The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-13
The Federal Grand Jury Finds
Cause for Action
Against the Heads of Swift's.
ArmOur's and Norris.
THECHARGES INCLUDE
Combination, Conspiracy and
Illegal Monopoly by All.
No Room for Immunity Bath
This Time 1t Seems.

Chicago, Sept. 13.-The federal grand
jury, which has been investigating
Chicago Packers, returned indictments
against ten high officials of the Swift.
armour and Morris concerns. There
are three indictments against each.
charging combination, conspiracy and
illegal monopoly.
The men indicted are L. F. Swift.
president of Swift & Co.; Edward
Swift, vice president of Swift G. Co.;
Charles H. Swift, director of Swift &
Co.; Edward Tilden, president of the
National Packing company; j. Ogden
Armour. president of Armour & Co.;
Thomas J. Connors, superintendent OF
armour q Co.: Edward Morris, presi-
dent or Morris & Co, and Louis FL.
Heyman, manager of Morris & Co.
Tne first indictment in detail charges
all defendants with engaging in a COM
Dlnatlon in restraint of interstate trade
In fresh meats. The second charges
conspiracy The third charges the de-
PENDANTS with monopolizing the trade
in fresh meats by unlawful means.
That the purpose of the grand jury
inquiry was the indictment of individ-
uals rather than the packing corpora
tlonS was shown when Judge Kenne-
saw NJ. Landis, famous for the s29 OOO,-
600 Standard Oil fine, launched the in
vestigation.
1T sometimes happens that a person
about to violate the law takes q name
other than his own said Judge Lam
dis in his charge to the jury. John
Jones' undertaking to counterfeit gold
dollars, changes his name to John
Smith or the Metals Fabricating COM
pany, and under that name does the
thing 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"
The investigation which has lust
ended was the second started by
Judge Lands within a year. On Jam
uary 20 he ordered a grand jury in
Quiry which, on March 20, indicted
the National Packing company and
10 subsidiary corporations.
Attorneys for the packers filed a
demurrer to the indictments. On June
23 Judge Landis sustained the demur-
rer, killing the governments case
against the packing companies. 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
dependents, New York wholesale and
retail meat dealers and packers from
as far west as Denver, Colo. A. L.
Fuller, vice president of the National
Packing company; G. G. Snow, secre-
tary and treasurer, were among the
witnesses and were said thus to have
obtained immunity. -
Moses H. Joseph, secretary of the
New York Butchers Dressed Beef as
sociation, was the most important wit
ness early in the investigation. He
told, under protest, how the Chicago
packers got control of an independent
concern founded by the butchers for
the purpose of fighting the so-caIled
trust. Altogether, more than 200 wit
nesses, more than half of them from
out of town, were examined.
The grand jury continued its work
for about a month. when, on August
IL, the first sensation was sprung.
Thomas G. Lee. manager of the
Co., was indicted for perjury. The
grand jury also returned a sensational
report charging Alfred r. Urion, chief
counsel for the company, and presi-
dent of the Chicago board of educa-
ton, and three Armour Office en-
ployees with having destroyed stenog-
raphers' notebooks demanded by the
| inQuisitorial body.
The men appeared in court and
after a hearing lasting several days.
Judge Landis dismissed the charge
against Urion. Final disposition of
| the perjury case was set for Septem-
Der 19.
| In the Lee perjury Indictment it was
charged InaL weekly meetings are neI0
/ in Chicago, at which the packers fix
prices and decide how much business
shall be done by each company dur
| ing the week.
The grand Jury practically ended its
! inquiry a week ago. Since that time
government 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 %.
1905. On July 1, 1905, indictments
were returned against 16 individuals
and five corporations. On December
l13, 1905. the only trial of the pack
ers began. This dragged along until
July 1. 1906, when Judge Humphreys
gave his famous Immunity 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 dismissed.
In December, 1908, another federal
grand jury inquiry was begun. This
dragged on until April, 1909. when II
was dropped with no indictments and
no reasons given.
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