The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13
TRUST
IS INDICTED
By the Federal Grand Jury
in Chicago
NINE MANUFACTURERS HELD
F. A. Halbrook, Head of Combination
of School and Church Furniture
Concerns, Is Named In
Indictment.
NINE MANUFACTURERS HELD

Chicago, March 12.-F. A. Holbrook of
Chicago, who has been referred to as
the diyectlng force Of the so-called
church and furniture trust, and nine
church and school furniture nanufac-
turers were named In indictments re-
turned late this afternoon by the federal
grand jury. In addition two petitions
were filed in the United States circuit
court asking for injunction restraining
the furniture companies from further vio-
lations of the Sherman antitrust law,
under which law the indictments were
returned. The indictments charge the de-
fendant corporations with controlling 50
per cent of the church pew and school
desk business in the United States. The
companies against which indictments
were returned follow: American Seating
company. Chicago; A. II. Andrews conn
pany, Chicago; l.. III. Stafford Manufac-
turing company, Chicago; Superior Manu-
featuring company, Muskogeon, Mich;
Owensboro Seating and Cabinet company,
Owensboro, Ky; Southern Seating and
Cabinet company, Jackson, Tenn; Gln-
cinnati Seating company, Cincinnati;
Friedman Seating company, New Rich
mond. O.; H. C. voght Sons and company,
Parker City, Ind; Il. A. Holbrook, Chi
cago.
This indictment contains three counts.
The first charges conspiracy In restraint
of trade under section l. of the antitrust
law. The second count charges conspir-
acy to monopolize trade and commerce
throughout the United States. The third
count charges a conspiracy and combina-
ton in restraint of trade and commerce,
and charges number of overt acts in
| furtherance OF the conspiracy. The in-
| 1ictqnent also charge that the above COR
| porations and E. A. Holbrooil had organ
| lied an association called the "Pruden-
tial dub" The object of this aecosia-
| tion was to prevent competition in the
sale of church pews throughout the
| United States. Monthly meetings OF this
club were held in Chicago.
The grand jury declares that the method
used in preventing competition and in re-
| straining trade were the minimum fixed
| priced agreed upon below, which the de-
| fendant CORPORATIONS were not allowed to
| sell church pews. 1t also contended In
! the Indictment that the defendant cor
! porations reported the names OF all
church or prospective purchasers requfr-
| ing furniture to r. A. Holbrook and that
Holbrook assigned and allotted the pros
| pective sales to the different corpora
tioIs The school furniture companies
| indicted are:
| Minneapolis Office and School Furniture
| company, Minneapolis; Owensboro Seat
| ing and Cabinet company, Owensboro,
| KY; Hudson School Furniture company.
| Cincinnati: Haney School Furniture COM
| pany, Grand Rapids; Peabody School
| Furniture company, North Manchester.
| Ind; Illinois Refrigerator company,
| Madison, H.. II II. Stafford Manufactur-
| ing company, Chicago; A. ii. Andrews
company. Chicago; American Seating com
| pany, Chicago and L. A. lIolbrook, Chi
| cago
There were also three counts In this
| indictment, conspiracy and combination
| being the same as that charged In the
church furniture indictment. except that
| the arrangement which provided for the
| allotment of all school desk jobs was lim-
! tied to cities and towns of 5000 or more
| inhabitants. In all other respects the
methods adopted by the school furniture
| company was the same as that adopted
| by the church furniture manufacturers