Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-01
Witness Says Armour Superintendent Re-
fused to Answer Question.
MR., ARMOUR MAKES A SUGGESTION
Tells Mr., Durand that Report Should Say
There Was No Combination.
LETTERS TO GARFIELD ARE ADMITTED
Documents Objected to ny the De-
PENDANTS Are Placed In Evidence
Court Urges Attorneys to
Make Haste.

CHICAGO, Feb. CSC. n. Durand. special
agent for the government. was on the stand
all day in the hearing OF the packers pleas
for immunity. and will continue his evil
dence tomorrow. He contradicted the evil
dence given by witnesses for the packers
in several instances. the most notable being
where he flatly denied the statement made
by Arthur Meeker general superintendent
for Armour x Co. while on the stand. MIR
Meeker declared while a witness that he
had answered all questions put To him by
MIR. Durand and Mr.. Durand today denied
! this
MIR. Durand also said that he asked A.
| II. Necder general counsel for the Swift
company and one of the men under indict-
mcnt in the present case. to give evidence
during the investigation by Commissioner
Garfield under oath and that Mr.. Needer
| replied that he would do nothing of the
! kind for the reason that 1t might destroy
| the chance of immunity for the packers.
| Late in the day Judge Humphrey. who
! had declared soon after court opened that
! he could not admit evidence letters that
passed between Mr.. Durand and Commits
sioner Garfield during the investigation.
altered his decision and admitted the let
/ ters.
Court Urges Haste.
! The court this morning urged the attor-
neys to livelier efforts in the conduct OF the
case and expressed the hope that this case
will not last until eternity"
| The greater part of the forenoon
occupied by the testimony of Mr.. Durand.
After he had identified large mass OF
correspondence Mr.. Durand was asked
concerning his conversation with Arthur
Meeker, the general superintendent of Ar
mour n Co. Mr. Mceker said. according
to the witness. that he was anxious to
hux fl,n sc ,.f
| tions published soon.
He said" declared the witness, that
the packers were suffering from attacks
In the papers to the effect that the gov
ernment agents had discovered a combina-
tion, and the report of the bureau would
dispel this Mr.. Garfield and myself were
asked by MI. Meeker IL any evidence of a
combination had been discovered. Mr..
Garfield replied that evidence had come 90
our notice tending to show that there was
a combination. Mr.. Mteker replied that
this might appear from the action of our
jealous employees who might do things
not in accord with the orders OF the super
.or officers
AT this time or later, perhaps, Mr.
Mceker said he was willing IN take his
oath there was no combination between
the packers. Mr.. Meeker also protested
against public hearing. because Of the
sensational reports which might result
Mr. Durand then detailed converse tior
between j Ogden Armour, Arthur Mcekar
and himself,
Mr.. Armour asked II the report would
cover the matter of n combination. The
witness said that he thought It would not
and Mr. Armour said that he thought
there should he a report showing that
there was no combination
II told him." said the witness, that We
had received charges from various sources
that there was combination but / did
not believe the matter should be pub
lished at that time because the Department
of Justice then engaged IN LOOKING
up the matter"
Needer Refuses Information.
The witness then told of his conversatio
, with a. II. Vceder. counsel for Swift and
: Company. He asked Noeder TO furnish In
, formation concerning the capital stock OF
! certain of the Swift concessions, but Veeder
, declined to do so.
! Mr.. Durand was asked by District At
, torney Morrison If he had secured from
Mr.. Veeder the names of the compa nies In
which the Swifts were interested and the
! witness said he had, but that the names OF
the Aetna Trading company, the Open
. heimer company and tho I<enwood company
, were not among them. These three COM
panies are the concerns through which II
is claimed by the government the alleged
combination Of packers controlled the sale
; of the by-products OF their business.
II asked Mr. Veeder to furnish informa.
: tion under OATH said the witness and
, he said that he would do nothing Of the
= sort that IL II was sworn such use might
= be made of it as would not AFFORD the COM
: pany immunity"
Mr.. Durand was asked II he had heard
Arthur Meeker, general superintendent for
Armour & Co. testify in the present case
that all interrogations put TO Mr.. Meeker
by Mr.. Durand during the later investiga-
ton OF the beef case had been answered
Yes, | heard him so testify" said Mr.
| Durand.
Were all the interroga tories put by you
TO him answered as he sa!d?'
They were not"
Mr.. Durand was still on the stand when
!, ! court adjourned for the day.
q WALL STREET PRICES TUMBLE