The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-04-07
CHIEF IN TROUBLE,
Confidential Man of Armour Indicted
for interfering with Wit

Chicago, March S0.-The federal
grand jury returned an indictment
against Thomas ]. Connors, general
superintendent of Armour & Co.. on
charge of interfering with a witness
summoned to appear before the jury
now investigating the so-called beef
trust Mr.. ConnorS, who is j. Ogden
Armour's most confidential emrloye
and the active head of one of the larg-
est packing companies in the world,
was arrested on bench warrant 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.. Connors refused to dis
cuss the matter
The Indictment charges j. e. 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 mat on March Is the
otfense upon which Mr.. Connors was
indicted occurred. 1t is also charged
that Shields was given the use of Ar
mour & Co.'s office at 205 LaSalle
street to transact his business while in
Chicago, and also the use of a private
telegraph wire in the office of the
packing company.
Another allegation is that Shields
was entertained by Connors and that
Connors suggested to the proposed
witness that he should testify favor
ably to Armour & Co., and not tell
all that he knew concerning the mat
ter under investigation.
The second count of the indict-
,ment charges that Mr.. Connors did not
limit his attempt at influencing wit
nesses to Mr. Shields. but that other
witnesses who have not yet appeared
IN Chicago have been approached by
him and attempts made to influence
them as to the nature of the testi-
mony they would give before the
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 tes-
titled before grand jury sitting in
New York, and there is said to have
divulged facts which led the federal Of
ficers to believe him in possession Of
many other details concerning the uues-
ton under consideration. He was re-
quested to come to Chicago, and the
federal :, officials were Instructed to
watch the man 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 govern
ment to prevent any of the witnesses
from being coached. Shields was fol-
lowed by these detectives, and it was
learned that he frequented the offices
OF Armour & Co., having a private wire
at his disposal and answering all his
private correspondence there. Every
move of Shields was closely watched.
The matter reached climax yester-
day when one of the secret service men
submitted a report to his superiors.
Yesterday Shields was in the grand
| jury room from 2 o'clock to O'Clock.
The section of the statutes under which
the indictment was drawn provides
that any person who interferes with a
witness shall be subjected to fine of
$500 or imprisonment for three months
or both.
r. Budatz, department manager for
Armour 81 Co. at Omaha. and Edward
WEIGH, of Armour & Co., at Kansas
city. were the only other witnesses be.
sides Shields that We're heard yester.
| law