This man, it
is declared positively, is one of score
of former employees of the big packers,
who have been in important positions
with the various firms and left them
for various reasons. Some were dis
charged and others went into business
for themselves. Some of these witness
es left the service of the packers as far
back as 1897.
are directing the inquiry know just ex-
actly what these witnesses can testify
because all of them were visited by
agents of the government months ago.
An important indication of the pur-
pose of the government in making this
grand jury inquiry into the packers af-
fairs was given yesterday by a repre-
sentative of the government, bringing
out the significance of the recently pub
lished report of Commissioner Garfield.
The general public has had an entirely
erroneous idea of the Garfield report Wnlcn
was made public several weeks ago., said
the government agent. "A cry of white
wash went I'D when the report was read
The general public did not know that the
part of the Garfield report made publlc
was intended to be nothing except the
packers own statement of their side of
the case When congress ordered an in
vestigation of the packing industry Com
missioner Garfield was directed to get in
touch with the packers themselves Mr..
Mr. Garfield came himself. They met the
pa clzers They were taken into the pack
ing houses and offices. They were shown
the books of the companies and collected
a lot of information from the packers
view point. That information was COM
the president It was never intended for
anything but the packers own side of the
ssBut after that report had been pro-
cured and the packers ideas had been put
on record then the government, through
grand jury investigation The government
said: Here is what the packers have to
say: now Wen see about it Meanwhile
its agents had been at work for months
under the surface and they were working
hard The grand jury was called. the wit
ment is now attempting to find out the
actual conditions
~. w. r.. r,.Ss