The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-24
Names VIII BE Kept Secret for
Some Time.
EACH MANS RECORD.
VIII Be Carefully Looked Into
by the Officials.
Packers Seem Without Definite
Plans of Action.

Chicago, Feb. 24.-The special grand
jury ordered by Federal Judge Kohl
saat to investigate the alleged meat
trust was drawn today. The law re-
quires that the names of the members
OF the jury be spread on the records
This will not be done. however. until
a few days before March 20, when the
grand jury will meet as it is desired to
keep the names secret as long as pOssi-
BILE. 1t is said that the government
wishes to examine the record of each
man.
The packers are making little prog
ress toward recovery from the jolt they
received Tuesday. The service of near
ly all of 1870 subpoenas upon employees
of the beef trust, together with the
positive assurance that the number
viii be doubled by March 20, when the
federal grand jury convenes, was a
hard blow to the secret operations OF
the combine at the yards. S. H. Betha,
United States. district attorney, and
John S. Miller, general attorney for the
beef trust. unite in the declaration that
nothing will be doing until next
month
They intend to maintain silence, and
thus far they have succeeded
When the livestock men met at the Ex-
change building at the yards, the main
topic of conversation was the govern
ment'S latest move against the meat
combine, and arguments pro and con
could be heard until evening. In the
lobby OF the Transit House, similar
conditions prevailed Many of the cat
tlenen were disposed to be JuD1Iant
While no one connected with the
district attorneys Office will affirm or
deny the rumors which have Deen
af1oat since Tuesday, it is stated by
competent authority that Mr.. Bethea
is coming into possession every day OF
more and damaging evidence OF the
Beef trusts violation of the law.
Grand jury hearings as rule are
secret, but the district attorney mad a
definite object in view when ne gave
publicity to action he intended to take
against the packers
With the newspapers dealing at
length with the details of the investi-
CATION it was intimated that many
valuable witnesses have been located
who would have otherwise been pre-
vented from coming forward through
their ignorance of the governments
plan. Since Tuesday, Mr.. Bethea has
received innum merable offers from per-
sons intimately acquainted with the
past and present methods of the trust.
Many of them, especially Independent
cattle buyers say they have been vic
Tins of the packers price agreements
and of railroad rate determinations
An old time Independent cattle buy
er from Indianapolis, and who now
controls in secret independent snip
ping yards in kankakee, is among
those who have offered to testify. His
name is withheld. but it is known that
he is in possession of data. regarding
the rebating and rate Determinations
in favor of the packers he mad been
himself a victim. He became involved
two years ago, when he was COM
PEELED to offer his stock yards property
in Indianapolis at auction. The sue
cessful bidders were persons repre-
senting three of the ''big six com
panies, who now control the yards
there. A similar condition was inn
pending in Kankakee last fall, until
the cattIeman threatened to force the
issue before the interstate commerce
commission, then the opposition sud
denly and mysteriously was with
drawn. Many similar witnesses, in ad-
dition to the branch managers and
heads of departments in the packing
already subpoenaed, will
have been secured by the government
when the jury is convened Mr. Arnes,
United States marshal, said his depu-
ties had secured service for nearly
every subpoena intrusted to them.