The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-05
BEEF PACKERS ARE INDICTED.
Grand Jury Finds Evidence That Calls
For Trial Of Accused.

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indicting II men prominent 10 the
packing industries of the country for
violation Of the Sherman antitrust
law, and four Of this number are Of
the Schwarzchild Il Sutzberger COM
pany. for alleged rebating to the rail-
roads. Besides these individual in.
dictments bills were voted against Ave
corporations, Armour Il Co.. Swift Il
Co.. Nelson Morris 4 Co., the Cuda.
by Packing company, and the Fair
banks Canning Company. The men are
indicted for alleged conspiracy in re-
straiut of trade, which constitute vic.
lations of the Sherman act. The in.
dictments each contain ten counts,
among which are:
First, competition in the buying of
cattle at the stock yards in different
cities was TO be prevented and de-
stroyed by the defendants, who re.
CURED their purchasing agents to re.
froim from testi'yiny against each
other.
Second, some partition as to the
sale OF the above commodities In for.
eign and domestic markets was to be
prevented and destroyed by the de.
PENDANTS fixing roncompetitive and
unreasonable prices for such COM
modities, and requiring their repre-
sentatives in the different markets to
fix prices by agreement from day to
day, according - what the market
would stand.
Third. the supply OF the above COM
modities was TO be curtailed and re-
stricted whenever necessary to main.
tain the prices 50 fixed.
Fourth, the United States was di'
vided up in o territories between the
defend ants III a -iven market: if one
packer sold NOR. than his percentage
during a given week he was Obliged
to pay an "ant.' of so much pc,
hundredweight, according to the terri
tory ia which the matter occurred
to a pool TO cover the excess of sales
and this fund was divided among the
packers who fell short on their sales
Six months ago Judge Bethea, ther
United States district attorney, re
ported after an Investigation that tn,
: INDUCTION of Judge Peter S. Grosscup
restraining the large packing firm.
from combining in restraint of tr ade
was being violated in Chicago. Con
ferences with Attorney General Moody
at Washington and President Roose
welt were held and a large corps o
e secret service men kept at work.
e United States Deputy Marshal ED
9 red St. Clair was made special ageu
9 of the secret service work. The in
vestigation was contin ued daily 10 al
parts of the world concerning tn
2 identity of men who could testify t,
certain facts concerning the packing
L industry, the actions of heads of tn
packing concerns, underground agrees
ment and the like.
. The primary stage of the investiga
ton came to a climax last Februar,
u when 1855 subpoenas were sent to l
large cities throughout the Unite
States with instructions that at l
o'clock on the morning of Februar,
d p deputy marshals should begi'
serving papers.
Later the number of witness calle'
for reached a total Of $50. The attac
of the government on the SO Gale,
l. beef trust created oncern alton i
: many quarters, bu: although it wa
sudden many men desired as witnesse
escaped. Some have been found i
}. Canada. some in Europe and other
9 in various parts of the world wher
n they are safe from the subpoena
which are still in the hands of the DE-
puties.
- MuTINEERS Il DEFIANT.