The San Francisco call., 1910-09-13
TEN HIGHERUPS
Of MEAT TRUST
ARE INDICTED
j. Ogden Armour, L. F. Swift
and E. Morris Among Off
Gals in Grand Jury Net
Multimillionaires Accused of
Combination, Conspiracy
and Illegal Monopoly

CHICAGO, Sept 12.-The federal
grand jury. which has been investigat-
ing Chicago packers, returned indict-
| ments late today against 10 high Of
fcals of the Swift, Armour and Morris
concerns. There are three indictments
against each, charging combination.
The men indicted are:
IF. SWIFT, president of Swift & Co.
Edward Swift, vice president of
Swift & Co.
| Charles III. Swift, director of Swift &
Co.
Francis A. Fowler, director of Swift
| & Co.
| Edward Tilden. president of the Ma
| tional packing company.
j. Ogden Armour, president of Ar
Arthur Meeker, general manager, Ar
| mour & Co
Thomas j. Connors, superintendent of
| Armour & Co.
| Edward Morris. president of Morris
| & Co.
L. o. Heyman, manager of Morris &
THREE CHARGES
The first indictment in detail charges
all defendants with engaging in COM
bination in restraint of interstate
! trade in fresh meats. The second
| charges conspiracy. The third charges
/ the defendants with monopolizing the
| trade in fresh meats by unlawful
| means
| That the purpose of the grand jury
inquiry was the Indictment of indi-
viduals rather than the packing cor
porations was shown when Judge Lam
I dis. famous for the S29, ,OOO. 900 Standard
oil fine, launched the investigation
! 1T sometimes happens that person
about to violate the law takes a name
other than his own said Judge Lands
In his charge to the jury. John Jones,
undertaking to counterfeit gold dollars
changes his name to John Smith or the
Metals fabricating company, and under
that name does the things forbidden by
| law.
IF your Investigation discloses such
a case, do not indict a mere alias, but
follow the trail wherever it may lead
until YOU have located, identified and
pointed out the real offenders"
SECOND INVESTIGATION
The investigation was the second
started by Judge Lands within the
year. January 20 he ordered a grand
! jury inquiry. which, on March 90, re-
}
packing company and 10 subsidiary
concerns.
Attorneys for the packers filed a de-
murrer Judge Lands sustained the
demurrer June 2S. killing the govern
ments case against the packing COM
panies. At the same time he issued an
order for a special grand jury venire of
rs men for July IA.
The witnesses who were summoned
included employees of the Chicago COM
panies. eastern packers, small independ-
ents, New York wholesale and retail
meat dealers. and packers from as far
west as Denver.
| A. T. Fuller, vice president of the
National packing company; C. c. Snow,
secretary and treasurer, and Arthur
Colby, assistant treasurer, We're among
the witnesses and were said to have
secured immunity.
INDEPENDENTS CRUSHED
Moses Fl. Joseph, secretary of the
! New York butchers dressed beef asso-
citation, was an important witness. He
| told, under protest, how the Chicago
packers got control of an Independent
concern founded by the butchers to
fight the trust. More than 200 wit
nesses, half of them from out of town,
were examined.
| The grand jury continued its work
! for about month, when, on August IL,
| the first sensation was sprung. Thomas
! G. Lee. manager of the dressed beef de-
partment of Armour & Co; was indicted
for perjury. The grand jury also re-
turned a sensational report charging
Alfred r. Urion, chief counsel for the
company and president of the Chicago
board of education, and three Armour
office employees with having destroyed
stenographers' notebooks demanded by
the inquisitorial body.
The men appeared in court and after
hearing lasting several days Judge
Lands dismissed the charge against
Urion. Final disposition OF the per-
jury case was set for September 10.
PRICES FIXED
In the Lee perjury indictment it was
charged that weekly meetings were
held in Chicago, at which the packers
fxed prices and decided how much
business should be done by each COM |
pany through the week
The grand jury practically ended its
inquiry week ago. Since then gov
ernment attorneys have spent their
time in conferences, at which indict-
ments were prepared.
The first federal grand jury investi-
cation of the packers began March p,
1905. July 1. 1905, indictments were
returned against 16 individuals and five |
corporatiins.
on December 13, 1905, the only trial |
of the packers began. This ragged |
along until July 1, 1906, when Judge |
Humphreys gave his famous "im-
munity'' bath to all individuals on trial. |
He declared the defendants had been
compelled to furnish testimony which
resulted in their indictment and that |
the cases against them should be dis |
missed.
In december 1908. another federal
grand Jury inquiry began. This
dragged on until April, 1909, when it
was dropped with no indictments and
no reasons given.