New-York tribune., 1910-02-26
JURY CHARGES
MEAT CONSPIRACY
PACKERS INDICTED IN
lNEW JERSEY.
Unla7cful and Immoral Plot to
Limit Supply and RAISE
Prices Alleged.

The expected Indictment Of the direct
ors of the National Packing Company by
the Hudson County Grand Jury was
flied yesterday, and the directors stand
indicted to-day for that they did. in the
words Of the presentment. with force
and arms. . for their Own unjust, ex-
cessive. unlawful and immoral profit and
gain. to injure. defraud cheat.
impoverish and oppress me public
by cornering and limiting the necessary
supply of meats and poultry for con-
sumption by the public unlaw-
fully. immoraIly. extortionately
and eorruptedly combine and
cCnspire for their i'm
moral gain and profit b. the
power of their number and wealth and
their greed and cunning and their divers
subtle. immoral. dishonest and
unlawful contrivance and COM
racts to acquire mo-
nopoly of the meat and poultry supply
of the public"
For these and other offences. described
and specified in presentment of some
three thousand words. J. ogden Armour.
Arthur Meeker. Edward Morris Louis
r Swift, Tdward F. Swift. Ira " Nor
ris L. A Carton. ~ Watson Armour
Edward Tilton. Thomas T. Wilson. F. A.
Fowler Charles II. Swift Thomas r.
Cennors, L. H. Heyman James Z. Bath
sate. jr-. George H. Edwards F. v
Cooper. D. f. HartweII Henry p. Dar-
lington. L. + Patterson and y \ Fuller
were indicted. as well as the National
Packing Company Armour & 60. Swift
x & A rla
ing Company and the G. H Hammond
company
All the corporations indicted are in
corporated in the State of New Jersey.
and the individuals mentioned are their
directors The Indictment first describes
the business conducted by the defendant
corporations and gives tine names of the
individual directors. relating. also. that
certain of the directors of the National
Packing Company are also directors and
constitute a majority OF the directors of
Armour & Co, Morris & Co and Swift
& Co.
CORNER IS ALLEGED.
Then follows the recital OF the offences
charged, in these words:
with force and arms. at the city
OF Jersey City aforesaid in the County 81
Hudson aforesaid and Within tbe irrls,5ic
ton of this court. wiIfl.Ilv. unIsWf;1IIY ana
1eionlously deylsins. contriving and in
t.sndlhs, Tor thelr own unjust. excessive
immoral and unlawful prCft and gain 10
!nJure- defraud. prejudice. damage cheat
lnipoVerlsh anc Cypress the public and the
people OF the SAID city and of the said
County of Hudson. by cornerins and limit
ing the necessary and reasonable supply
the public and the people Of sad citV and ~
SAID county, 50 as 70 produce an artificial
scarcity IN the supply of said meats and
poultry foF said pubic and people Of said
cfty and of said county. and 10 greatly. ex-
cessively and extes tionately enhance and
increase the. cost and price, thereof to tnea
said public and people of said city and os
said county, and others, who had needful
occasion or desire TO purchase meats and
nourIshment, support and maintenance did
on the lst day Of March, in the year of our
Lord one thousand nine hundred and
eight. = wilfully. unIawfulIy. immor-
ally. fraudulently, extortionately know
lnsiy ana corruptly combine. Hnlte.
federate. conspIre and bind themselves to-
geIher by agreement. for their own un-
just, excessive, extortiOnate. exOrbitant
immoral and unlawful gain and profit by
and their greed and cunning. and their
divers subtle. immoral, dishonest. Collusive,
DDS and compactS between and among
themselves TO acquire. possess, maintain
anu tSeIclse conqoI over anu hlohopoIy
of the meat and poultry supply OF the
public and the people of Jersey City. and
of the County OF Hudson aforesaid. and
unjustly, excessively, extortIonately. i'm
morally. corruptly. fictitiOuSly. arbitrarily
and unlawfullS TO raise. enhance and in
crease the price and prices of meat and
poultry to the public and people of said
city of Jersey Civ and or said County
of Hudson: and not TO sell to the public
county any of their meats and poultry
except at unjust. excessive, eXoTbitant and
G nd ps1ct sI, si tP aid ess1d upon
and not TO market in the said city, and in
the said county, any of their meats and
poultry except in quantities inadequate and
known and intended by the said defend
ants to be inadequate 20 supply the needs
of the public and people and to cur
tail and restrict the supply of said meats
and poultry and directly 10 inter-
fere with. impede and hinder the free
course Of trade and dealing In said meats
and poultry in the markets and 70
keep in their possession and under their
control and TO retain in their cold storage
warehouses and elsewhere, and 10 keep or
the market large quantities OF meat and
poultry which were required and desired
~ @.'0 and unlavfuiIy raising the price Of
said meats and poultry
1t is then further recited that on De-
cember II, 1908, in pursuance of the
conspiracy alleged in the previous prem
ises. the defendants did elect and cause
and procure to be elected as directors
of the National Packing Company di-
rSCJOrS. HldJOAitS VI itS
board. Who We're before. and at the
time of their selection" directors OF
Armour & Co. Morris & Co and Swift
& Co.
COLD STORAGE ATTACKED.
The last paragraph has 10 do with the
maintenance of cold storage warehouses
and follows:
And the said grand inquest do further pre-
sent that the said defendants in pur-
Suance Of the said conspiracy. afterWard
on the first day of March. in the year OF
our Lord. one Thousand nine hundred and
eight. and thence continuously until the
day of the presentation of this indictment.
did unlawfully keep. maintain and control
divers StorehOuSeS. warehouses. cold stcr-
age plants and other buildings and reCep-
tacies. in which they stored and kept and
withheld from the markets Of said city and
OF said county large quantities Of meat and
poultry. 10 the great wrong. injury and op-
preston of the public 70 the evil
example OF all others in like case offend
ing. anj against the peace OF This state the
government and dignity of the same
ON The motion Of Prosecutor Garvsn
the indictment was put on the oyer and
Terminer and not on the Quarter Ses-
sions list which means that Justice
Swayzs VIII preside at the trial if'thsrs