The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-04-25
STATE TO TAKE HAND.
Attorney-General Asked to Proceed
Against Alleged Ice Trust at
South Bend

from South Bend says: About a year
ago the South Bend Tribune, one OF
the best edited general newspapers in
northern Indiana, opened a fight
against what is called the ice trust
in that city. The Tribune's attacks
made a great sensation in this city
and caused an investigation by the
St Joseph county grand jury of the
supposed violations of the law on the
part of the trust. No indictments
were returned, but the inquiry had
the effect of giving the trust a bad
fright and prices were reduced SO
that the poor peope of the city could
use the ice. AT the present time the
prices of ice in South Bend are not
unreasonable, but fear is expressed
that when the hot weather comes
and the ice is needed, up will go the
prices. For that reason Prosecuting
Attorney Joseph Talbot and his
chief assistant, Isaac Kane Parks,
have placed before Attorney-Ceneral
James Bingham a complete history
of this so-called trust land have asked
him to proceed against it under the
antitrust law, take away its charter,
appoint receiver and wind up the
affairs of the concern.
1t is understood that the Attorney
General is studying the evidence sub
mitted to him, and if he finds that
abuses exist, as set forth in the evil
dence before him, he will, in connec-
ton with Mr.. Talbot and Mr.. Parks,
bring quo warranto proceedings in
the ST. Joseph county court. The At
torney-Ceneral declines to make pub
lie the documents submitted to him
by Mr.. Talbot and Mr.. Parks, but
there ares copies of them in the city.
The documents in Mr. Bingham's
possession show hat the alleged
trust is the Cooperative Ice and Fuel
Company, which was incorporated
September 25, 1908, as retail ice and
fuel company. 1t was capitlized at
$40. 900, with $4,000 Of per cent
cumulative preferred and $4,000
common stock, the shares being $40
each The first board of directors was
Frank E. Herring, president; Samuel
NJ Robinson, treasurer, and Dudley
M. Shively, secretary.
Herring is one of two leading Dem
ocratic politicians of northern Indi-
ana, was candidate for Congress,
and <has a Statewide reputation.
Shi9ely, is Republican politician
and at the last session was member
of the third house" as a corporation
lobbyist. "Dud' Shively is also we'll
known all over the State, a genial,
jolly fellow, who is liked and who is
considered "a rightly shrewd gazab,
as an admirer spoke of him.
According to the documents sub
mitted to Attorney-Ceneral Bingham
the first act of the directors was to
take over the business and equipment
of the Notre Dame Lake Ice Com
pany, a copartnership composed Of
Frank E. Herring, Daniel P. Murphy
and Isaac Kane Parks, who conduct
ed a retail business in South Bend
during the season of 1908. The
Notre Dame Lake Ice company got
for its equipment, ETC., $1,000 in COM
mon stock and $4,000 in money. Her
ing negotiated this deal and repre-
scented to his associates in the new
corporation that the Notre Dame
Lake fee company had done bust
ness of 5000 tons that season.
Herring and Murphy were partners
owning icehouses located on lake
at Notrc Dame AS president of the
new company, he negotiated with
Robinson and Shively contract to
furnish to that company 5000 tons
a year, if Herring and Murphy should
harvest tina amount off their lake
The company was bound to take this
5000 tons, if harvested, and pay s1.4s
a ton for it f. o b. cars, South Bend
price charged to Notre Dame com
pany during season of 1908 was s1-25)
Herring, it is charged before the At
torney General, represented to Robin
son and Shively that his old com
pany, Notre Dame company, during
season had done 5000 tons of bust
ness, as stated, while in truth ant
fact it did only 5000 tons of business
He made his new associates believ'
that he was giving the new compan,
a splendid contract, and induced then
to pay unto himself and partner
Murphy, $4,000 in common stock fol
this contract, which was to last TWEEN
ty years
The COOPERATIVE Ice and Fue
Company, by its board of directors
acquired from William Kizer and ia
cob Woolverton about thirty acres o
land west of South Bend, on which
was located the old LaSalle lake ant
the Beck ice-houses. Consideration
$1,000 in common stock and $500 II
cash, the latter going to Robinson A.
commissions, he being the agent fol
Kizer and Woolverton, owners. The
old Beck ice-houses, with capacity o
1000 tons, were later acquired at ST.,
500 a conservative figure. This prop
erty has advanced in price, being
close to South Bend, and is worth
more today than when purchased.
100000 Was in Safe.
1t is now believed that expert yegg
men who came from Chicago plan.
ned fhe robbery of the Rank q