Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-01-03
THE TRUST CASES
ARt NOW ON TRIAL
The Action Against the DeMund and
Other Lumber Companies Was TAX
en- IN First.

|
en- IN First.
| The trial of the trust cases was be
| gun in United States court yesterday
morning. The case of the government
against the De Mund Lumber company
and others was taken up first out OF
its order i'm pursuance of an arrange
ment agreed upon last Monday in con-
nectiOn with the motion to excuse IL
/ =. De Mund. who was compelled 10
leave the territory to have a surgical
operation performed as soon as pos
sible
The morning session of the court
was spent in securing a jury out of the
venire of fifty for the trial of all these
cases. The greatest care was exercis-
ed by both sides In the selection of the
| jury which is remarkable in one re
respect, the youth OF the members:
that is, of a large majority of them.
They are II. r. DE Wint0n Charles
! Hartman, +. ]. BOnsall, J. p. Carroll
George f. Loring. c. c. Black. Ernes-
Crismon. Leo Trotman, Smith Chit
tick. ID. NJ. lie Baron. w. J. Murray
and A. E. Egley.
The day was without exciting Incl
dent. The first witness was Mr.. De
Mund who was questioned briefly with
the understanding that he would be
called again.
The greater part of the afternoon
was consumed i'm the examination Of
F. Corpstein of the Valley Lumber
company. Mr. Corpstein was examined
more particularly concerning various
meetings OF the representatives of the
different lumber companies with the
result that a uniformity of price had
been established. There had been such
a meeting last July and another IN
September. Mr.. Corpstein denied thaJ
there had been an agreemnt of any
sort. but that there had been a sort OF
understanding that the lumbermeT
should stand together. Various lists
were presented to the witness. one oi
which showed that an understanding
had been reached as to the price ct
certain kinds of lumber Mr.. Corp.
stein explained why this had been
done. He replied that there was
floating trade i'm this community tina:
could be handled in no other way. II
persisted in going about from company
to company getting prices and it was
designed to stop this foolish running
around. consuming alike of the time
Of the would-be patrons. as well "a
that of the companies. Mr.. Corpstein
made use of the word maintain" ir
relation 10 the agreement and he was
picked up by United States Attorney
Alexander, who had been trying all
day To show that there had been an
agreement to maintain prices. Mr.,
COrpstein corrected himself here. say
ing that there was nothing binding
about any of the understandings which
had been reached at any of these meet
ings, which were usually held at the
office of II. W. Ryder.
The last witness OF the day was T.
w. Chamberlain. head Of the Chamber
lain Lumber company. He spoke OF
the meetings which had been held by
the lumber people and said that there
had never been any arbitrary |
raises of prices. These meetings We're !
always held after word had been re- |
ceived from lumbermen of the coast. !
showing that a raise had been made |
and that these raises were always |
greater than that which /
was after made by the local companies
He was shown one of the printed |
lists which from time to time were Civ
en- to patrons and one Of which figured |.
in one of these meetings. The same Il
form had been in use by ALI of the II
Mr. Chamberlain explain
ed that the lists had been printed OH II
the order of Mr.. Perry. former book
keeper for the De Mund company The
statement was seized upon by the dis
rict attorney as evidence in support Of
he charge that there had been a sori \
# combination. Mr.. Chamberlain sail 4
hat Mr.. Perry was not now i'm the
,ity and had not been for three years
He could not say what authority the
1ookkeeper had for getting the lists
printed. The attorneys for the de-
ense asked for the suppression of all
evidence relating to the printing OF
he lists on the ground that Mr. Perry
vas merely an agent of the De Mund
which could not be bound By
lis acts.
The greater part Of the day was re-
lily taken up in arguments on objec-
ions raised by Messrs. Billiard and I,
,nalmers for the defense. These OBJ
ections. which were generally over
uled, We're based mostly on the ground
hat the questions To which they re-
erred We're Irrelevant and had moth
ng TO do with tn allegations in the
Indictment
1t is possible that the lumber case
will be disposed OF today. The nature
# the evidence to be brought out by
he government has not been disclosed
ut it is presumed that the government I
Iaving assumed a combination to have
zen established. it will devote itsel! =