Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-07
Chicago Commission Man Elk
poses a Big Fraud in Connec-
tion With Stock Yards
CRIPPLED STOCK PRIVILEGE
How Some Men Amass Fortunes by
Specializing in Crippled Stock
Abuses Revealed by Which the Stock
Shipper is Buncoed Out of Large
Sums.

Des Moines, Feb. ii M. Doud OF
the commission firm of Doud & Co.
exposed alleged disreputable methods
employed by Chicago commission
houses and the Chicago livestock ex-
change in speech before the Iowa
Corn Belt Meat Producers yesterday
afternoon. The principal abuses come
from the men who speculate in crippled
hogs, he said, and whom, he alleges,
receive no pay as statesmen for their
commission firms, but amass fortunes
thru the exclusive privileges enjoyed
Of buying all the crippled stuff which
is consigned to their houses without
competition.
His address created a sensation at
the meeting, where abuses were re-
vealed which shippers have never I'M
derstood. He was showered with ques-
lions for more than an hour after
concluding his address, and answered
them direct from the shoulder.
Il am here to lay this matter be-
fore you with the hope that 1 may
secure your cooperation in crushing
this syUtem of doing business" he
said. MY resources are exhausted,
and / find cannot alone carry thru
what have undertaken"
Mr.. Doud, who for thirteen years
has been in the commission business
in Chicago, started his investigations
more thar a year ago and during the
past year, when he has been active in
attempting to correct abuses at the
yards, has had charges preferred
against him four different times. An
injunction was finally granted by
Judge Kavanagh preventing unjust
suits against him.
Investigation shows that the shipper
because Of the sharp practices Of these
crippled hog spectators, has been
paying So per car for hogs in reality,
whereas his bill shows but &c." ex-
planned Mr.. Doud. "The crippled hog
speculatoI waters, weighs and in some
cases sells your consignments. This
valued elnploye is not paid for his
services, but is accorded the exclusive
privilege of buying your crippled and
and at what is practically his own
price. That his business is profitable
goes without saying. Comfortable
fortunes have been made in a few years
and many of these men become veal
thy.
He said that the commission houses
also conferred on these men the power
of attorney and also power to order
feed for the account of the commission
firm and for his consignors He told
of six men who had recently been con-
victed and part Of whom had been
sent to the penitentiary, all of whom
We're crippled hog spectators. He
explained that these men in some
manner secured duplicate keys to the
various pens and during the night
would exchange light hogs for heavy
ones to their own advantage.
''This opening, left wide by the COM
mission rnen, is the avenue through
which the stolen hogs are marketed"
he continued. "Such acts as changing
light for heavy hogs, selling cripples
twice, fee ding corn for themselves and
charging it to shippers, while not
generally practiced, are far from being
unknown.
"The remedy lies in removing from
the commission mems delivery and
feed list the names of all but en-
ployes."