The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-02-02
Startling Testimony is
Given in the Hearing
by Which the Packers
Hope to Escape Grim
inal Trial.
Charge Made That the
Government and the
Commissioner Aided
indictments When Sc.
crecy Was Promised.

Chicago, Jan. 29.-Charges of bad
faith on the part of the government
and Commissioner James r. Garfield
in particular were read between the
lines of testimony given by Louis G.
Krauthoff. former general counsel for
Armour & Company, in ,he beef trust
trial today and all of the indicted
packers present betrayed much salts
faction.
In recital which, though rendered
quietly and without sensational Ian
guage, held the attention of a crowded
court room, Mr.. Krauthoff gave the
details of the conference he had with
Mi. Garfield at the Chicago Club in
April, 1904, when the commissioner
was seeking to arrange maULers so ne
could get the facts he desired
for his report 1t was the first tes-
timony in The hearing by which the
packers hope to escape trial on the
criminal charge OF violations of anoth-
er trust act
The crucial point Of the narrative
was reached when Mr.. KrauthGff re-
lated this part OF the conversation:
Il asked him about sCme OF the
information going to the newspapers
or even to the department of justice.
He told me not to have any appre-
hension on the subject
Il then aske,. him what use the
president of the Uni,ed States wished
to make of the information. He an
swered with emphasis that, of course,
the president Of a great nation would
hot allow anything to hapl VI to
which any one could take exception"
Several references by Mr.. Krau hoff
were made to President Roosevelt and
tbs Departmental justice, and the gem
eral burden of his story was that Gar
field particularly impressed upon him
the fact that the Martin resolution
by congress spoke for itself when 1t
said that the investigation by she
commissioners of corporations tor
the benefit of the pres dent,
who would get his report from
the department of commerce and
labor.
The upshot of the Garfield investi-
cation was that the department of
justice got its hands upon the report
and it was used for the benefit of The
grand jury which indicted the pack
ers. This is what now caused the
packers to make their plea of immun-
ity. They say that they have been
deprived of the protection of the con-
sti'utiOn and placed in the light of
persons testifying against themselves.
Il said to Mr. Garfield" said Mr.
Krauthoff, that ] saw he had no dis
eretion under the Martin resolution and
that as | understood his position from
what he said as 20 keeping our dis
closures confidential would recon-
mend my clients to do as asked He
said he intended to make a report so
accurate in deal there would be no
question and that was the reason he
wanted to look into the books and
sill reserve the right of an oath.
81 sympathize with him in that,
think it is proper to say Mr. Gar
field did his duty in the report"
Mr.. Krahthoff then said that, as
counsel for the National Pack ng Com
pany he had given Information %
Statistician DuraHd, but had withheld
the name of stockholders.
He had refused to answer the same
question when il was asked him by
the interstate commerce commission.
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