The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-21
FIVE MORE FOUND.
Enough Names to Complete
Chicago Jury Secured.
Every PrecautiOn Taken to In
sure Absolute Secrecy.
SECRET PROCEEDINGS.
Public to Be Informed Only
When Investigation Ends.
MarshaIs to Prevent Tampering
With Witnesses.
SECRET PROCEEDINGS

Chicago. March 21.-Five additional
jurors were secured today on the spec
ial grand jury to hear evidence against
the alleged beef trust in Judge Humph-
rey's courts Summonses for enough
men to complete the jury were placed
in the hands of Deputy Sheriff Stosser.
The jury will be guarded by United
States deputy marshals when the jury
begins to listen to the evidence of more
than 800 employees of the big Chicago
packers who have been summoned by
the government because of complaints
that the packers have violated the
Grosscup injunction of 1902, sustained
by the United States supreme court in
January OF the present year.
Whether there is a combine or wheth-
er the complaints against the conduct
of the enormous business of Armour q
Co., Nelson Morris & Co., Swift & Co.
and the Hammond and National Pack
ing companies are unfounded is to be
determined by the forthcoming investl-
cation. For more than three years the
business of the packers has been sub
ject to rigid surveillance and the federal
authorities have been advised from var
iOus sources on several occasions that
the packers were operating in violation
of the Sherman antitrust law and the
interstate commerce laws of the coun-
try.
1t was because of disclosures regard
ing alleged instances of combination OF
interests to control prices that Judge
Grosscup issued a restraining order
against the packers in 1902, which was
made permanent in 1903 and which was
sustained by the United States supreme
court in January of this year.
Owing to the widespread publicity
which the packers alleged illegal opera
tions have received during a period of
years, and because the present. situa-
ton furnished an opportunity for
thorough test of the stringent trade
Of n
the progress of the investigation will be
manifested in all parts of the country.
''It is because of this unusual inter-
est" said a federal official yesterday,
"and because of the very important ma
ture of this investigation that an unus-
ual effort will be made to keep the
facts that may be brought out from the
witnesses before the grand Jury from
terminated and the results ready for an
nouncement
One of two things will result from
this inquiry. 1t will be determined from
the evidence to be secured whether
there are any grounds for indicting any
of the packers for contempt of Judge
Grosscup's injunction for conspiracy in
restraint of competition, for breaches of
the Sherman antitrust law or the in
terstate commerce regulations. If no
evidence is found which will warrant
indictments on any of these counts, the
end of all the litigation, which began
three years ago, viii doubtless be
reached.
Whichever results. the public is to be
fully informed of the entire proceed
ings. If the investigation goes against
the packers the public will know it and
know why. If it is revealed that the
operations of the packers are within the
law the public will be informed and
will be told how that decision was made.
but until a result is secured every
effort, for many important reasons, Will
be made to keep the facts as they are
brought out before the jury from be-
coming matters of general information.
Secrecy is an important matter in this
investigation. Jurors or witnesses are
not to be tempered with and anyone
discovered attempting to influence eth
er will be dealt with in accordance with
provisions of the federal laws regulat-
ing such matters.