Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
TEN BEEF TRUST
HEADS INDICTED
BY FEDERAL JURY
Armour Morris and Three of the
SWifts Must Answer on
Three Counts
ILLEGAL MONOPOLY CHARGED
Conspiracy and Combination in
Restraint of Trade Also
in the PreSentmentS
ASSOCIATED Press)

ASSOCIATED Press)
CHICAGO, Sept. 12.-The federal
grand jury which has been investigat-
ing Chicago packers late today re-
turned indictments against ten high
officials of the Swift, Armour and Nor
ris concerns. There are three indict-
ments against each, charging criminal
conspiracy and Illegal monopoly.
The men indicted are: L. F. Swift.
president of Swift Sc Co.; Edward
Swift, vice president of Swift s. Co.;
Charles H. Swift, director Of Swift g.
Co.; Francis A. Fowler, directors Of
Swift &S Co.; Edward Tilden, president
of the National Packing company; j.
Ogden Armour president Of Armour 81
Co.; Arthur Meker, general manager Of
Armour & Co.; Thomas J.. Conners, Su-
perintendent of Armour & Co.; Edward
Morris, president of Morris & Co., and
L. o. Heyman, manager Of Morris
6, Co.
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 de-
PENDANTS 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
Landis, famous for the $29,0O0,000
Standard Oil fine, launched the investi-
cation.
JUDGES INSTRUCTIONS
at sometimes happens that person
about to violate the law takes name
other than his own," said Judge Lands
in his charge to the jury. John Johns,
undertaking to counterfeit gold dol
lars, changes his name to John Smith
or the Metals Fabricating company,
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 trial wherever it may lead
until you have located, identified and
pointed out the real offenders"
The investigation was the second
started by Judge Lands within the
year. January 20 he ordered grand
Jury inquiry, which, March 20, resulted
in the indictment of the National Pack
ing company and ten subsidiary con-
Germs.
Attorneys for packers filed de-
murrer. June 23 Judge Lands sus-
tanned the demurrer, killing the gov
ernmentS case against the packing
companies At the same time he issued
an order for special grand jury Venlre
of seVenty-fiVe men for July IA.
The witnesses who were summoned
included employees of the Chicago COM
panies, eastern packers, small inde-
pendent packers, New York wholesale
and retail meat dealers and packers
from as far west as Denver.
IMMUNITY BATHS
A. T. Fuller, vice president of the
National Packing company; G. &.
Snow, secretary and treasurer, and
Arthur Colby, assistant treasurer, were
among the witnesses and were said to
have secured immunity.
Moses H. Joseph, secretary or the
New York Butchers Dressed Beef as
sociation, was an important witness.
He told, under protest, how the Chi
cago packers got control Of an indepen-
dent concern founded by the butchers
to fight the so-called trust.
More than 200 witnesses, 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 dressed beef
department of Armour & Co., was in
dicted for perjury. The grand jury
also returned 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' note books de-
manded by the inquisitorial board.
The men appeared In court, and arter
a hearing lasting several days, Judge
Lands dismissed the charge against
JJrion. Final disposition of the perjury
case was set for September 19.
LEE INDICTMENT
In the Lee perjury indictment 1t was
charged that weekly meetings are held
in Chicago, at which the packers fix
a., h hfISinnGd
shall be done by each company through
the week.
The grand jury practically ended its
inouiry a week ago. Since that time
government attorneys have spent their
time in conference at which lndlct-
ments were prepared
The first federal grand jury investi-
cation OF the packers began March %.
1905. July l, 1905, indictments were re-
turned against sixteen individuals and
Ave corporations. December 13, 1905.
the onIv trial of the packers began.
This dragged along until July l, 1906
when Judge Humphreys gave his IA
nous Immunity bath to all indl-
viduals on trial He declared the de-
PENDANTS had been compelled to furnish
testimony which resulted in their in
dictment and that the cases against
them should be dismissed. In Decem-
her 1908, another federal grand jury
inquiry began. This dragged on until
April, 1909, when it was dropped with
no indictments and no reasons given.
CHARGES CONVERSATION
The indictment charging the ten
hacking company officials with en-
gaging in q combination In restraint
of trade, declares the object Of the
agreement is the elimination OF COM
petition between the Swift. Armour
and Morris group of defendants in the
purchase of live cattle, sheep and hogs
and also in the sale of fresh meats
throughout the United States.
The indictment declares the method
adopted for so doing was first to re-
frain from bidding up the prices OF
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