Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-22
Seven Thousand Dollars Worth
Held Up al Norfolk Because Of
Violation Of Anil. Trust Law.
Il WAS G]ING TO ENGLISH PORT
Claimed roat Consignment Was Con-
Z trary to the Sherman Law and
That 1t Was Against the Law
Which Covers the unlawful combl-
nations OF Trade.
my AssocInled prens.n

NORFOLK, VA. Oct 21.-A shin
meht of lenf tobacco mud cigarettes
said To H. valued ut $1,000 from
Durham, n. c.. consigned to the Brl.
tish.Anerican Tobacco Company or
Great Britain. has been attached bv
toc government here and IL now being
heid by the customs authorities. The
action was brought folowingg con.
instance of the Attorney General
lector of Customs Hughes, United
states District Attorney L. l.. Lewis
nhd u representative from the depart
mont OF justice nj Washington.
me department OF justice today Is.
sued me following statement concern.
.ng inc tobacco seizure at Norfolk
.hls afternoon: The collector of Gus.
IONS NJ Norfolk, Va, under direction
OF tnc Secretary of the Treasury Mt tho
Instance of the attorney general
ana III conjunction with the United
States attorney for the eastern dis.
trict of Virginia, Inns seized l75 case,
containing 7750,000 cigarettes valued
NJ $L277.b0. which were In transit
from factories of the Brltish-American
Iobacco Company Limited. located nj
Fete. sDnrg' Va, and Durham N. c..
10 new YORK and foreign countries.
Way Seizure Was Made.
rms seizure was made under sec.
tion OF the sherman antitrust law.
which reads as follows. ANY nronertv
owned under any contract or by any
combination. or pursuant to any con.
splracy land being the subject there
Oh mentioned In section one of this
act and being In the course of trans.
portation from one state To another or
10 foreign country shall be forfeit
cd To the United States and may he
seized and condemned by like proceed.
lhgs AS those p.ovidGT by law for the
forfeiture. seizure, and condemnation
OF property imported into the United
suites contrary to law
Inc Inspection and seizure will be
Iiied today Mt Richmond and will
state the cause of the seizure that The
property was owned under n contract
entered into in 1891 by two tobacco
companies. that is to say the Amerl-
can Iobacco Company and the Amer
Gun cigar Company with three great
Dheilsn concerns. namely: The I'M
neriai Tobacco Company. of Great
pripin ana Ireland Limited. the Og.
dtns, Limited, and the British Ameri
can Tolncco Company, Limited IN
winch contracts 1t was agreed sinh.
!
companies should not compete with
one another In the territories given
to each. In this contract the corporn.
tons named IN effect divided nm the
world among them so far MS the toboc.
co business was concerned. The IN.
formation also contains counts charr.
ing that the tobacco was owned by n
combination in restraint of trade.
and pursuant to conspiracy in re-.
straint of trade. which is meYe
variation of language of the para
granh stating the causes of forfeiture"
This is proceeding In rem. that
is to say. against the property itself
ana not against any individuals. II
owners of the property want to make
defense, they must come into court
and claim the property and file their
written pleadings denying the charges
set ont in the information and show
that the unlawful combination in re.
st'alnt of trade charged in the in
formation does not in fact exist. This
Is the first time that proceedings
nave been taken to effect .nis section
OF the Sherman law