Arizona republican., 1906-03-22
The Governments Main Contention Over
 ruled After Weeks of Trial
The Court Finds That the Prosecution of the Artificial Persons thu Mere Shells of the Corporation May be Proceeded With.

Chicago, March 21.-AH of the pack CTS who were indicted by the federal grand jury last summer on charges of being in conspiracy in restraint of trade and commerce, were today grant ed immunity from criminal prosecution under the indictment While the indi- Viduals are to go free, the indictments found against the corporations of which some of the indicted individuals are members and others employees, are to stand.
 The decision to the above effect was handed down this afternoon by Judge Humphreys in the United States dis trict court. The arguments in the case were concluded shortly after o'clock and Judge Humphreys at once com menced the delivery of his opinion. It was oral and the judge spoke for near ly an hour, before giving the slightest indication of what the ultimate decis- ion would be. He reviewed the case at length in all its bearings, cited all the essential facts which had been brought out and concluded as follows: Under the law in this case the immunity pleas filed by defendants will be sustained as to the individuals and denied as to the corporations, the artificial persons, and the jury will find in favor of the government as far as the corporations are concerned, and against the gov eminent as far as the individuals are concerned"
 During the rendition of the decision the court was crowded by the defend ants and numerous spectators. Edward Morris and Edward Swift were in court and both smiled happily when the decision was announced J. Ogden Armour was not present, but some of Ea in, he ,f Armour and company who were under indictment were there and their joy
 was great.
 When the judge announced that the l Indictments would not lie against them they crowded together and commenced to shake hands in mutual cOngratula-
 ton. The attorneys fer the defendants
 were also highly pleased, and when the decision had been announced. they
 shook hands all round and then hasten
 ed to the jury box to shake hands with the jurors, who had been excluded from the court room during all of the argu-
 ments made in the case, and who re-
 turned verdict in accordance with the
 deision of the court
 District Attorney Morrison who han
 died the case alone, with the exception of the arguments by Attorney General Moody, sat with bowed head for a short time after Judge Humphreys had concluded and then walked over to the jury box and shook hands with the jurors. Immediately following the de- cision of the jury, District Attorney Morrison raised the question of the date for the trial of the corporations. He asked that the case be set for trial and that it commence within two
 weeks. This met with a storm Of pro- test from the attorneys of the packers, who insisted that they would be unable to prepare for the case before the fall of the year, pleading the number of
 witnesses which it would be necessary
 to bring to Chicago, the strain of the present trial and various other req sons.
 After some discussion Judge Hum phreys directed that the lawyers agree among themselves upon a date and notify him of their decision next week It is expected that the total number of witnesses in this trial when it begins will number at least 1.6O0. The att torneys for the packers declared today. when asking for a pOstpOnement of the trial that their witnesses you'd num- Der l, 800 and the government has all
 ready said that it would have one hundred more.
 The court proceedings for the day were commenced by the argument of Attorney John s. Miller, who has waiv. ed a portion of his time in favor of
 Attorney General Moody. He secuted
 the contentious of the attorney general, saying that it was evident to the most casual reader of the interstate com
 merce law that mo distinction existed in that act between evidence given voluntarily or evidence given under compulsion. He declared that there could not be the slightest doubt that
 the defendants in the present case were entitled to immunity.
 Said he: -''It is contended that the