Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-24
PACKERS UNDER FIRE
Present Grand Jury Probe Prob
ably Will Result in In
dictments
NEW REBATINe PLAN CLAIMED
Prosecutor Sims Declares Government
is After "Something New" Pack
ing Firms Involved Have Nothing to
Say - Special Government Agents
Assisting in the Investigate

important Investigations into the sec.
rets of Packingtown since the United
States government caused the indict.
ment of the beef trust" Veads three
years ago was begun yesterday before
the special federal grand jury
Officials of the packing companies
agents of the interstate commerce com
mission, and members of District At
torney Edwin w. Sims staff, were
seeking with might and main to trair
the inquiry into carefully selected
channels, but they were working a.
cross purposes.
Altho Mr.. Sims and his aids refused
to disclose the nature of the investiga-
ton, it was learned that the govern
ment is seeking evidence which if pro-
cured may result in the indictment OF
men who hold high positions with GER
tain beef packing firms, and possibly
officials of several railroads.
A new plan of rebating charged to
Morris & Co. the only firm whose en-
ployes have been subpoenaed so far
was the opening wedge of the inquiry
but it's scope may extend to the old
question of combination in restraint
of trade which the government failed
to bring to a successful issue In the
previous investigation.
Indictments still are in force agains:
the packing companies and corpora
tons under the old grand jury finding
but the government is after individuals
this time and proposes to keep away
from the trap of immunity baths
sprung by Attorney John S. Miller
For the first time since the original
beef trust investigation the most
elaborate care in the way of secret SER
vice guards was exercised in connec-
ton with the movements of the wit
nesses and the jurors. Only one wit
ness. traffic manager for Morris q
Co, was examined during the day, but
me was. kept guarded in Mr.. Sims Of
flee until he was rushed into the grand
jury room late in the afternoon. The
threat of contempt of court was in
voked against those who sought to
question the grand jurors or witnesses
Something New" Says Sims.
I'VE are after big thing and it is
something new" said Mr.. Sims. THE
government is in the dark at present
and until we are clear in our own minds
concerning the strength of our case we
are not at liberty to say a word about
it."
rs this case concerned solely with
;,,y. Ac{i fi,,t,
of the beef trust?" Mr. Sims was
asked.
Il can not answer that question in
any way he said.
From other sources it was learned.
however that the government itself is
not informed as yet with regard to the
exact nature and scope of the inquiry,
but that the facts already disclosed
lead to the gravest apprehension on
the part of the packers.
The efforts of the government agents
to keep the affair secret are said to be
prompted by the fear that the packers
will do as they did in the other inves-
tigation-send the most important
witnesses into Canada for an indefinite
sojourn.
~ olle OIL tIle lilOSl ulSSttIiOuS leclul Go
of the case is the part taken by Nor
ris & Co. Altho thirty employees of
that concern have been summoned to
appear with rate and account books be-
fore the grand jury, there does not APP
pear to be any resistance on it's part
toward the investigation. On the con-
trary, Attorneys Moritz Rosenthal and
NJ. w. Borders of counsel for the COM
pany were in conference for hours with
Mr.. Sims and Assistant District At
torneys James H. Wilkerson and Rob
ert w. Childs.
After this conference Mr.. Childs
went to the Morris plant at the stock
yards and worked for several hours.
The attorneys for the company said
they were offering every opportunity
to the government to find out what it
desired to learn.
1--WE went over the modus operandf
of the investigation, seeking to facili-
tate the inquiry in every way" said
Mr.. Rosenthal.
The witnesses who appeared with
their books in answer to- subpoenas
were E. F. Bisbee, head traffic mana
ger for Morris & Co.; II. A. Timmins,
head accountant: A. D. Morse, John
r. Hunter. and Dan McGahan. clerks.
Special Agent Assisting.
Actively assisting in the examina-